The Japan Carbon Frontier Organization (JCOAL) held ”The 35th ‘Clean Coal Day in Japan’ International Symposium (2026)” and the “Energy Security with Decarbonization Symposium 2026” in Tokyo from September 3 to 4, 2026.

The official themes of each symposium were “global energy situation and efforts toward realistic decarbonization via CCUS” for the Clean Coal Day International Symposium and “contribution of coal to the stable energy supply” for the Energy Security with Decarbonization Symposium. However, in the actual sessions, various speakers affirmed and recommended the continued operation of coal-fired power plants and a focus on coal mine development. These statements were set against the backdrop of tensions in the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as rising electricity demand driven by the expansion of AI. During these symposiums, the discourse was dominated by arguments advocating for a “return to coal” on the grounds of energy security, rather than addressing the worsening climate crisis or efforts to meet the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C target.

1. Arguing for a return to coal by characterizing decarbonization as “peacetime empty rhetoric”

The tone of the symposium was epitomized by the remarks of Nobuhiro Horii, an associate professor at Kyushu University, during the Wrap-Up Session on the second day. Horii praised the slogan “Coal is Back,” raised by participants from the United States on the first day, saying, “it was punchy and set the tone for both of the symposiums.”

Furthermore, Horii stated that “decarbonization is merely empty rhetoric celebrated in peacetime,” and “the stable supply of energy has been overshadowed.” He then argued that “It was those in the coal industry who saved society in times of crisis. With the current wave of momentum, we should strongly insist on the importance of coal.” Amid increasingly severe climate disasters around the world and the existence of international greenhouse gas reduction targets agreed upon by the international community, this stance characterized climate change countermeasures as “peacetime empty rhetoric” and used geopolitical risks as an opportunity to promote the expansion of coal use.

2. The Japanese government and public agencies plan to “relax rules for coal phase-out”

Officials from the Japanese government and public agencies suggested a retreat from decarbonization targets. Ichiro Takahara, Chairman and CEO of Japan Organization for Metals and Energy Security (JOGMEC), touched on concerns about fossil fuel supply due to the Middle East conflict in his Welcome Remarks on the second day. He stated that “Japan is also striving to ensure a stable electricity supply by relaxing rules for phase-out of coal-fired power plants.” Hiroshi Kubota, Executive Vice President of JOGMEC, who delivered a Keynote Address on the same day, also explained the domestic response, stating that “a policy has been issued to extend the operation of inefficient coal-fired power plants for one year.”

Amid questions regarding consistency with the G7 agreement to “phase out existing unabated coal-fired power plants by 2035,” Kubota explicitly stated that phase-out requirements are being relaxed.

A similar line of reasoning was also presented by the academic community. Professor Emeritus Takao Kashiwagi at the Institute of Science Tokyo emphasized that while domestic reserves of natural gas (LNG) amount to only about two weeks’ supply, coal can be stored long-term at room temperature. He stated that “coal has long been considered the worst option from a decarbonization perspective, but it is the best option from an energy security standpoint,” and added, “coal is a highly effective energy security system.” These statements indicate a willingness to re-evaluate coal, which has the highest emission intensity, based on its storability.

3. Deregulation and coal mine development on indigenous reservations and protected areas in the United States

The strong push for fossil fuels under the Trump administration in the United States also significantly impacted the tone of the plenary sessions. Sarah Forbes of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) argued, “We should add to our energy supply, not subtract from it.” She reported that, based on the “Beautiful Clean Coal” Executive Order signed in April 2025, funds from the Defense Production Act would be allocated to support the extension and expansion of coal-fired power plants, the construction of new coal-related facilities, and the development of export infrastructure. This included the federal government investing $75 million in public funds in a West Coast coal export terminal that had been stalled by environmental lawsuits.

