Posco, one of the world’s biggest steel producers, is being sued by youth activists in South Korea over a plan to extend the life of its coal-based blast furnace operations.
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Plaintiffs aged 11 to 18 years old, supported by non-profit Solutions for our Climate (SFOC), argued in a lawsuit filed on Thursday that Posco’s decision to expand the Gwangyang blast furnace violates their right to a healthy environment and future, and undermines South Korea’s commitment to achieve net zero by mid-century.
Campaigners estimate that relining the blast furnace will result in the emission of 137 million tonnes of carbon – equivalent to the annual carbon pollution of nearly 10 million South Koreans – over the next 15 years.
Relining blast furnaces involves performing heavy maintenance to prolong its lifetime, which locks in the use of coal in steelmaking. Campaigners argue that there are lower carbon alternatives, such as electric arc furnaces and hydrogen-based steelmaking, now readily available.
SFOC, along with non-profits Gwangyang Environmental Movement Association and the Pohang Environmental Movement Association, announced the lawsuit at a press conference outside of Posco Center in Seoul on Thursday.
Hyunjun Choi, a high school student from Gyeonggi, and one of the plaintiffs, said: “Even though the climate crisis is no longer a distant future, Posco isn’t shutting down its blast furnaces – it’s doubling down on them. It’s irresponsible for them to ignore the voices of young people, the very ones who will face the consequences.”
The lawsuit is the first to hold a company accountable for its climate impact following a constitutional ruling in August recognised the Korean government’s obligation to protect its citizens from climate change.
It also the first lawsuit globally to object to traditional blast furnace technology used in steel making. Steel production is one of the world’s most polluting industries, accounting for 7 per cent of man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
Eco-Business has reached out to Posco for comment.
The company, which is Korea’s largest carbon emitter, announced a commitment to decarbonise in 2020, setting a target of achieving net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the national net zero goal. The target would be achieved partly by increasing the use of low-carbon fuel in its blast furnaces.
SFOC filed a legal complaint against Posco last year over the company’s use of a premium on clean electricity to falsely claim emissions reductions towards its net zero target. SFOC said the firm had been greenwashing its decarbonisation efforts by double-counting its emissions cuts.
