Carbon Neutrality Committee Renamed National Climate Crisis Response Committee

The 2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee (Carbon Neutrality Committee), a presidential advisory body overseeing carbon neutrality policies, announced on the 31st that it will be renamed the National Climate Crisis Response Committee (Climate Crisis Committee) starting January 1 of next year.

The Climate Crisis Committee is a public-private deliberative and decision-making body responsible for reviewing major policies and plans to address national climate crises and transition to a carbon-neutral society, as well as monitoring and evaluating their implementation. Notably, it will be involved in setting the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), South Korea’s greenhouse gas reduction target submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The government chairperson will be the Prime Minister, while the private-sector chairperson will be an appointed civilian.

The name change follows the Lee Jae-myung government’s announcement of a government reorganization plan in September and the revision of the Carbon Neutrality Framework Act in October.

The committee stated, “While the previous name highlighted only economic aspects such as greenhouse gas reduction and fostering green industries, the new name reflects the severity of the current climate crisis and clearly encompasses the nation’s responsibilities, including not only carbon neutrality but also climate change prediction and disaster response.”

The committee has undergone multiple reorganizations. In 2009, the Green Growth Committee was established to formulate green growth strategies, followed by the National Climate and Environment Committee in 2018 to address fine dust issues. In 2021, it was integrated into the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Committee and reorganized into the current Carbon Neutrality Committee the following year. It will undergo another reorganization next year.

Kim Yong-soo, the committee’s secretary-general, said, “Beyond the name change, we are pushing for a committee reorganization that includes establishing a citizen-participatory decision-making system, such as operating a Climate Citizens’ Assembly, and strengthening policy coordination and implementation monitoring functions.” He added, “We expect the Climate Crisis Committee to serve as a pivotal national control tower for climate crisis response.”