Climate activists urge Japan not to invest in Matarbari power plant

Climate activists have called on Japan to stop Japanese investment in fossil energy sector, including the Matarbari coal-fired power plant in Bangladesh.

The call was made at a human chain in the capital jointly organised by Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED) and YouthNet for Climate as the G-7 Summit in UK began today.

They also called for compensating locals of Matarbari in Cox's Bazar for environmental pollution, providing proper rehabilitation, cancelling the coal-fired power plant project and setting up a solar or wind power plant there, says a statement. 

YouthNet for Climate Justice's Dhaka district Coordinator Ruhul Amin Rabbi said the seven richest countries of G-7 -- Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, United States and Japan -- have decided not to invest in the coal power sector but in defiance of this joint decision, Japan is investing in the sector in Bangladesh.

"The Matarbari coal-fired power plant would destroy our environment, emit greenhouse gases into the air, destroy crops, harm human health and leave Bangladesh trapped in a long-term debt trap," he said.

Rabbi also demanded immediate suspension of construction of the Matarbari 1,200 MW coal-fired power plant, instead constructing low-polluting fuel power plants in the form of liquid hydrogen on the infrastructure.