Yoshifumi Tanaka

Yoshifumi Tanaka serves as Professor at the Centre for Private Governance (CEPRI) within the University of Copenhagen, specializing in International Law of the Sea and Public International Law. His research addresses critical contemporary challenges including ocean-climate interactions, marine plastic pollution governance, and Arctic legal frameworks.

His academic credentials include:

• PhD, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva (2002)
• DES, Graduate Institute of International Studies, Geneva (1996)
• LLM, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo (1993)
• Bachelor of Law, Kanazawa University (1990)

Tanaka's scholarly focus centers on the dynamic interface between environmental crises and maritime legal systems. His work examines jurisdictional boundaries, treaty interactions in polar regions, and evolving state obligations under UNCLOS. Current research emphasizes plastic pollution regulation from Arctic shipping and legal mechanisms for carbon capture storage at sea, reflecting urgent global environmental concerns.

Recent publications (2024-2025) reveal a pronounced emphasis on climate-ocean legal synergies, particularly analyzing the ITLOS Advisory Opinion on Climate Change and normative conflicts in marine environmental protection. His scholarship demonstrates how traditional law of the sea frameworks adapt to emerging anthropogenic threats.

Professor Tanaka teaches advanced LLM courses in International Law of the Sea and Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes. His active conference participation—including lectures on continental shelf delimitation and scrubber discharge regulation—highlights ongoing scholarly engagement with international legal communities.

As a core member of CEPRI, Tanaka contributes to interdisciplinary research on governance structures where private sector initiatives intersect with international legal obligations, particularly in ocean sustainability contexts.