The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, approved in 2023, emphasizes the urgent need for a rapid transformation in all systems to achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets. However, it does not explicitly mention the transformation of the most critical societal system, which is the nation itself. In this paper, we attempt to analyze and assess the “greening of the nation” from the perspective of the government’s transformation. Specifically, an examination of Korea’s greening is conducted based on the national components of people, territory, and sovereignty. According to the research findings concerning “people’s greening,” there is a high awareness of the climate crisis. However, “territory’s greening” is in a poor state due to continuous greenhouse gas emissions and inadequate responses in the lowest ranks. Lastly,
“sovereignty’s greening” is merely a verbal declaration, with no actual relinquishment of pollution rights taking place. Therefore, in Korea, only the greening of people has progressed, while sovereignty’s greening is modest, and the territory cannot be considered as having undergone greening. It is worth noting that these research results are not limited to Korea alone, as many countries were in similar situations. Nevertheless, to address the issue of climate change and achieve carbon neutrality, the greening of national sovereignty, which includes the relinquishment of pollution rights, must be realized.

[Key Words] Environmental state, Green state, Environmental constitution, Carbon neutrality, Mitigation policy