After 31 years since Choi Yeol, climate lawsuit activist Kim Borim wins world's top environmental award
Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Kim Borim, an activist with Youth 4 Climate Action, has won the Goldman Environmental Prize for leading Asia's first youth-led climate lawsuit.
- The lawsuit successfully challenged the government's inadequate climate response, leading to a constitutional court ruling that the current basic law on carbon neutrality is unconstitutional.
- The ruling is expected to prevent over 1.5 billion tons of carbon emissions over the next 25 years, a significant step in combating climate change.
The Hankyoreh is proud to report that Kim Borim, a dedicated activist from Youth 4 Climate Action, has been awarded the prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, often referred to as the 'Nobel Prize for the environment.' This recognition highlights her pivotal role in spearheading Asia's first successful youth-led climate lawsuit, a landmark achievement for environmental advocacy in the region.
When everyone can exist as an agent of change, we can create a safe society where no one is pushed to the edge of danger in the midst of the climate crisis.
Kim's legal challenge argued that the government's insufficient response to the climate crisis violated fundamental rights. The Constitutional Court's subsequent ruling declared the current basic law on carbon neutrality unconstitutional for failing to set medium- to long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets beyond 2030. This decision is a monumental victory, projected to curb over 1.5 billion tons of carbon emissions in the coming 25 years—equivalent to the annual emissions of approximately 500 coal-fired power plants.
The Youth 4 Climate Action, led by activist Kim Borim and her organization, made history by winning a youth-led climate lawsuit for the first time in Asia. This is a significant turning point for the climate change movement in Asia.
Youth movements advocating for climate action have gained global momentum since 2018, and Youth 4 Climate Action in South Korea emerged around the same time. Initially focused on appealing to policymakers, the group recognized the need for a more direct, judicial approach to effect structural change. Their efforts were inspired by international precedents, such as climate litigation in the Netherlands.
I wondered why I was given this award. I believe it's not just because the outcome of the climate lawsuit itself is meaningful, but rather an acknowledgment of my contribution to efforts to open up a space where ordinary citizens, including youth and young adults, can become agents of change.
Kim views this award not just as a recognition of the lawsuit's outcome but as an acknowledgment of her efforts to create a space where ordinary citizens, especially young people, can become agents of change. She notes that while politicians may speak of impossibilities, ordinary citizens have demonstrated their capacity to forge social consensus and drive climate action forward. The Hankyoreh believes this case underscores the power of citizen-led initiatives in holding governments accountable and pushing for a sustainable future.
When politics says 'impossible,' citizens have drawn out social consensus without delaying reductions.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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