Japan's relationship with coal likely to be in focus at COP28

During the COP28 climate talks in Dubai that begin Thursday, Japan is likely to agree to triple renewable energy use and pledge to reduce its reliance on coal.

While those measures may garner widespread support, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida could face less enthusiasm among the delegates for Japan's plan to reduce coal plant emissions with more cutting-edge — but controversial — carbon capture technologies. These are part of a broader debate at the conference over the future use of coal and a key topic likely to dominate discussions during the two-week talks that end Dec. 12.

The United Nations and many countries, including Japan, back the development of coal-fired power plants equipped with Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) technology as a way to meet the goals of the 2015 Paris Agreement. On Tuesday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said that Japan would use COP28 as a venue to explain how new technologies can help with the global push to phase out coal.