Pikachus vs. Fossil Fuels: Protesters at COP30 Urge Japan to Stop Funding Coal and Gas in Southeast Asia

Pikachu-costumed activists call out Japan at COP30 in Belém

BELEM, Brazil — Dressed in oversized inflatable Pikachu suits, protesters marched through the United Nations climate summit on Friday to demand that Japan stop financing coal and natural gas projects across Southeast Asia and other parts of the Global South.

The action was organized under the Stop Japan's Dirty Energy Plans campaign and coincided with the first of two energy-focused thematic days at COP30. Organizers said Japan’s overseas energy lending is a major blind spot for a country that often positions itself as a regional decarbonization leader.

“Japan is actually delaying the fossil fuel phase-out across Asia,” said Hiroki Osada of Friends of the Earth Japan, one of the protest coordinators. He and other activists singled out lending by the government-owned Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC): a 2025 study by the Philippines-based Center for Energy, Ecology and Development (CEED) — using public government and banking data — found JBIC provided roughly $6.4 billion in loans for coal projects and $874 million for gas projects from 2016–2024.

The bank did not respond to requests for comment. Japan’s COP30 delegation replied to The Associated Press but declined to directly dispute the activists’ figures, saying Japanese cooperation with Southeast Asian partners to pursue “decarbonization, economic growth and energy security simultaneously through various pathways” has the support of those countries.

The protest and its message

The most eye-catching element was a pair of bobbing, inflatable Pikachus who flanked a small group of demonstrators. Activists from across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) participated; one banner read “Don’t gas ASEAN.” Ian Rivera, national coordinator at the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, led chants such as “Only Pokémon, no fossil fuels” and “Sayonara fossil fuels.”

The costumed protesters later visited the country pavilions of India, Indonesia and Malaysia to highlight what organizers described as Japan exporting a fossil-fuel agenda to the region.

“If Global North countries, like Japan, decide to double down on fossil fuel production and export, that is going to make it impossible for countries across the Global South to make the just energy transition,”

said Amiera Sawas, head of research and policy at the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative.

Context: wider COP30 actions and stakes

The Pikachu stunt — a recurring motif at recent climate summits — was one of several demonstrations at COP30. Earlier on Friday a protest blocked the main conference entrance, prompting tightened security. Activists also staged a “Kick Out the Suits” event calling for stricter limits on fossil fuel lobbyists, whom environmental groups accuse of undermining negotiations.

Organizers are planning larger demonstrations for Saturday, including a planned “funeral for fossil fuels” in which giant coffins representing coal, oil and gas will be carried through the streets of Belém.

Fossil fuels remain central to discussions at the U.N. climate talks. Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urged world leaders at the Leaders’ Summit to prepare a road map to “overcome dependence on fossil fuels.” Several countries — including Denmark, the United Kingdom, Kenya, France and Germany — endorsed his call.

Delegates and campaigners also referenced last year’s COP28 outcome in Dubai, where nearly 200 countries agreed to move away from fossil fuels — a first for U.N. talks — though critics said that deal left important gaps.

“At COP30, we need an actionable outcome, not another road map to nowhere,” said Jasper Inventor, deputy program director at Greenpeace International. “Progress in Belém must translate into clear plans to phase out fossil fuels and rapidly scale up renewable energy.”

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