NHRCK Recommends Setting 2035 NDC Aligned with International Standards and Emphasizes the Need to Minimize the Burden on Future Generations
□ The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (Chairperson Ahn Chang-ho, hereinafter “NHRCK”) recommended on June 25, 2025, that the Minister of Environment and the Chairperson of the 2050 Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Commission establish a 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in line with international standards. The Commission also emphasized the importance of designing an emissions reduction pathway that minimizes the burden on future generations and called for the establishment of institutional support systems for businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
□ Establishing an NDC Consistent with International Standards
○ The Paris Agreement outlines the “principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities,” which requires each Party to reflect its respective responsibilities and capabilities in determining emissions reductions. It also prescribes the “principle of progression,” requiring successive NDCs to represent a progression beyond the current targets. Moreover, the Agreement calls upon developed countries to take the lead in greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation efforts.
○ According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports and decisions adopted during the Global Stocktake (GST), limiting the rise in global average temperature to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels (with a 50% probability) requires a 60% reduction in global GHG emissions from 2019 levels by 2035. These documents also present a global carbon budget—the total amount of carbon emissions that can be emitted to remain within the target.
○ These principles and benchmarks are widely recognized as international standards and objective references for calculating national emissions reduction targets. During COP28 in 2023, these data served as the basis for evaluating countries’ progress during the first GST process.
○ Korea is classified as an advanced economy by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a high-income country by the World Bank, and a top-tier country in the Human Development Index (HDI) by the United Nations. This reflects that Korea possesses sufficient resources and capacity to undertake ambitious GHG reductions. Although Korea industrialized later than many Western countries and thus bears less historical emissions responsibility, its current emissions level entails a substantial responsibility.
○ Therefore, Korea must establish a 2035 NDC that aligns with the Paris Agreement’s principles of responsibility, capacity, and progression. As a developed nation, Korea should take a leading role and strive to align its targets as closely as possible with the mitigation pathways suggested by the IPCC.
□ Minimizing the Burden on Future Generations in Setting the Reduction Pathway
○ Even if the 2035 NDC is consistent with international standards, the pathway toward achieving that target will significantly affect the extent of the burden transferred to future generations.
○ Given the extremely limited remaining carbon budget, postponing emissions reductions to later years would force future generations to endure drastic reductions or risk failure in containing global temperature rise.
○ It is therefore imperative to adopt a front-loaded emissions reduction pathway that significantly reduces GHG emissions in the early years, thereby preserving a portion of the carbon budget for future generations.
○ This consideration is especially urgent because future generations, while likely to suffer more severe impacts of the climate crisis, have limited opportunity to participate in current democratic decision-making processes. The current generation must take this into account in formulating the 2035 emissions reduction pathway.
□ Support Measures for Businesses to Enable Effective GHG Reductions
○ While setting an ambitious 2035 NDC is critical, it is also necessary to consider the socioeconomic impacts of emissions reduction. Excessive burdens on the industrial sector may result in insufficient participation by businesses.
○ The government must therefore develop long-term policy support to promote business participation, including tax benefits, financial support, and technical support for emissions reduction efforts. Moreover, legislation should be expedited to implement Article 58 of the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, which provides for the promotion of climate finance.
□ The NHRCK reiterates that the climate crisis is fundamentally a human rights issue. It will continue to monitor and assess the government’s process in formulating the 2035 NDC to ensure it aligns with human rights principles and protects the rights of current and future generations.
