The sogo shoshas have played a crucial role in Japan’s industrial and economic development. However, the environmental advocacy group, Market Forces, says that these corporations continued investment in liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminals and gas power plants contradicts global decarbonisation efforts.
Instead of investing $36 billion in LNG plants, the money could be used to develop 62 GW of renewable energy, more than double the country’s current total electricity generation capacity.
Extreme heat has become a growing public emergency, depriving people of basic necessities and threatening their right to live in a healthy, safe, and dignified environment.