Japan PM Kishida in UAE to promote green technology ahead COP28

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived in the UAE on Monday to explore collaboration on clean hydrogen, ammonia, and recycled carbon fuels ahead of this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai.

Kishida’s trip to the UAE, which will host COP28 in November-December, is the first by a Japanese prime minister since the late Shinzo Abe in 2020.

Japan imports almost all of its crude oil, with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar providing the majority of its supplies.

As the Asian country boosts the proportion of renewable energy in its energy mix, the Gulf states are also shifting toward cleaner energy sources.

Kishida arrived from Saudi Arabia, where he visited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country’s de facto ruler, on Sunday. He will travel to Qatar on Tuesday after meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi.

The Japanese PM plans to offer Japan’s “cutting-edge decarbonisation

Under the initiative, the UAE and Japan “will be well placed to collaborate in the related fields of hydrogen and ammonia production and utilisation as well as carbon recycling”, Kishida added.

As the oil-rich UAE gears up to host the COP28 United Nations climate talks, many countries remain far apart on ways to reduce fossil fuels and the global warming they cause.

Sheikh Mohammed stated on Monday that he had “fruitful and constructive discussions” with Kishida in Abu Dhabi about “developing bilateral relations and advancing our two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership.”

Kishida met with senior Saudi officials, including Prince Mohammed, in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Sunday, according to official Saudi announcements.

During their discussion with Prince Mohammed, Tokyo and Saudi Arabia decided to create the “Lighthouse Initiative for Clean Energy Cooperation,” according to the Saudi Press Agency.

It will focus on areas including hydrogen, ammonia, recycled carbon fuels and carbon capture technology, the statement said.

Saudi Arabia is the biggest oil exporter to Japan, fulfilling 40 percent of its total needs, the kingdom’s Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman said on Sunday.