LNG: Japan’s new export

Japan has become a major global LNG trader, significantly increasing its resales of US-sourced LNG to Asian markets between 2021 and 2025. This trade pattern, supported by Japanese government initiatives and financing, contributes to substantial lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions. The analysis shows that 16.5 billion kg of US LNG resold by Japan to Asia released 63.5 billion kg of CO2, with methane leaks and combustion being the primary drivers. The document argues that promoting LNG infrastructure in Asia risks locking in fossil fuel dependence and exacerbating climate-induced disasters in a region already vulnerable to extreme weather.

• Japan's role as an LNG trader grew significantly between 2021 and 2025, with the country selling 77% more US LNG to third parties than it imported for its own domestic use.
• Between 2020 and 2025, approximately 31% of the US LNG resold by Japan was destined for Asian markets, including China, India, South Korea, and several Southeast Asian nations.
• The lifecycle emissions from 16.5 billion kg of US LNG resold by Japan to Asia between 2020 and 2025 totaled 63.5 billion kg of CO2, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of roughly 17 coal plants.
• The LNG supply chain emissions are dominated by combustion at 78.5%, while upstream production and liquefaction in the US account for 16%, shipping for 4.8%, and regasification and distribution for 0.5%.
• Methane, which can heat the atmosphere 80 times more than CO2 in its first 20 years, constitutes around 30% of the total emissions in the LNG supply chain.
• Japan is actively promoting LNG adoption in Asia through the Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience Asia (POWERR Asia) and the Asia Zero Emissions Community, while the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) provided USD 13.5 billion for downstream coal and gas projects in Southeast Asia between 2016 and 2024.

APA

Chin, Y. (2026). LNG: Japan’s new export. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/energy/lng-lifecycle-emissions/

Chicago

Chin, Yusun. LNG: Japan’s new export. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2026. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/energy/lng-lifecycle-emissions/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Chin |first1=Yusun |title=LNG: Japan’s new export |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=15 June 2026 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/energy/lng-lifecycle-emissions/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{chin2026lng, author = {Chin, Yusun}, title = {{LNG: Japan’s new export}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/energy/lng-lifecycle-emissions/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }