Court Orders South Korea To Specify Plans To Cut Carbon Emissions Until 2049

South Korea’s Constitutional Court has ordered the government to support its climate goals with more concrete plans through 2049, handing a partial victory to climate campaigners who argue that the country's slow emissions reduction is a violation of their rights, Kim Tong-Hyung reported for the Associated Press (AP).

The court, which reviews the constitutionality of laws, mandated revisions to the country’s climate law while ruling on four climate cases brought by 255 plaintiffs. I Photo: Enel X

The court, which reviews the constitutionality of laws, mandated revisions to the country’s climate law while ruling on four climate cases brought by 255 plaintiffs, including many young people who were children or teenagers when they began filing complaints against the government and lawmakers in 2020.

“Today’s ruling confirms that climate change is an issue related to our fundamental rights, and everyone has a right to be safe from climate change,” said Sejong Youn, one of the plaintiffs' lawyers, during a news conference outside the court.

“The ball is now with the government and the National Assembly,” referring to South Korea’s parliament.

The campaigners argued that South Korea’s current goal of cutting carbon emissions by 35% from 2018 levels by 2030 is insufficient to mitigate climate change.

 They also noted that the country has not established plans to reduce emissions beyond 2031, despite its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The plaintiffs claim that South Korea’s lax climate policies violate their human rights by exposing them to future environmental degradation and climate-related harm.