G7 "Welcome Japan's Response to Contaminated Water... Gradual Phase-Out of Fossil Fuels"

Climate, Energy, and Environment Ministers of the Group of Seven (G7) on the 16th expressed their support for the Japanese government's efforts to address the contaminated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participants at the G7 Climate, Energy, and Environment Ministers' Meeting, which concluded in Sapporo, Hokkaido, included in their joint statement the phrase, "We welcome the steady progress in reactor decommissioning work and Japan's transparent efforts in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) based on scientific evidence."

The G7 statement added that they support the IAEA's independent verification process of the Fukushima nuclear plant to ensure that the discharge of contaminated water is conducted in accordance with IAEA safety standards and international law, and that the contaminated water does not harm humanity or the environment. They also emphasized, "We encourage Japan to proceed with its plans in an open and transparent manner while maintaining close communication with the international community."

The Japanese government has announced its policy to discharge contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean around this summer. The IAEA is expected to release verification results before the discharge. However, neighboring countries including South Korea and China, Pacific island nations, and residents near the nuclear plant have expressed concerns about the discharge of contaminated water.

Additionally, the G7 included in the statement a commitment to accelerate the phased elimination of fossil fuel use to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, according to Kyodo News and local public broadcaster NHK.

At this meeting, natural gas was also added to the list of fuels to be phased out. However, the statement did not specify a timeline for the cessation of coal-fired power generation. In this regard, the United Kingdom and France sought to include language accelerating the phase-out of coal power by 2030. However, it is reported that Japan, which has become more reliant on thermal power generation since the Fukushima nuclear accident, showed reluctance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.