Coal news and updates

With the eyes of the world on Japan for this week’s G7 meeting in Ise-Shima, the government will be hoping to show off the best of our country.

The town of Ise-Shima itself is home to the one of the most revered Shinto shrines in Japan and a proud part of our history. But the government is also about promoting the nation’s cutting-edge art, technology and culture abroad.

At the heart of this is - Cool Japan - a PR campaign run by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

But it seems like coal is the new cool, because it’s a little known fact that unlike its G7 partners, Japan is in the process of building 49 new coal-fired power stations - whilst also being by far and away the largest financial backer of coal infrastructure in the region.

From 2007 to 2014, Japan provided over US$20 billion in coal financing abroad.

While the US, the UK, France and other countries have placed restrictions on their financing of coal projects abroad, and are actively shutting down existing plants, Japan remains the world’s number one supporter of overseas coal.

That’s why this week we’re taking part in the launch of the brand-jamming Coal Japan, which aims to let the world know what’s quietly going on in the land of the rising sun.

Because let’s face it, there’s not much cool about coal.

Source:huffingtonpost