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Japan's insistence on continuing to rely on gas may delay reaching global climate change goals, especially as its energy companies reap large profits from their investments in the sector, climate activists say. "But I think Japanese companies will generally hesitate to be involved in gas projects in the future, especially those with long lead times. Japan's support for gas clashes with findings that new investments in gas, which is mainly composed of the greenhouse gas methane and produces CO2 emissions when burned for energy, would undermine climate goals. But, gas investments have been lucrative for Japan's energy companies resulting in record profits. But, Japan's stated intention to lower its carbon emissions may mean these gas investments carry some risk.

TOKYO, May 17 (Reuters) - Rich nations should boost financial and technical support to poorer countries to help them tackle climate change and achieve similar decarbonisation goals, a senior Japanese environment ministry official said ahead of a G7 summit in Hiroshima. Developed countries promised in 2009 to transfer $100 billion annually between 2020 and 2025 to vulnerable states hit by increasingly severe climate-linked impacts and disasters - but that target was never met. G7 energy and climate ministers discussed how to meet that goal when they met in the Japanese city of Sapporo last month. "All countries should follow the good example of Japan so that we could achieve the $100 billion goal," he said, adding that he hoped that the level would be achieved as soon as possible and maintained through 2025. Developing countries say they need far more support than that from the rich nations, who are responsible for most of the greenhouse gas emissions, otherwise they cannot afford to cut CO2 emissions.

TOKYO, April 23 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven (G7) economic powers called on Sunday for the "extension, full implementation and expansion" of a critical deal to export Ukrainian grain through the Black Sea, the group's agriculture ministers said in a communique. Brokered by the United Nations and Turkey, the deal was signed in Istanbul last July, allowing Ukraine to export more than 27 million tonnes of grain from several of its Black Sea ports. In the communique after a two-day meeting in Miyazaki, Japan, the G7 agriculture ministers "recognised the importance" of the deal, saying: "We strongly support the extension, full implementation and expansion of (the Black Sea Grain Initiative) BSGI." G7 members "stand ready" to support recovery and reconstruction of Ukraine, including by providing expertise in de-mining of agricultural land and reconstruction of agricultural infrastructure, the document said. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is scheduled to discuss the Ukraine Black Sea grain export deal with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York this week.

SAPPORO, Japan, April 16 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven rich nations have agreed to speed up the development of renewable energy and accelerate the phasing out of unabated fossil fuels by 2050, the group said in a communique released on Sunday. The ministers also recognised the need to reduce consumption of gas but said that investment in the sector can be appropriate to help address potential market shortfalls, according to the G7 communique issued after two days of ministerial talks in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo. Reporting by Katya Golubkova and Yuka Obayashi; Editing by David DolanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

SAPPORO, Japan, April 16 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven rich nations on Sunday set big new targets for solar power and offshore wind capacity, agreeing to speed up renewable energy development and move toward a quicker phase-out of fossil fuels. G7 ministers finish two days of meetings on climate, energy and environmental policy in the northern Japanese city of Sapporo on Sunday. Renewable fuel sources and energy security have taken on a new urgency following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In their communique, the members pledged to collectively increase offshore wind capacity by 150 gigawatts by 2030 and solar capacity to more than 1 terawatt. "Hopefully this will provide a challenge to Japan, for which offshore wind is the missing part of the jigsaw that could see its power sector decarbonise much quicker than it thought possible."

SAPPORO, Japan, April 15 (Reuters) - Members of the Group of Seven rich nations must act to help emerging countries reduce emissions, including the financing of decarbonisation in "hard-to-abate" industries, Japan's economy and trade minister said on Saturday. Ministers from the G7 are meeting for climate and energy talks in the Japan's northern city of Sapporo on Saturday and Sunday, as part of Japan's G7 presidency this year. The issue of emissions in emerging markets has long been a focus for developed countries. However, the world's richest countries need to do more to help emerging nations reduce carbon, said Alden Meyer, a senior associate at E3G, a climate change think tank. There needs to be "much stronger leadership" from G7 countries in leveraging financial and technology resources to help developing countries reduce emissions, Meyer said.

"The G7 countries have agreed that the first response to the energy crisis must be to reduce energy and gas consumption… For the first time ever, the G7 said that we must accelerate the phasing out of all unabated fossil fuels... The event has also put focus on the need to help emerging countries reduce emissions, including through financing. Nishimura said ministers would like to discuss ways to use finance to help reduce carbon in so-called "hard-to-abate" industries, which include chemicals, shipping and steel. "Developed countries first need to follow through on the $100 billion pledge they made to developing countries over a decade ago." G7 countries must exert "much stronger leadership" in leveraging financial and technology resources to help developing countries reduce emissions, Meyer said.

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