Since 1948, South Korea’s constitution has entitled its citizens to a healthy environment and happiness in posterity – rights which, for the first time in Asia, have been used by young activists to secure decisive action on climate change. This summer, the constitutional court ruled that the nation’s climate measures – which lag far behind international carbon reduction targets – are insufficient in protecting this right for future generations. The verdict follows four years of successive climate lawsuits, spearheaded by the teenage members of the Korean school strike movement.
In August, activists at San Francisco State University in the US announced that, after lengthy negotiations between the student pro-Palestine encampment and administration, the university is set to divest from four major weapons manufacturers.
Developed by a student-led working group, SFSU’s new ethical investment policy excludes Palantir, Lockheed Martin, Leonardo and Caterpillar on the basis that the companies do not meet its human rights standards. This win sets a major precedent for the student divestment movement.
