The Climate Youth Council held a meeting with members of the National Assembly to petition for the revision of the Carbon Neutrality Act, which was the first petition case since the enactment of the law in 2021. Students experienced democracy while recognizing the stakes of the climate crisis, and continued the campaign with the social cooperative Party. Future tasks suggested include expanding openness, improving participatory design, assigning responsible authority, and reorganizing the evaluation system. We hope that the Climate Youth Council experiment will emphasize the active role of civil society and become a seed of hope for responding to the climate crisis and strengthening democracy.
💡 Climate Youth Council in Action! Students Address the National Assembly! - Heinrich Böll Stiftung East Asia
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Recommendation: Carbon Neutrality Act Amendment and Online Campaign
To summarize the learning and deliberation stages: The identified issues were organized from a citizenship perspective (Why), followed by a fact-finding survey based on evidence, such as public data (What). The positions and interests of stakeholders were clarified through conflict analysis (Who), and the problem definition was synthesized through field learning. From there, the most viable alternative was sought (How). In the recommendation stage, the issues and realities of the selected topics of interest were organized based on evidence, and the most effective alternative was proposed as a revision to the Carbon Neutrality Act.
<Table 7> Recommendation for the Revision of the Carbon Neutrality Act"
| Name | Major | Theme | Carbon Neutrality Act |
| Yukyung Lee | Physical Education | Violation of Basic Rights of Sports Workers and Athletes | Introduction of Article 4, Section 10 |
| Yeonju Kim | Fine Arts | Provision of Cultural and Artistic Spaces in Carbon Neutral Cities | Amendment of Article 3 of the Enforcement Decree |
| RHITI ABELLA | Food and Nutrition | Promotion of Low-Carbon Certified Foods and Certification Marks | Amendment of Article 60 |
| Minkyu Choi | Political Science and Diplomacy | Introduction of Green ODA and Green Pre-Impact Assessment System | Amendment of Articles 2, 3, 11, 38, 75 |
| Jeein Jung | Fashion Design | Abolition of the Carbon Emissions Trading System and Introduction of Carbon Tax | Repeal of Article 25 |
| Junsik Noh | Business Administration | Expansion of Renewable Energy Disclosure | Amendment of Article 40 |
| Yujin Kim | Spanish | Stabilization of the Scale and Operation of Climate Response Funds | Amendment of Article 69, 70, 72 |
| Seryeong Lee | Sociology | Public Disclosure of the Carbon Neutrality Commission Meetings and Establishment of a Climate Citizens Committee | Amendment of Article 17, Introduction of Article 19 |
The Climate Youth Members each wrote the purpose, reasons, and content of the proposed revisions to the Carbon Neutrality Act.
First, Commissioner Yukyung Lee (1st year, Department of Physical Education) focused on the labor rights of sports workers affected by the climate crisis, and proposed a policy alternative to amend the Carbon Neutrality Act to ensure that the constitutional rights to health and labor are effectively guaranteed in the sports sector.
Commissioner Yeonju Kim (1st year, Department of Fine Arts) emphasized that various social movements spread widely through art and bring about social change. She proposed amending the Enforcement Decree to ensure that art galleries, when creating carbon-neutral cities, become important spaces for raising social awareness about the climate crisis and seeking new solutions.
Commissioner Abella Phiti (4th year, Department of Food and Nutrition) stressed that low-carbon certified foods are recognized as alternatives that reduce carbon emissions during production and contribute to environmental protection. She proposed expanding the availability of low-carbon certified foods in school cafeterias, hospitals, military bases, and public institutions.
Commissioner Mingyu Choi (1st year, Department of Political Science and International Relations) suggested introducing a new provision related to green ODA, which provides eco-friendly technologies and infrastructure to developing countries. He argued that South Korea's green technologies and industries would gain a competitive edge in the global market, while expanding overseas opportunities for related companies.
Commissioner Jeein Jung (4th year, Department of Clothing Design) proposed that, in order to overcome the crisis caused by the climate emergency, the international community should prioritize greenhouse gas reduction. She argued that Korea's 2050 carbon neutrality goal would be insufficient to achieve the desired results, and the introduction of a carbon tax is urgently needed as a strong and effective measure.
Commissioner Junsik Noh (4th year, Department of Business Administration) emphasized that the increase in renewable energy usage has been proven to simultaneously promote economic growth and environmental improvement. As part of the policies to promote this, he proposed adding "matters related to just transition and energy price normalization" to Article 10, Section 2 of the law.
Commissioner Yujin Kim (3rd year, Department of Spanish) diagnosed several issues with the current climate response fund, such as the instability of major funding sources, the lack of suitability of climate response fund projects, and improper performance management. As a solution, she proposed adding provisions related to the size, duration, and fund projects of the Climate Fund, as well as establishing clear criteria for project selection, evaluation indicators, and performance management.
