South Korea’s Climate Change Law Ruling

By Ju-min Park

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korea’s supreme court ruled that the climate change law fails to protect basic human rights and lacks concrete targets for future generations, following activism blaming the government for inadequate climate action.

Since 2020, around 200 plaintiffs, including young activists and infants, petitioned the constitutional court, arguing that insufficient measures by the government violated their human rights.

In a landmark decision, the court urged the legislature to amend the carbon neutrality act by February 2026, pointing out that the existing emission targets do not uphold the constitutional duty to protect citizens and future generations from climate crises.

This ruling marks a first in Asia, influencing climate lawsuits in neighboring countries like Taiwan and Japan. Previously, Europe’s top human rights court ruled against Switzerland for similar failures.

The ruling was met with joy from the plaintiffs and supporters, epitomizing hopes for systemic change in climate policies. Han Je-ah, a 12-year-old plaintiff, expressed a desire for better future protections against climate impacts.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs heralded the verdict as pivotal for greenhouse gas reductions in society. The court criticized South Korea’s carbon neutrality act (from 2010 and revised later), highlighting the lack of detailed emission reduction targets from 2031 to 2049, which imposes undue burdens on future generations.

The environment ministry stated it would respect and act on the court’s decision. Legal experts believe that this ruling might inspire similar changes in other countries, potentially reshaping South Korea’s reputation regarding climate action.

As experts warn of severe consequences related to climate change if global temperatures rise more than 1.5 degrees Celsius, South Korea still trails among G20 nations in coal pollution and has revised its emissions goals, reflecting slow adaptation to renewables.

This story has been amended to remove the word ‘top’ from the headline.