Human Rights Infringement Caused by Climate Crisis and National Responsibilities

KIM Taeho [Senior Research Officer of Constitutional Research Institute]

Ⅰ. Climate Crisis as a Human Rights Issue

Even though climate crisis has sharply aggravated, it is not easy to draw a clear line who needs to take the responsibility on climate crisis. It is as same as it is difficult to tell difference the deteriorating condition of an ailing patient. What about the case of death of a family of three members including person with developmental disability? They were living in a house on the basement floor and their house was flooded because of ‘record’ torrential rain on August 8th, 2022. In this case, wouldn’t the state have any responsibility at all? If we identify the cause of climate crisis and talk about the ‘responsibility’, then, that could cloud the state responsibilities?

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Is ‘Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality’ enacted on September 24, 2021, enough to fulfil the state responsibility demanded by the ideal?  Have the efforts of government been fully made to aggressively implement the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality?  Isn’t the problem system, but will? Now is the time to cast a fundamental question in the perspective of human rights.