Climate Policy Engagement Analysis
Climate Policy Engagement Overview: Japan LP Gas Association (JLPGA) appears to have limited overall engagement on climate action and policy. However, the group does have some engagement on the energy transition and energy policy in Japan, taking mainly negative positions that support the long-term role of natural gas. JLPGA is also as a member of Ministry of Environment, Trade and Industry’s Resources, Fuel, Oil and Natural Gas Subcommittee.
Top-line Messaging on Climate Policy: JLPGA has limited top-line communication on climate policy, with any engagement appearing to be negative. In 2020, in a statement published on its website, the CEO of JLPGA supported a role for natural gas in the energy mix on the basis that it is 'low carbon' without clear conditions related to CCS or mitigating methane emissions. In February 2021 at METI’s Resources, Fuel, Oil and Natural Gas Subcommittee meeting, JLPGA appear to emphasize the issue of competitive disadvantage in responding to climate change, and appears to support a less urgent approach.
Engagement with Climate-Related Regulations: JLPGA appears to have low engagement with climate-related regulations. Although JLPGA appears to be supporting energy efficiency including ZEB and ZEH through the use of low emission LP gas, it is unclear if it supports legislative energy efficiency standards or targets, from its website statement on SDGs, published in June 2020.
Positioning on Energy Transition: JLPGA appears to have a negative position on energy transition, supporting the long-term role of natural gas. In its long-term policy statement published in June 2020, JLPGA has emphasized concerns around economic and technical feasibility of a move away from fossil fuels towards renewables, suggesting Liquified Petroleum gas should continue to be utilized in the energy mix to ensure security of supply. In its statements on its website, accessed in August 2022, JLPGA also suggests that the long-term role for natural gas in the energy mix is desirable, without placing clear conditions on the deployment of CCS or methane abatement measures. Although the group appears to be supporting GHG emission reductions, it is unclear whether it support GHG emission standards from its position statement on its website accessed in August 2022. As a member of METI’s Resources, Fuel, Oil and Natural Gas Subcommittee, JLPGA has directly advocated for measures that will maintain a high GHG energy mix including LP Gas at the committee meeting held on April 2021. The group also suggested in a number of meetings that the long-term role for LP gas in the energy mix is desirable without placing clear conditions on the deployment of CCS or methane abatement measures since 2019. During the New Year Speech in 2022 January, the chairman Ogasawara emphasized the importance of energy security and supported the use of LP gas for the time being.
InfluenceMap collects and assesses evidence of corporate climate policy engagement on a weekly basis, depending on the availability of information from each specific data source (for more information see our methodology). While this analysis flows through to the company’s scores each week, the summary above is updated periodically. This summary was last updated in Q4 2022.