Japan tightened conditions for its support of overseas coal-power projects, but left the door open to new plants that use the dirtiest fossil fuel despite sustained criticism from environmentalists and dissent within its own government.
The new policy, announced Thursday, is a blow to efforts to halt Japan’s entrenched support for financing and developing coal plants, particularly in developing economies of Southeast Asia. Ending its use is considered a priority for nations to meet their climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, which is aimed at avoiding rising global temperatures by capping greenhouse gas emissions.
