South Korean children sued the government over climate policy. They just won.

livemint.com:

SEOUL—Dozens of South Korean children sued their government over inadequate policies targeting climate change, arguing their rights to live in a clean environment had been violated. On Thursday, they earned a major legal victory. South Korea, home to major semiconductor, battery and electric-vehicle makers, has pledged by the end of this decade to reduce carbon emissions by 40% from a 2018 benchmark.

Beyond that, the government specified no other targets before reaching net-zero emissions by midcentury. The country’s Constitutional Court ruled that the lack of quantitative checkpoints in the subsequent decades had placed an “excessive burden" on future generations and failed to “effectively guarantee gradual and continuous reductions" through 2050. The decision recognizes that the right to live in a healthy climate is a fundamental constitutional right—which obligates the South Korean government to protect it.

As a result, South Korea must revise the relevant climate policies no later than March 2026. After the ruling, the country’s Ministry of Environment said it respected the court’s ruling and would faithfully implement follow-up measures. Han Je-ah, 12 years old, was one of the child plaintiffs from four consolidated cases that young climate activists brought before the Constitutional Court.

One, referred to as “Baby Climate Litigation," featured dozens of plaintiffs who were under the age of 5 when the case was filed about two years ago. For another, a group of youths held a press conference about their lawsuit dressed in their school uniforms. Han had testified in front of the judges as the trial hit its final stretch in May.