Hundreds of Japanese citizens file the country’s first lawsuit against the state for “unconstitutional” climate inaction, seeking symbolic damages.
TOKYO: Hundreds of Japanese citizens have launched the country’s first lawsuit against the central government for “unconstitutional” inaction on climate change.
The landmark case, filed on Thursday, seeks damages and criticises Japan’s “grossly inadequate” climate policies, which plaintiffs argue jeopardise their health and livelihoods.
“We just submitted our complaint and evidence to the court and our lawsuit has been officially accepted,” lead lawyer Akihiro Shima told AFP.
Approximately 450 plaintiffs are involved in the unprecedented compensation claim against the state.
Plaintiff Kiichi Akiyama, a 57-year-old construction worker, said relentless heat forces his team to work slower, causing “huge losses”.
“There have also been cases where people collapse out in the field, or have dropped dead after they return home,” he said.
The lawsuit argues that extreme heatwaves cause economic losses, ruin crops, and increase the risk of crippling heatstroke.
Akiyama stated that projects now take triple the estimated time to complete due to the searing heat.
“We wouldn’t be in this terrible situation if the government had taken more initiative in implementing policies,” he added.
The suit is seeking symbolic damages of 1,000 yen (RM31) per plaintiff.
Lead lawyer Shima said the focus is on “the issue of the country’s responsibility” rather than financial compensation.
Kyoto University assistant professor Masako Ichihara noted this is the first compensation claim against the Japanese state over climate change.
She said the case is bolder than previous lawsuits as it seeks to directly hold the state accountable for inaction.
“The defendant’s climate change measures are grossly inadequate, and as a result, the plaintiffs’ rights to a peaceful life and to the enjoyment of a stable climate are being violated,” the complaint summary states.
Another plaintiff, Saito, was spurred into action by concerns for her six-year-old son’s ability to play outdoors safely.
“Not just in pools, but playing outside generally is becoming difficult in summer. The playground equipment is burning hot and that scares me,” she told AFP.
Japan’s top government spokesman Minoru Kihara declined to comment directly on the lawsuit.
He said Japan had approved “ambitious” emissions reduction targets compatible with the Paris Agreement.
Japan aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% by 2035 and 73% by 2040 compared with 2013 levels.
The lawsuit criticises these targets, stating they “fall significantly short” of global reduction aims outlined by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
The plaintiffs argue the targets are not legally binding, constituting a “legislative omission” that is “unmistakably unconstitutional”.
Similar climate accountability lawsuits have emerged globally, including a recent landmark win for young activists in South Korea.
