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the protesters People in Pokemon costumes roamed the UN climate conference on Friday to send a message to Japan: End funding of coal and natural gas projects Southeast Asia and other areas global south,
the stop JapanThe protest against dirty energy plans coincides with the first of two thematic days focusing on energy during this year’s annual climate conference known as COP30, held in Belém on the edge of the Brazilian Amazon. Organizers of the protest said the investment is a major blind spot for Japan, typically a regional voice in climate talks that often bills itself as a decarbonization leader in Asia.
Hiroki Osada of Friends of the Earth Japan, one of the protest organizers, said, “Japan is actually delaying fossil fuel phase-out throughout Asia by financing energy projects, primarily liquefied natural gas development, in countries like Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines”.
“It is very important for our Global South colleagues to express their concerns in Belém, so that they can actually demand the Japanese government do something about this,” he said.
The state-owned Japan Bank for International Cooperation lent $6.4 billion to coal projects and $874 million to gas projects from 2016 to 2024, according to a 2025 study by the Center for Energy, Ecology and Development, a Philippines-based research and advocacy organization based on public government and banking data. The bank, which is Japan’s main channel of foreign aid, did not respond to requests for comment.
When contacted for comment, Takuya Nomoto, a senior negotiator for the Japan delegation at COP30, said a colleague would respond.
a pair of bobbing pikachus
The protest centered on a pair of people dressed in life-size, inflatable Pikachu costumes, who were accompanied by a handful of activists. Protesters chanted “Pokémon only, no fossil fuels” and “Sayonara fossil fuels”. The event included activists from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is home to many Japan-backed fossil fuel projects. One banner read: “Don’t promote ASEAN.”
The boisterous Pikachus planned to visit the country pavilions of India, Indonesia and Malaysia to “show how Japan is exporting its fossil agenda”.
“If global North countries like Japan decide to double fossil fuel production and exports, it will make it impossible for countries in the global South to make just energy transitions,” said Amiera Savas, head of research and policy at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.
The Pikachu protest, which has occurred frequently during recent summits, was caught in the middle of other anti-fossil fuel demonstrations and came after Friday morning’s demonstration blocked the main entrance to the conference and led to increased COP30 security measures. Earlier, activists had hosted a “Kick Out the Suits” event demanding the removal of fossil fuel lobbyists, whom environmentalists accused of undermining the negotiations.
On Saturday, when significant protests are expected to mark the midpoint of the COP, a large march will feature a “funeral for fossil fuels”, where giant coffins – a symbol of coal, oil and gas – will be carried through the streets of Belém.
Fossil fuel is key issue at UN climate talks
The global effort to move away from fossil fuels has been a major theme at COP30. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva set the tone during last week’s leaders’ summit when he called on world leaders to draw up a road map to “eliminate dependence on fossil fuels.”
Several countries, such as Denmark, the United Kingdom, Kenya, France and Germany, supported Lula’s call for action.
During COP28 in Dubai, nearly 200 countries agreed to transition away from fossil fuels, the first pledge in decades of UN climate talks. But many have warned that the deal still has significant shortcomings.
“At COP30, we need an actionable outcome, not another roadmap,” said Jasper Inventor, deputy program director of Greenpeace International. “While it is positive to see progress in Belém, we must ensure it actually leads to a clear plan to phase out fossil fuels and rapidly transition to renewables.”
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This story was produced as part of the 2025 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship hosted by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.