While global warming is worsening due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP21) adopted the Paris Agreement under which 195 countries would commit to limiting a global temperature increase to well below 2℃ above pre-industrial levels and making further efforts to limit the increase below 1.5℃.

Meanwhile, worsening economic inequality in our society causes many social problems such as generational conflicts and entrenched poverty, and some suggest the Green New Deal be introduced as an alternative to solve both climate change and economic inequality issues by transitioning toward a sustainable social, economic, political, and industrial structure with the goal of achieving decarbonized society away from dependence on fossil fuels while minimizing shocks to existing industries, increased unemployment rates, and harm to local communities during the process.

In this regard, this Act aims to explore a transition toward decarbonized society to overcome the climate change crisis and legislate the basic directions, establishment, and implementation of the Green New Deal to solve social and economic inequality problems together in an effort to improve people’s quality of life and contribute to a sustainable environment and society.

Details

A. Define a transition toward decarbonized society to overcome the climate change crisis and the basic directions, establishment, and implementation of the Green New Deal to solve social and economic inequality problems together in an effort to improve people’s quality of life and contribute to a sustainable environment and society (Article 1).

B. Seek various national strategies by laying the social foundation with the goal of achieving a decarbonized society by 2050 in implementing the Green New Deal, and comply with the basic principles of the Green New Deal to ensure common good, democracy, and transparency while laying the social foundation for a decarbonized society (Article 3).

C. Require the government to establish and implement national decarbonized society strategies, which include the goals, strategies, and major initiatives of the Green New Deal for a transition toward a decarbonized society (Article 6).

D. Require the head of a central administrative agency to establish and implement plans in his/her responsible areas to efficiently and systematically implement national decarbonized society strategies and the Special Metropolitan City Mayor, Metropolitan City Mayor, Special Self-Governing City Mayor, Province Governor or Special Self-Governing Province Governor to establish and implement local plans in line with national decarbonized society strategies for a transition toward a decarbonized society in his/her local government (Articles 7 and 8).

E. Establish the Green New Deal Policy Special Committee under the President to review major policies, plans, and their implementation related to a transition toward a decarbonized society (Article 11).

F. Allow the Special Metropolitan City Mayor, Metropolitan City Mayor, Special Self-Governing City Mayor, Province Governor or Special Self-Governing Province Governor to designate the area where a rapid declining number of jobs, an economic downturn in the local community, downsizing due to changes in industrial structure, and repeated natural disasters due to worsening climate change are expected during a transition toward a decarbonized society as a Green New Deal Special District through review by the Green New Deal Policy Special Committee (Article 15).