Events

Asia-Pacific Judicial Conference on Climate Change Adjudication: Trends and Impacts

07 October 2019 to 08 October 2019

Nadi

Fiji

The Supreme Court of Fiji (SCF), in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the United Nations Environment Programme, cohosted the Asia-Pacific Judicial Conference on Environmental and Climate Change Adjudication (Conference) on 7-8 October 2019, in Nadi, Fiji under the banner of the Asian Judges Network on Environment (AJNE), the unique judicial association working towards strengthening environmental and climate change adjudication.

The Conference is a continuation of the annual gathering of AJNE Chief Justices, senior judges, legal and multi-disciplinary experts, and environment and climate change advocates, which began in 2011; and will be the first one to be held in the Pacific region.

Program and Learning Materials:

07 Oct 2019
08 Oct 2019

Date	Session / Activity	Presentation Material	Speaker(s)
07 Oct 2019	Inaugural Session	Welcome Remarks In his welcome remarks, Justice Kamal Kumar highlighted the constitutional right of every Fijian to a clean and healthy environment and the Fijian government...	Hon. Acting Chief Justice Kamal Kumar
07 Oct 2019	Inaugural Session	Opening Remarks On behalf of the Asian Development Bank, Cathy Marsh welcomed the participants to the Asia-Pacific Judicial Conference on Climate Change: Trends and Impacts...	Catherine Marsh
07 Oct 2019	Inaugural Session	Opening Remarks Andrew Raine drew the participants' attention to the worsening climate crisis and the crucial role of judges in climate action. Judges will increasingly...	Andrew Raine
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 1: Focus on the Pacific: Regional Environmental and Climate Change Issues	Overview of Fiji's Climate Change Challenges and Responses Shivanal Kumar first talked about climate science and climate change impacts in Fiji, with emphasis on Tropical Cyclone Winston and the relocation of ...	Shivanal Kumar
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 1: Focus on the Pacific: Regional Environmental and Climate Change Issues	Climate Justice and Disasters - A Focus on the Pacific Prof. Rosemary Lyster discussed about climate disasters, the various climate justice approaches and keyissues, the United Nations Framework Convention...	Rosemary Lyster
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 1: Focus on the Pacific: Regional Environmental and Climate Change Issues	Climate Change Updates: Paris Agreement, Rulebook, and Recent Developments Maria Cecilia T. Sicangco discussed the 2015 Paris Agreementand the events that transpired after it was signed, such as the September 2019 UN Climate ...	Maria Cecilia Sicangco
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 1: Focus on the Pacific: Regional Environmental and Climate Change Issues	Three Little Pigs: Make Friends and Save the Climate Briony Eales explained climate change, its impacts, and the various means of mitigating and adapting to climate changethrough a creative retelling ofThe...	Briony Eales
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 2: Emerging Issues on Climate Change – Gender Front	Gender Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Justice Robyn Layton shared an ADB project that she has been working on with Dr. Mary Picard. This project analyzes the climate change and disaster risk...	Robyn Layton
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 2: Emerging Issues on Climate Change – Gender Front	Climate Migration and Impacts on Heritage and Identity Sarah Queblatin talked about how climate change destroyscultural heritage and identity. She alsoidentified the frameworks, studies, and approaches to ...	Sarah Queblatin
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 2: Emerging Issues on Climate Change – Gender Front	Who Suffers the First and the Worst: Is Climate Change Unfair? Irum Ahsan discussed the effects of climate change, the definition of climate vulnerability, and the climate impacts on vulnerable groups, particularly...	Irum Ahsan
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 3: Coastal Management, Healthy Oceans, and Nature	Plastic Pollution in Oceans: Regional Focus and Judicial Strategies Maria-Goreti Muavesi talked about marine plastic pollution and its impacts onPacific Islands, the strategies for dealing with marine plastic pollution...	Maria-Goreti Muavesi
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 3: Coastal Management, Healthy Oceans, and Nature	Duavata Sustainable Tourism Collective Kasi Taukeinikoro and Colin Philp shared the Duavata Sustainable Tourism Collective's definition of sustainable tourism, their values, and what they do...	Kasi Taukeinikoro, Colin Philp
07 Oct 2019	Technical Session 3: Coastal Management, Healthy Oceans, and Nature	Good Seatizenship: Regional Approaches to Protecting Reefs and Ocean Resources Anna R. Oposa discussed about marine biodiversity and illegal marine wildlife trade. To protect and conserve marine resources, she suggested establishing...	Anna Oposa

