| Event topic | Changing society through climate litigation: Youth in East Asia are taking action |
| Date and Time | 8 March, 2025 14:00-17:15 (JST) |
| Webinar system | Zoom webinar |
| Participation fee | free |
| Capacity | 300 people |
| Language | Simultaneous interpretation is available (Japanese-Korean-Mandarin) |
| Jointly Hosted by | -Research Unit of the Environment and Law, The Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of Law and Policy, Kyoto University Graduate School of Law -Kiko Network |
| Supported by | -JELF(Japan Environmental Lawyers for Future) -JEC (Japan Environmental Council) |
Background
Recently, climate litigation seeking to make governments and businesses strengthen their climate change measures has been attracting attention. Attempts to address climate issues through legal approach are gaining momentum in East Asia, and youth climate cases are underway in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan.
In this event, plaintiffs and attorneys of youth climate litigation in Japan, Korea, Taiwan will introduce their thoughts why they filed a lawsuit, what they are seeking in their respective cases, the challenges they face, and the possibility of future collaboration.
This event welcomes anyone interested in taking actions against climate change, including anyone who may not be familiar with climate litigation yet. Please join this webinar to find out what is going on in Asia!
Program (subject to change)
*Simultaneous interpretation is available (Japanese-Korean-Mandarin)
Opening Remarks
Takeshi Shimamura (Professor, Kyoto University Graduate School of Law)
Part 1 “Why did we decide on legal action?”
Youth plaintiffs from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan will share their stories about why they decided to bring legal action.
＜Panelists＞
Borim Kim (Korea)
Seokyung Kim (Korea)
Yan-Ting Lin (Taiwan)
Kuan-Sheng Wu (Taiwan)
Yoshitomo Nihongi (Japan)
Ayako Kawasaki (Japan)
＜Moderator＞
Katrin Miyazawa (Japan)
Part 2 “Challenges and collaboration opportunities on climate litigation in East Asia”
Attorneys from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan will report and discuss challenges in each country and possible collaboration opportunities in East Asia.
＜Panelists＞
Sejong Youn (Korea/Attorney)
Zoe Huang (Taiwan/Attorney)
Kaoru Koide (Japan/Attorney)
＜Comments＞
Masako Ichihara (Program-Specific Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Law Kyoto University)
＜Moderator＞
Mie Asaoka (President, Kiko Network / Atttorney)
Closing discussion: “The future of climate litigation in East Asia”
Panelists will discuss future climate litigation and legal action.
MC: Kenro Taura (Kiko Network)
Outline of climate litigation in Korea, Taiwan and Japan
Korea
Youth plaintiffs filed a lawsuit in March 2020. In August 2024, the Constitutional Court found that the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, which lacks an emission reduction plan after 2031, violates protection of basic human rights, and ordered the National Assembly to amend the law by February 28, 2026. In Asia, this was an epoch-making decision.
Taiwan
Climate litigation was filed in January 2024. Plaintiffs claim that legislators’ failure to enact short- and mid-term national reduction targets or provide standards for enacting those targets is unconstitutional. Youth, farmers, fishers, indigenous people, etc. are all active plaintiffs.
Japan
16 youths filed a lawsuit in August 2024. The plaintiffs assert that the defendants (the 10 largest power utilities, accounting for about 30% of energy-derived CO2 emissions) have a legal obligation to reduce emissions to a level consistent with the 1.5℃ target supported by science.
