Australian government ministers have engaged in more than twenty meetings with executives from Japanese gas companies during the last parliamentary term, according to a new report. This extensive lobbying effort comes as the Labor government continues to encourage investment in the fossil fuel industry, raising questions about its commitment to climate action.
Thinktank Analysis Uncovers Extensive Lobbying Network
The detailed findings come from a comprehensive report by the thinktank InfluenceMap, which argues that Japanese liquefied natural gas (LNG) companies have been collaborating with Australian gas interests. Their objective appears to be lobbying for favourable government policies that would extend the lifespan of the fossil fuel industry while simultaneously slowing the transition to clean energy across the Asia Pacific region.
InfluenceMap has quantified the significant role played by Japanese operators in both developing and sustaining Australia's substantial LNG export industry. Major companies including Inpex, Jera, Mitsubishi, and Mitsui were found to hold more than A$70 billion in equity across thirteen separate Australian LNG developments. These projects collectively represent approximately seventeen percent of global LNG capacity.
Massive Investments and Environmental Impact
The largest single investment identified is in the Ichthys gas field development located in the Timor Sea, which is primarily backed by the Japanese company Inpex. Based on projected output calculations, InfluenceMap estimates that these thirteen developments could be associated with a staggering 290 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. This figure is equivalent to about two-thirds of Australia's total annual climate pollution, highlighting the substantial environmental impact of these investments.
The report indicates that Japanese interests have been working both publicly and privately to maintain a favourable policy environment for gas within Australia. Freedom-of-information documents revealed that Resources Minister Madeleine King alone met with Japanese LNG representatives at least seventeen times. Four other ministers, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who met with representatives from Inpex, were listed as having single meetings, with at least three additional meetings held with senior government officials.
Policy Influence and Government Response
InfluenceMap suggests that weak Australian lobbying transparency rules likely mean there were further meetings that did not appear in their document requests. The thinktank argues that this extensive lobbying appears to have shaped key climate and energy policies, including the "future gas strategy" released by Minister King in 2024. This strategy stated that new sources of gas would be needed to meet demand "to 2050 and beyond" – a timeline that extends well past both the Australian and Japanese governments' commitments to reach net zero emissions.
According to the report, talking points supplied to Minister King by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources before her visit to Japan in October 2024 echoed language commonly used by the gas industry. The department advised King to inform industry and government leaders that Australia remained firmly committed to being a reliable LNG provider "in support of energy security while transitioning to net zero" and welcomed "further investment in our gas industry."
Energy Security Arguments and Counterarguments
Japan, which has limited domestic energy access and relies heavily on imports including Australian gas and coal, has argued alongside the Australian government that increased gas supply is necessary to help reduce emissions by replacing coal-fired power and supporting renewable energy development. However, leaked "cabinet in confidence" advice to the Western Australian government obtained by Guardian Australia last year challenged this perspective, warning that unlimited Australian gas exports to Japan and neighbouring countries risked slowing the transition to cleaner energy across Asia.
A separate report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis found that Japanese companies have resold more than a third of the gas they purchased from Australia, reaping more than $1 billion in profit during 2024. Critics including Labor backbencher Ed Husic have argued this demonstrates that Japanese multinationals are profiting from Australian gas that is not actually needed to meet energy demand within their own country.
Corporate Justifications and Climate Concerns
Documents released to InfluenceMap show that Inpex and Jera disputed these claims in meetings with government officials, arguing that LNG demand and inventory levels "fluctuate in real-time" and that companies purchase a "supply buffer" to ensure stable energy supply in line with Japanese government policy. They maintained that most gas sold to third countries came from this buffer supply.
Jack Herring, InfluenceMap's Australia program manager, stated that the evidence demonstrates Japanese LNG investment and lobbying risks locking in fossil fuel dependence across the region, thereby delaying the shift to genuinely clean energy. He noted that claims positioning gas as a "transition fuel" contradict evidence published by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which has been endorsed by both the Australian and Japanese governments.
"In this context, it is increasingly important that the Australian government works towards a just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels," Herring emphasised.
Political Reactions and Calls for Transparency
A spokesperson for Minister King responded by stating that Japan has been a "strong and valued investment partner for Australia's offshore LNG industry" and that the minister "met regularly with resources sector stakeholders as part of her role." InfluenceMap's research specifically found that Inpex had twice as many meetings with senior government figures as other Japanese gas companies.
Bill Townsend, a senior vice-president at Inpex, said the company advocates for "stable and predictable policy settings" with streamlined development approval processes and "reduced red – and green – tape." Townsend stated that Inpex is "working to support Indo-Pacific energy security" while helping the region achieve net zero by 2050. The company plans to introduce carbon capture and storage technology at the Ichthys development "from around 2030" and participates in renewable energy projects through a fifty percent interest in Potentia Energy.
Independent MP Monique Ryan said there is clear scientific consensus that climate pollution needs to be reduced, and that InfluenceMap's analysis helps explain why the Australian government "continues to act as an enabler" for Japanese gas companies. "It reinforces the need for more transparent regulation of corporate lobbying, and for the Australian government to act in the best interests of its citizens rather than those of Japanese companies and their industry associations," Ryan concluded.