Date	Session / Activity	Presentation Material	Speaker(s)
08 Oct 2019	Technical Session 4: Climate Litigation - Trends and Impacts	Climate Change and Judges Justice Antonio Herman Benjamin spoke to the participants about (i)the general premises concerning judges vis-a-vis the climate change crisis and (ii) ...	Antonio Herman Benjamin
08 Oct 2019	Technical Session 4: Climate Litigation - Trends and Impacts	Climate Litigation: The Fight Heats Up Briony Eales explained the concept and types of climate litigation. She thendiscussed a few cases exemplifying the complexities ofstanding for public ...	Briony Eales
08 Oct 2019	Technical Session 4: Climate Litigation - Trends and Impacts	Redress for Climate Change Impacts on Human Rights - Carbon Majors Example Grizelda Mayo-Anda shared her expertise in seeking redress for climate change impacts on human rights by filing the Carbon Majors petition before the ...	Grizelda Mayo-Anda
08 Oct 2019	Technical Session 4: Climate Litigation - Trends and Impacts	Best Judicial Practice from South Asia Ritwick Dutta discussed the different kinds of environmental litigation and legal issues that have emerged in Asia. He also showed news clippings on the...	Ritwick Dutta
08 Oct 2019	Breakout Session: Sustainable Judicial Capacity in the Pacific for Adjudicating Environmental and Climate Change Cases: Working Towards a Regional Strategy	Breakout Session Results Andrew Raine and Matthew Baird led a session which aimed to formulate a regional strategy for Pacific judiciaries. With Mentimeter, the facilitatorsgathered...	Andrew Raine, Matthew Baird
08 Oct 2019	Technical Session 5: Sustainability of Climate Actions	Sustainable Infrastructure Development Strategies (SIDS) for SIDS Sonia Chand Sandhu talked about the sustainability challenge, response to environmental degradation and climate change, total asset management approach...	Sonia Chand Sandhu
08 Oct 2019	Technical Session 5: Sustainability of Climate Actions	Passoon Passoonis a short profile of a young climate activist in Dir, Pakistan named Manal Shad. In Pashto, Passoon means to rise up for a cause, and this film...	Sarah Jehaan Khan
08 Oct 2019	Technical Session 5: Sustainability of Climate Actions	Sustainability of Climate Mitigation and Adaptation: Resource Depletion Sarah Jehaan Khan highlighted the role of women in addressing environmental and climate challenges. Their dependence on natural resources leads to both...	Sarah Jehaan Khan
08 Oct 2019	Technical Session 5: Sustainability of Climate Actions	Sustainable Energy: Carbon Neutrality and Renewables in Asia-Pacific - The Legal Response Sanjay Upadhyay discussed about the United Nations Sustainable Energy for All Initiative, the sustainable development goals, and the concept of carbon...	Sanjay Upadhyay
08 Oct 2019	Plenary Session: Judicial Cooperation and Way Forward	Judicial Cooperation and the Way Forward Andrew Raine and Matthew Baird discussed the results of thebreakout session and identified three key actions moving forward, namely: (i) the development...	Andrew Raine, Matthew Baird
08 Oct 2019	Closing Session	Closing Remarks In his closing remarks, Justice Kamal Kumar thanked the participants for attending the conference. He notedthe benefits of having a wide range of speakersshare...	Hon. Acting Chief Justice Kamal Kumar