神戸製鋼石炭火力訴訟―― 気候訴訟の課題と展望
Kobe Climate Case: Challenges and future prospects
２０２３年８月２日
弁護士 杉田 峻介（神戸製鋼石炭火力訴訟弁護団）
2 August, 2023
Shunsuke Sugita -Attorney(Plaintiff attorney)
Provisional translation by Kiko Network

Climate Litigation in Japan• In Japan, there are several lawsuits challenging the installation and operation of coal-

fired power plants.
―― Background① Lack of system for environmental class action lawsuits (civil lawsuit) → Individuals
must become plaintiffs to claim infringement of their “own” rights.
② Neither way to directly challenge negligence of the governmental obligation toreduce emission, nor a system of constitutional objections, etc.
③ Other difficulties (high hurdles in alleging and proving claims in lawsuits, few
attorneys who can work exclusively on climate litigation, etc.)• Climate litigation against coal power plants in Japan•••

Sendai Power Station Case
• Civil lawsuit(2017-2021, Sendai District Court, Sendai High Court)
Kobe Climate Case
• Pollution Meditation(2017-2018, Hyogo pref. Pollution Review Boards)• Civil lawsuit (2018- Kobe District Court, Osaka High Court)• Administrative lawsuit(2018- Osaka District Court, Osaka High Court, Supreme Court)
Yokosuka Climate Case
• Administrative lawsuit (2018- Tokyo District Court, Tokyo High Court)

Photo: Kobe Climate Case -Plaintiffs andattorneys entering courtroom

Newly-constructed coal-fired power plants by Kobe Steel, Ltd.
• In 2013, Kobe Steel started planning to••••construct new coal-fired power generation
units in Kobe city, in addition to its 2 existing
units.
Output: 1,300 MW (650 MW x2 units)
EIA: Minister of Economy, Trade andIndustry did not find any environmentalconcerns to substantially approve the projectCO2 emission: 6.92 MtCO2/year
Power intercharge contract with Kansai
Electric Power
上表：神戸製鋼作成資料から0.02% of global emissions ofenergy-related CO2 per year

上表：神戸の石炭火力発電を考える会作成資料からApprox.14Mt CO2 will beemitted from all 4 units intotal per year

Over 30-years operatingplan from FY 2021 or2022

Civil case: plaintiffs call for an injunction to stop construction andoperation of the coal-fired power plants• Plaintiffs: group of 40 citizens (mostly living in Kobe city, including children and theirfamilies)
Defendants: Kobe Steel Ltd., Kobelco Power Kobe No.2, and Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.
• Primary claim: Calling for an injunction to stop the construction, operation and instructionof operation of coal-fired power plants to ensure Jinkaku-ken(personal rights) and the rightto peaceful life
Preliminary claim: Calling for phasing out emissions of CO2, etc.
• Sep. 2018: Filing the civil lawsuit/Mar. 2023: District Court decision (Dismissal) → Appeal

画像： 神戸製鉄所敷地から約400mの新在家南町より（※パノラマ画像） ２０１８年１１月２日
神戸の石炭火力発電を考える会提供

Dismissed plaintiffs’ claim• CO2 emissions from newly constructed

Primary claim
Joint emissions

Operation

Kobe Steel

Plant must not be operated

Outsourcing of Operation

New power plants

Kobelco Power
Plant must not be built
Kobe No.2
Build & own
Request for report of
the amount of electric generation

Supplyingelectricity

Kansai Electric Power

Plaintiffs

power plants will contribute to global
warming, and disasters caused byclimate change will cause damage toplaintiffs’ lives, bodies, health andlivelihoods.
→ On the basis of personal rights, wecalled for an injunction (preliminary
request for partial injunction) of operationof the power plants.
Preliminary claim: Phasing out emissions of CO2

Do not issue request
to generate electricity• However, Kobe District Court dismissed our claim because:• No “specific (tangible) danger” to the life, body or health of the plaintiffs has materialized.

There are many uncertain factors around the possible damage from climate change.
• No “proximate cause” between defendants’ emissions and plaintiffs’ damages.

Errors in the first judgement and our objections• While acknowledging the request for an injunction on the grounds of damage caused byglobal warming, the first judgment denied “specific (concrete) danger” and “proximate
cause between defendants’ emissions and plaintiffs’ damages”.
“A drop in the ocean theory”
Unreasonable consequence that each individual damage categorized as public
interests is never legally protected
Lack of understanding of how climate change works, and lack of a sense of crisis―― Our objections• Climate change systems: CO2 emissions byunspecified majority drives climate change→ Danger and causation of emissions are collective• Damages: the exacerbation of damage
in all aspects itself means violation ofhuman rights (personal rights).
Above 1.5℃ warming = serious violation of personal rights• Assessment of CO2-emitting actions: illegality would be assessed based on the amount,cause and state. CO2 emissions that significantly interfere with achieving the 1.5℃ goal
should be illegal and be subject to injunction

Global CO2 emissions
Emitters around theworld

If CO2 emissions aren’t
reducedDefendants

CO2 emissions
that interferewith achieving the1.5℃ goal
should be illegal

Emitting large amounts of CO2= violating act
Increasing cumulative CO2emissions globally

Emissions↓Damages

Defendants’ CO2 emissions
must not exceed 50% by 2030
relative to time of planning

Increasing CO2
concentration in air andglobal warming

Severe damage

Exceeding theremaining carbon
budget for 1.5℃

Temperature risingmore than 1.5℃

被告の新設発電所の性質

Climate change on the global
Causality,level
Tangible danger

Damage to people
around the world

Continuous CO2 emissions thatinterferes with achieving
the 1.5℃ goal

Damageto theplaintiffs

・排出量多量（年間約692万t）
・石炭火力発電所
発電部門→世界的に削減が必須、再エネ等による代替可石炭火力→最も非効率、世界的にも最も早期の削減対象
・今後の削減見込みなし
・世界的に排出削減の必要性が明確となっている時期に計画＋残余のカーボンバジェット
日本の削減目標（2030年に2013年比46％）

Intensifying climatechangeSevere damage inall aspects- Serious humanrights violations

Claim to reduce CO2 emissions at theAppeals Court
Collective release of emissions

Operation

Kobe Steel＝ ２０３０年時点 ２０１８年比
５０％削減請求
Kobe Steel and Kobelco Power Kobe No.2
must reduce CO2 emissions
by 50% by 2030 relative to the 2018 level

２０３０年以降、計画段階の見込み排出量の５０％を超える量のCO2を排出してはならない

Outsourcing Operation
Kobelco Power￥
Kobe No.2

New power plants
Build& own

Request for report of
the amount of electric generation
After 2030, Kansai Electric power
must not issue requests to generate
Kansai Electric Power
electricity
more than the amount of CO2
emissions above without CCS/CCUS.

電力受給契約Supplying electricity

Plaintiffs

Challenges and future prospects of climate litigation in Japan• Issues• Civil case: rights, specific (tangible) danger, causality, tolerance limits(illegality)• Administrative case: standing/limitations to assertion, administrative
discretion―Need to overcome “a drop in the ocean theory” and unreasonable
consequence described as "everyone's damage is no one'e damage“ inlitigation• Lack of sense of crisis and blind faith in government’s policies by courts in Japan(← lack of awareness in entire Japanese society)• Meanwhile, courts have been gradually evolving in their recognition of climatechange.

―― We need to challenge continuously through domestic litigation, including theKobe Climate Case.