Ministry enacts Climate Crisis Adaptation Act, laying groundwork for climate insurance and recovery
Subordinate legislation to take effect within a year of promulgation, following interagency consultation and public notice
The National Assembly passed the Act on Climate Crisis Adaptation and Resilience Enhancement (Climate Crisis Adaptation Act) in a plenary session last month, laying the groundwork for climate risk assessments, surveys of vulnerable groups and other measures to strengthen climate resilience. The government plans to draft related subordinate legislation to protect the public from climate disasters and support vulnerable groups.
The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy said Wednesday that the newly enacted Climate Crisis Adaptation Act was designed to overcome the limitations of climate adaptation measures. Those measures had previously been governed by only some provisions within the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth for Responding to the Climate Crisis. The law also aims to address increasingly serious climate disasters and protect vulnerable groups.
The law goes beyond simple greenhouse gas reduction, focusing on boosting the nation's climate adaptation capacity and strengthening public safety through science-based climate risk assessments.
Under the new law, the government will build and operate a management system that allows climate adaptation information to be checked at a glance.
The government will also investigate and analyze climate impacts and vulnerabilities by sector and region, and disclose visualized spatial data on climate risks so that relevant agencies can use the information to carry out climate risk reduction projects.
To manage adaptation policy in an integrated manner, the government will form a policy consultation council and establish adaptation measures for the central government, local governments and public institutions. It will also strengthen the feedback system by monitoring the implementation of those measures and evaluating the nation's overall climate adaptation performance.
In particular, the central and local governments plan to conduct surveys on groups vulnerable to the climate crisis. They will carry out tailored support projects for vulnerable groups and areas that repeatedly suffer damage. They also plan to introduce climate insurance and foster industries related to climate adaptation.
Oh Il-young, director general of the Climate and Energy Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, said, "The enactment of the Climate Crisis Adaptation Act is a starting point for responding more systematically to the intensifying climate crisis. We will protect people's lives and property from climate disasters, and prepare the subordinate legislation without delay to build a robust climate safety net that vulnerable groups can genuinely feel, in particular."
The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment held an advisory meeting with climate adaptation experts at BizHub Seoul Center in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday to ensure the effectiveness of the Climate Crisis Adaptation Act and prepare for its smooth implementation, formally launching work on the subordinate legislation.
At the meeting, professors, researchers and other experts in climate adaptation and law were set to discuss key systems, including the standardization of climate adaptation information, climate risk assessments and support measures for vulnerable groups.
thlee@heraldcorp.com