Furthermore, Wendy Hutchinson of the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) explained that the DOI is promoting regulatory streamlining to significantly shorten the review period for environmental impact assessments (EIA). As an example, she cited the recent approval of a new coal mining permit on the Navajo Nation reservation for an amount equivalent to “approximately seven years’ worth of Tokyo’s electricity consumption (approximately 530 million metric tons).” The presenter from the Utah Mining Association expressed hope that coal development would become possible in areas where development had been restricted as national monuments for the past 30 years, following the reduction of designated protected areas. This demonstrates how the United States is securing long-term coal production through the relaxation of environmental regulations and shrinking of protected areas.

4. “Sham decarbonization technologies (False Solutions)” and life-extension measures through rare earth extraction

On the second day of the symposium, while “decarbonization technologies” were highlighted, most of these measures were based on the assumption that coal-fired power plants would remain in operation for the long term.

• Facility retention through BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage): Hidekazu Takakura, Executive Officer of Chugoku Electric Power, mentioned in his speech that Chugoku Electric has positioned BECCS and biomass co-firing as “promising carbon-negative technologies” and announced a policy to continue making full use of existing coal- and gas-fired power plants by utilizing this technology. However, unless CCS is fully implemented, even if 50% of the fuel is biomass, the remaining 50% will still be coal, so this cannot be considered a substantive “decarbonization” measure.

• Limited co-firing rates: A presentation by the ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) emphasized that coal-fired power plants in Southeast Asia are still relatively new, presenting them as “assets that can be utilized for at least another 20 years.” While emission reductions through biomass co-firing are being attempted in Southeast Asia, the current biomass co-firing rate remains at only about 1%, meaning that 99% of the fuel is still coal. This highlights a situation where coal-fired power plants are being preserved through minimal biomass co-firing.

• Critical mineral extraction from coal ash: Dr. David Bagdonas from the University of Wyoming and Osamu Tsukamoto from JCOAL highlighted technologies for extracting critical minerals from coal ash (fly ash), arguing that this could offset the economic costs of coal-fired power generation. This attempts to justify the continued operation of thermal power plants by rebranding hazardous waste, which should ideally be prevented from being generated in the first place, as a “source of strategic resources.”

In the Closing Remarks, Osamu Tsukamoto, JCOAL President, referred to these developments in technologies as “a shift from a period of greenwashing to a more realistic approach.” However, the effectiveness of reducing emissions with the approach of extending the lifespan of coal-fired power plants by co-firing and byproduct utilization has not been sufficiently established. Relying on these measures is inherently contradictory and could be considered “greenwashing” under international decarbonization standards.

5. Backlash against ESG and divestment

Strong concerns were expressed regarding the trend of divestment from coal-related investments by private financial institutions.

Horii (Kyushu University) described the withdrawal of investments by private financial institutions as a “tightening of financial constraints” and highly praised JOGMEC’s public support for overseas coal exploration and acquisition of mining rights. Furthermore, he stated that financial institutions restricting lending and investment in accordance with decarbonization standards “should be invited to next year’s Clean Coal Day Symposium and questioned about what they think.” This illustrates the coal industry’s pushback against emerging decarbonization rules in international financial markets.

Summary: Debates that overemphasize “energy security” detached from international commitments

Throughout the two days of symposiums, Japanese, United States, and Asian stakeholders pushed a narrative that justified the continued use of coal and the promotion of upstream development as a “pragmatic approach,” citing geopolitical risks and rising electricity demand as catalysts.

However, with the global decline in the cost of renewable energy deployment and its increasing availability as a realistic option for rapidly securing power supply, relying on unestablished technologies and co-firing at low rates to solidify coal infrastructure increases the risk of long-term carbon emissions lock-in and stranded assets.

Japan’s stance of setting aside the international principles of phasing out coal-fired power and halting new development, under the guise of ensuring energy security, deviates significantly from the global trend toward climate change mitigation, and its validity and policy risks will be severely questioned.

Reference

【News】Different Approaches to Coal Phase-Out: The 34th Clean Coal Day International Symposium (2025)