Activist group asks Japan's bar association for help on climate action - The Japan Times
Activist group asks Japan's bar association for help on climate action - The Japan Times
In a rare move, a group of Japanese citizens concerned about the impact of climate change filed a petition for human rights relief with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations on Wednesday to address the issue through legal means.
Climate Case Japan, a group formed in 2021 that argues climate change is a human rights issue, submitted a petition signed by 365 individuals, asking the bar association to make formal requests to relevant ministries and courts to take stronger climate action on their behalf.
It will likely take more than a year for the bar association to scrutinize the petition before deciding whether to issue a warning to — or request specific measures from — the government.
Related Knowledge Center: Climate economics
Climate change is now a driver of the world’s economy. The impact is profound:
- Catastrophic weather events — hurricanes, floods, droughts, high temperatures — are more frequent and more extreme. The cost can be measured in both the initial damage caused and the longer-term impact on the economy.
- Vulnerable communities are increasing climate-related investments, hardening infrastructure and taking other protective measures.
- Investment in carbon capture and storage technologies is increasingly rapidly.
- Governments are making investments and crafting regulations to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
On top of all of this is the cost of uncertainty. As the Fourth National Climate Assessment, released in 2018 by the U.S. Global Change Research Program, says, “The assumption that current and future climate conditions will resemble the recent past is no longer valid.”