Japan plans to expand clean energy transition support to India

Japan plans to provide support to India to drive the transition to clean energy, expanding a programme it launched last year for Southeast Asian nations, Industry Minister Koichi Hagiuda said on Wednesday.

Japan's 'Asia Energy Transition Initiative' initially targeted supporting countries in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) pushing towards net-zero carbon emissions, including $10 billion in finance for renewable energy, energy efficiency and liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.

"Specific support includes support for ASEAN countries in the Asian roadmap towards carbon neutrality, which will be expanded to include India," Hagiuda said at the Sydney Energy Forum, co-hosted by the Australian government and the International Energy Agency.

Hagiuda said the region needs to work on diversifying where it gets its energy from, in light of the ongoing energy crunch due to loss of Russian energy supplies.

"Against that backdrop, considering the current energy crisis, stable energy supply and market stability are critical as the basis for promoting a transition towards carbon neutrality," Hagiuda said.

"For that we must engage in improving our energy independence through things such as a further push for diversification of energy sources of supply."

Ahead of his trip to Sydney for talks with Quad partners Australia, India and the United States, Hagiuda said on Tuesday he would press the United States and Australia to boost LNG output and stable supply to Japan.

He made no comment in his speech about the outcome of those talks which took place earlier on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Sonali Paul; Editing by Rashmi Aich)