Rights watchdog chief calls for 'climate justice for all'

Ahn Chang-ho, chief of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, speaks during the International Conference on the Climate Change and Human Rights at the Press Center in Seoul, Tuesday. Newsis

Climate change is one of the greatest risks to human rights today as it threatens many of the fundamental values, including the right to health and even survival itself, Ahn Chang-ho, chief of the National Human Rights Commission of Korea, said Tuesday.

At the International Conference on the Climate Change and Human Rights in Seoul, Ahn called for action to achieve “climate justice,” saying that the two issues are deeply intertwined and that the most vulnerable members of the public are the ones exposed to the biggest risk of its devastating effects.

“We are living in a time of climate crisis,” Ahn said during the event held at the Press Center. “It is forcing changes in our daily lives. Just this year alone, Korea experienced a heat wave of over 30 degrees Celsius in mid-September ... While some people may complain about hot weather inside an air-conditioned place, others are suffering from heatstroke without any air-conditioning system.”

His statement comes as Korea is grappling with extreme weather conditions in recent years. More than 3,700 people were treated for heat-related illnesses at emergency rooms during this year’s summer, a significant increase from 2,818 cases in 2023. As a result, prices for cabbages and other vegetables have surged to unprecedentedly high levels.

For some people, global warming is more than just a health or economic risk, climate activist Yoon Hyeon-jeong said.

Yoon, a resident in an area where many semisubterranean buildings are situated, said that she became more anxious about rain after a landslide destroyed one of the residential buildings near her home last year.

“The building was very similar to the one I live in. Ever since then, whenever it rains hard, it makes me feel anxious,” Yoon, a member of Youth 4 Climate Action, said at the event.

Climate change has also made life hard for many workers like Kim Kyung-sin, a tower crane operator.

When he started working at construction sites many years ago, summer temperatures were bearable, but now the hot season tests him to his very limit, he said. What makes it all the more challenging is an abnormal pattern of rain, he added.

“This year, we have experienced unpredictable tropical nights, heat waves and heavy rains,” Kim said. “Quick, intense downpours weaken the ground and could cause many accidents.”

International experts, including United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk and European Union Special Representative for Human Rights Olof Skoog, also shared their insights through statements and in-person presentations.

“The climate crisis is a human rights crisis,” Türk said. “It is time for every nation to integrate human rights into their climate and economic policies, ensuring that no one is left behind ... Climate action that respects human rights is not just the right path: it is the only path. We owe it to future generations to act decisively and ensure justice for all in the face of the climate crisis.”

On Aug. 29, Korea’s Constitutional Court ruled that the government’s measures for fighting climate change were insufficient for protecting the rights of citizens and said there should be firm targets for greenhouse gas reductions between 2031 and 2049. It was the country’s — and Asia’s — first climate litigation ruling of its kind.

The verdict came after the Korean rights commission submitted its amicus brief, in which it said the government measures did not comply with the principle of equality and minimum protection of future generations.

The commission said it would continue to work with climate advocates to mitigate the damaging impact of climate change on human rights while improving ties with rights activists in other countries to fight for the same cause.