Commissioner Lee Se-ryeong (4th year, Department of Sociology) pointed out that the Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Commission does not disclose full meeting minutes or attendance lists, thus infringing on the public's right to know. She proposed making the establishment of a citizen participation body, tentatively called the Carbon Neutral Citizens' Committee, mandatory.
The Climate Youth Council Members shared their proposed alternatives for the Carbon Neutrality Act in the online public forum (Parti) and conducted an online petition campaign. For reference, Parti, the digital citizen platform, is a space where citizens can gather their voices, open dialogue, and directly address social issues.
Petitioning the National Assembly for the Revision of the Carbon Neutrality Act
The course "Climate Crisis and Direct Action" concluded with the petition for the revision of the Carbon Neutrality Act and a campaign. However, the students agreed to continue political follow-up activities and decided to hold a meeting with the National Assembly members. During this meeting, the students presented the proposed revisions to the Carbon Neutrality Act, and a member of parliament Jungho Kim(Democratic Party) and Wangjin Seo(Rebuilding Korea Party) offered their opinions.
After the discussion with the students, Representative Jungho Kim stated, "The biggest victims of the climate crisis are future generations," and expressed, "As a member of the older generation and a lawmaker addressing climate and energy issues, I feel a great sense of responsibility," adding, "I will do my best to ensure that all the proposals are thoroughly discussed in the National Assembly." Representative Wangjin Seo also remarked, "This has been a meaningful time to reaffirm the importance of responding to the climate crisis," and promised, "As lawmakers, we will act as catalysts to actively support your legislative petition."
Reflecting the outcomes of the meeting with the lawmakers, the students submitted their Carbon Neutrality Act revision proposal to the National Assembly. This marked the first legislative petition since the Carbon Neutrality Act was established in 2021. The story of the Climate Youth Council and the petition was featured on the official blogs of the two lawmakers who introduced the petition and in the Kyung Hee University newspaper, The University Bulletin. Furthermore, the process of the Climate Youth Council was filmed with support from the Heinrich Böll Foundation East Asia Office and continues as a campaign by the social cooperative Parti. As recommended by CCA, "appropriate media campaigns" and "broad public support through social alliances" are essential in increasing public pressure to implement the proposals.
Meanwhile, students who participated in the Climate Youth Council shared their reflections after the course concluded. They mentioned that the process of petitioning for the revision of the Carbon Neutrality Act and gathering online signatures allowed them to learn about cases they were previously unaware of. They also acknowledged how the climate crisis intertwines with the interests of various corporations, citizens, and countries. One student reflected that "raising my voice, even if it’s just asking people to listen to my story, is meaningful," while another mentioned, "Through the petition, I truly felt the concept of democracy for the first time." Another student said, "I realized that activities at school could have an impact outside of school, and that felt empowering."
The National Assembly must amend the Carbon Neutrality Act, which was ruled unconstitutional in 2024, by February 28, 2026. Moving forward, the students plan to continue their political follow-up activities with the Climate Youth Council, working to ensure that the proposed revisions are reflected in the process of amending the Carbon Neutrality Act.
Creative solutions emerge from new connections
In Margaret Wheatley’s poem Turning to One Another, there is a line that reads, "Realize that creative solutions come from new connections." The process of turning the idea of connecting university liberal arts courses with a Climate Citizens' Assembly into reality involved the help of many people and new connections. Most importantly, the Climate Citizens' Assembly can be meaningful not as a rigid model, but as one of many practical experiments aimed at strengthening democracy and combating climate change.
The experiment of the Climate Youth Council is still ongoing, so it might be too early to fully evaluate it. From the perspective of linking liberal education and social movements, one can find meaning in the following positive outcomes: (1) Through open questions and discussions, we discovered voluntary participation, (2) we witnessed the emergence of creativity as participants set their own topics of interest and explored them, (3) through the process of communicating with politics and civil society, beyond the boundaries of the classroom, we embodied the contentious nature of democracy, and (4) it was an experience of democracy, transitioning from passive bystanders to active citizens exercising their sovereignty.
In terms of areas for future improvement, there are a few points to consider: (1) There was a lack of a more open and flexible process and content, (2) there is a need to design and establish a support system for large-scale participation and processes beyond small public forums, (3) more responsible empowerment (political commitment) is necessary, and (4) additional thought is needed regarding monitoring and evaluation systems.
In the era of the climate crisis, solutions to the crisis lie within a healthy civil society. Especially in situations where the government and market betray the citizens, "active citizens" will be the most important agents and driving force in the process of creating a just transition towards a new world. Rather than an unfounded hope for the future, we must accept the reality as it is and put our heads together for the existence and coexistence of us all. It is time to create the conditions for hope, alongside sound judgment (Kyung Hee News, 2025). Perhaps what will lead our society toward a better direction are the small, seemingly insignificant stories (Voices of 6411, 2024). It is hoped that the story of the Climate Youth Council experiment will become a small seed of hope for many people who are dreaming of and practicing social change in the process of responding to the climate crisis.
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