Japan's first climate change lawsuit whose plaintiffs are exclusively young people, according to the lawyers, was filed on Aug. 6. 

Ranging in age from 15 to 29, the 16 individuals from across the country submitted the case at the Nagoya District Court. The aim is to stop greenhouse gas emissions hindering international climate goals.

The defendants comprise 10 companies, also from across Japan.

Hokkaido Electric Power Co., Tohoku Electric Power Co.,  Hokuriku Electric Power Co., Kansai Electric Power Co., Chugoku Electric Power Co., Shikoku Electric Power Co. and Kyushu Electric Power Co. are all involved. 

Plaintiffs also named Electric Power Development Co. (J-Power, headquartered in Tokyo), Kobe Steel Ltd., and JERA Co., jointly funded by the Tokyo Electric Power Group and Chubu Electric Power Co.  

The plaintiffs said they chose these entities because they are major emitters, accounting for 40 percent of Japan’s energy-related carbon dioxide emissions.

The United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that achieving the international goal of limiting the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels requires reducing global CO2 emissions by 48 percent by 2030 and by 65 percent by 2035 compared to 2019 levels.

This target is known as the “carbon budget.”

According to the complaint, the 10 companies’ current goals do not meet the target; plaintiffs requested to halt emissions that exceed the allowed amounts based on wrongful acts under civil law. 

Climate change lawsuits are increasing worldwide, with many rulings recognizing the responsibility of major companies and governments.

The 2023 report from the London School of Economics research institute said that there have been around 2,300 climate change lawsuits worldwide as of May last year.

In April this year, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that the Swiss government’s inadequate climate change measures violated human rights.

‘COAL IS NOT SUSTAINABLE’

One of the plaintiffs is a sophomore at Akita International University who goes by the nickname "Ibu" due to concerns about online harassment.

Ibu had a vague feeling that the increasingly hot climate was becoming a problem but he did not take any specific action. This would later change when he returned home for spring break in March.

He decided to join the lawsuit after attending a lecture in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, where his parents live.

Residents of the city sued in 2019 to stop the construction of a JERA's coal-fired power plant. However, they lost the first and second trials and are currently appealing.

The lecture was hosted by the environmental nongovernmental organization, Kiko Network, which supports the residents.

JERA, aiming for zero CO2 emissions in 2050, stated that it will gradually mix ammonia, which does not emit CO2 during combustion, with coal in the boilers at its Yokosuka power plant and eventually switch to a coal-free combustion method.

Despite this, the plant has been generating power using only coal since last year.

After the lecture, Ibu recognized global warming as a societal issue and began to question the government’s and power companies’ measures.

“It’s essential that measures be taken in the industrial sectors with high emissions,” he said.

In the current government’s basic energy plan, coal-fired power plants are expected to account for 19 percent of the electricity demand in fiscal 2030.

The plan includes efforts to introduce co-firing—where two different fuels are used—with hydrogen and ammonia. It also says it will implement carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). This is where CO2 is treated and then put in long-term storage.

“Continuing to use coal-fired power is not sustainable and it is morally wrong to spend taxpayers' money on it,” Ibu said.

Encouraged by Kiko Network, he decided to join other young people as a plaintiff in the climate change lawsuit.

However, even at universities that pride themselves on fostering international talent, they typically do not celebrate students who participate in social movements.

When he told his parents about the lawsuit a few days ago, they were surprised but did not disapprove.

“I hope this lawsuit will help create a society that protects not only the environment but also individual dignity,” he said.

(This article was written by Kai Ichino and Toru Ishii, senior staff writer.)