Group of young people says they are demanding action in the fight against climate change.
Japanese youth sue utility firms over carbon emissions, seeking climate justice. Photo: Shutterstock A group of young Japanese people is suing the country’s utility firms over their carbon emissions. This is the latest case of activists using the courts to demand action.
The plaintiffs say it is the first such case brought by young people in Japan. Advocates say Japan has the dirtiest energy mix among the world’s advanced economies.
The lawsuit was filed in August against 10 operators of power plants burning fossil fuels. Their lawyers said the emissions from these plants do not meet Japan’s climate commitments. The suit aims to protect the young “from the dangerous and negative impacts of climate change”.
The plaintiffs say the defendants’ self-imposed 2030 emission reduction targets are “extremely inadequate”.
The plaintiffs claim that the defendants rely on “technically unproven technologies” like burning coal mixed with ammonia or storing carbon dioxide underground.