SEOUL, Aug 29 (Reuters) - South Korea's top court said on Thursday that the country's climate change law was conditionally unconstitutional, citing a lack of emissions targets for 2031 and beyond, in a landmark ruling after activists blamed the government of failing to effectively tackle climate change.

About 200 plaintiffs including young climate activists and even some infants filed petitions to the constitutional court since 2020, accusing the government of deferring the task of reducing carbon emissions to future policymakers and younger generations.

The court said the country's carbon neutrality act, enacted in 2010 and revised later to layout emissions targets by 2030 and the goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050, failed to present "any quantitative levels" for the reductions targets between 2031 and 2049.

"Since there is no mechanism that can effectively ensure gradual and continuous reductions until 2050, it stipulates reduction targets that would transfer an excessive burden to the future, lacking minimum requirements as a protective measure corresponding to the danger of the climate crisis," the chief justice said as he handed down the verdict.

The environment ministry did not immediately provide a comment.

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https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korean-constitutional-court-says-climate-law-needs-more-future-emissions-2024-08-29/