Past Program

It is increasingly clear that the next frontier of climate cooperation will involve changes to trade policies in order to limit carbon “leakage”, support high-ambition domestic climate policies, and create a durable reward system in international markets for carbon-efficient goods.  Over the last two years, countries have begun to explore a new suite of climate policies loosely described as “border carbon adjustments” unilaterally or in partnership with climate-ambitious partners.  

These policies include the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (with similar proposals under consideration by UK and Canadian officials); the U.S.-EU proposed Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminum; and the G-7 “climate club” proposal offered by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.  Key benefactors of these policies will be countries that have already achieved substantial emissions reductions in the electricity and industrial sectors, like members of the G-7.   

This invitation-only program for rising lawyers from Japan, the United States, and other countries to explore with expert facilitators the case for and components of the policies currently under consideration and invite consideration of the benefits of these policies to climate-ambitious markets.  The program is intended to forge active links between Japanese lawyers and their international peers who wish to play a role in next steps on these issues.