Japan's Minister of Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura said on Saturday that the government has pledged financial and technological support to help Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to decarbonise their economies and combat climate change. Japan's energy poor aims to become a leader in the hydrogen economy to reduce dependence on traditional polluting fossil fuels such as coal and oil. The country will hold a ministerial meeting on climate, energy and environment in Sapporo from 15 to 16 April in its capacity as Chair of the G-7 this year. This event will be ahead of the group's summit in Hiroshima from 19 to 21 May to promote what the country describes as a realistic energy transition. Nishimura told the Asia Zero Emissions Group's first ministerial meeting that "Japan will take the lead in providing generous support in finance, technology and personal resources to help decarbonize Asia." Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida proposed the establishment of the Asia Zero Emissions Group last year with a view to sharing the philosophy of promoting decarbonisation in Asian countries and cooperating to advance the energy transition.
