The Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative (CCLI) and Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP) will be hosting a webinar on Directors’ Duties Regarding Climate Change in Japan: 2025.

The webinar will mark the launch of CCLI’s latest report on directors’ duties in Japan, written by leading experts in corporate and securities law from Ritsumeikan University, Nagoya University, and the University of British Columbia. In an era of increasing regulation, the report and webinar will provide legal guidance on how climate change affects directors’ duties and potential liability under Japanese law.

We are honoured to welcome two leading experts in Japan’s sustainability landscape for keynote addresses. Professor Yukari Takamura, a member of the Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ), will share exclusive insights on the newly issued sustainability disclosure standards and their impact on corporate governance. Mr. Satoshi Ikeda, Chief Sustainable Finance Officer at Japan’s Financial Services Agency, will provide a critical perspective on the evolving regulatory landscape and the future of sustainable finance in Japan.

Register here. Simultaneous Japanese/English translation will be available.

Key topics:

• Directors’ fiduciary duties regarding climate risks and the legal implications of inaction
• Japan’s new ISSB-aligned sustainability disclosure standards
• Regulatory action and expectations concerning climate risks to the economy
• Best practice to help directors meet regulatory requirements and market expectations
• Nature-related risks and their growing relevance for corporate governance

Speakers include:

• Prof. Yukari Takamura – Professor at the University of Tokyo and member of the Sustainability Standards Board of Japan (SSBJ)
• Mr. Satoshi Ikeda – Chief Sustainable Finance Officer, Financial Services Agency of Japan
• Dr. Yoshihiro Yamada – Vice Dean of Law and Professor of Law, College of Law, Ritsumeikan University, Japan
• Dr. Janis Sarra – Professor of Law Emerita, University of British Columbia Peter A Allard School of Law, Canada, and Principal Co-Investigator of the Canada Climate Law Initiative
• Dr. Masafumi Nakahigashi – Dean of Law and Professor of Law at the School of Law, Nagoya University, Japan

Chairs:

• Mr. Yusuke Matsuo – Executive Director of the Secretariat, Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership
• Ms. Natalie Shippen – Executive Director, Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative

Join us to gain practical insights from leading legal and regulatory experts on how corporate boards can navigate their evolving climate governance obligations.

Register now 

About the Commonwealth Climate and Law Initiative 

CCLI is a legal research and stakeholder engagement initiative founded by Oxford University Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment, ClientEarth, and Accounting for Sustainability (A4S). The CCLI examines the legal basis for directors and trustees to manage and report on climate change and nature-related risks.

About the Japanese Climate Leaders Partnership 

JCLP is a Japanese corporate coalition founded in 2009 with the conviction that industry must take proactive leadership in addressing the climate crisis to achieve a sustainable, decarbonized society. Committed to realizing the 1.5°C target, JCLP drives the rapid transition to net zero by fostering corporate action and positioning its members as key contributors to a sustainable future.