Call for court’s wise decision

On April 19, I participated in a climate strike held by Youth 4 Climate Action in front of Bosingak Pavilion in central Seoul. It was too hot for April. I was wearing a shortsleeved T-shirt, and the sun beat down on my arms. Under the hot sun, activists of Youth 4 Climate Action made impassioned speeches while sign language interpreters interpreted them. Various participants also delivered addresses.

A 13-year-old boy from Ulsan said in a youthful voice, “In summer, it’s so hot that I feel like I’m getting heatstroke.” We have experienced that summer is getting hotter and hotter. In Samcheok on Korea’s eastern coast, he saw that the government was building a big coal-fired power plant and cutting down trees, despite the worsening of the climate crisis.

A Seoul citizen said that she became vegan after learning about the seriousness of the climate crisis. She did what she could do, including carrying a thermos instead of using disposable cups, and she took part in climate rallies with her vegan friends. Nevertheless, the government’s climate policies didn’t change. To solve the climate crisis, not only individuals but also the government and big companies should take actions to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In March 2020, 19 members of Youth 4 Climate Action filed a constitutional petition against the government and the National Assembly for their insufficient response to climate crisis. The petitioners argue that the government’s national GHG reduction goal is so low that it violates young people’s fundamental human rights, including the environmental right and the right to life.

The lawsuit is still in progress after four years. On April 23, the Constitutional Court held a hearing on this case and other three climate lawsuits to decide if the government’s response to the climate crisis is constitutional.

According to Korea’s Constitution, “All citizens shall have the right to a healthy and pleasant environment. The state and all citizens shall endeavor to protect the environment.”

The Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change adopted in 2015, pursues efforts to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Crossing the 1.5-degree threshold will raise the intensity and frequency of climate disasters, according to the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The petitioners argue that with the government’s current goal of national GHG reductions, the goal of the Paris Agreement cannot be achieved, thereby infringing on young people’s rights to a life worthy of human beings and pursuit of happiness.

On April 14, highs in most areas of Korea went up to about 30 degrees Celsius. We have experienced that heat waves, droughts and rainfall have become more severe year by year. To prevent the increase of extreme weather phenomena, the government should strengthen the national GHG reduction goal immediately and implement effective policies rapidly.

I hope that constitutional judges will make a wise decision for all .