South Korea's Climate Change Law Conditionally Unconstitutional: Supreme Court Ruling

South Korea's top court ruled the country's climate change law conditionally unconstitutional due to absent emission targets for 2031 and beyond. Young activists and other plaintiffs accused the government of passing the responsibility of carbon reduction to future policymakers. The court emphasized the lack of a mechanism for continuous reduction.

In a landmark ruling, South Korea's top court declared the country's climate change law conditionally unconstitutional, citing missing emission targets for 2031 and beyond.

The ruling came after approximately 200 plaintiffs, including young activists and infants, petitioned since 2020, accusing the government of deferring carbon reduction responsibilities to future policymakers. The court noted the climate neutrality act, enacted in 2010 and later revised, lacked specified reduction targets between 2031 and 2049.

Chief Justice highlighted that without a mechanism to ensure gradual reductions until 2050, the law places undue burden on the future, failing to meet minimum protective requirements against the climate crisis. The environment ministry has yet to comment on the verdict.

(With inputs from agencies.)