Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy announces proposed amendments to enforcement decree of the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth; agencies required to respond within three months on whether citizens' assembly recommendations are reflected in policy; Korea Forest Service designated as managing body for greenhouse gas target management in forestry sector

The inaugural ceremony of the Climate Citizens' Assembly, held May 16 [Source: National Climate Crisis Response Committee website]
The inaugural ceremony of the Climate Citizens' Assembly, held May 16 [Source: National Climate Crisis Response Committee website]

With the revised Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth — amended in April — set to take effect in October, the government has laid out detailed plans for the composition and operation of a newly established Climate Citizens' Assembly under the National Climate Crisis Response Committee.

Under a proposed amendment to the act's enforcement decree announced Monday by the Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy, the Climate Citizens' Assembly — a public participation body — will comprise between 100 and 300 members organized into subcommittees. The draft requires that youth and adolescents, who will be directly affected by the climate crisis in 2050, be allocated seats at a rate exceeding their share of the general population.

Proposals from the Climate Citizens' Assembly will be deliberated and adopted by the National Climate Crisis Response Committee and reflected in the work of relevant agencies. Those agencies must report back to the committee within three months on how the recommendations have been incorporated.

The proposed amendment also designates the Korea Forest Service as the managing body for the greenhouse gas target management regime in the forestry sector, and consolidates under the Korea Forest Service the authority to commission international emissions reduction projects and carbon neutrality projects in that sector.

Under current law, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is designated as the sector-specific managing body for the greenhouse gas target management regime covering agriculture, livestock, food and forestry.

The amendment designates the Korea Forest Service commissioner as the sector-specific managing body and lead ministry for greenhouse gas information in the forestry sector, while limiting the agriculture minister's role under the greenhouse gas target management regime to the agriculture, livestock and food sectors.

The amendment also expands the National Climate Science Institute's mandate to cover emissions reduction target-setting research and climate adaptation work, in addition to its existing greenhouse gas center functions, establishing it as the coordinating body for climate policy research. The institute's head will chair a climate policy research consultative body that will include national and public research institutions as well as government-funded research institutes.

The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy said the revisions aim "to improve and supplement certain shortcomings that have emerged in the operation of the current regime," adding that the changes are expected to "lay the groundwork for social consensus on carbon neutrality policy through meaningful public participation, and to strengthen policy implementation by institutionalizing the operation of the Climate Citizens' Assembly and the process for reflecting its recommendations in policy."


thlee@heraldcorp.com