Efforts by Shinjiro Koizumi, the nation’s popular 39-year-old environment minister, to curb government support for coal-fired power may be failing, in a potential blow to restricting use of the most-polluting fossil fuel amid rising concerns over climate change.
The push by the minister is centered on forcing a review this year by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration into Japan’s promotion of coal power technology overseas.
It’s one of the highest-profile efforts from within the government to end its support for coal, echoing criticism mainly from overseas activists that the nation’s policies are increasingly at odds with a global shift to green energy.