Legislative developments on the horizon for Hungary’s new Climate Act

Hungary is looking to adopt a new Climate Act in November 2026, marking the most significant reform of the country’s climate legislation since the adoption of the Climate Protection Act in 2020. The reform follows a landmark decision of the Constitutional Court of Hungary, which declared substantial parts of the current legal framework unconstitutional and required the Parliament to adopt a comprehensive new climate law.

The Constitutional Court found that the Act’s principal climate target - a minimum 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared to 1990 levels - had become obsolete, as Hungary had already achieved this level of emissions reduction by 2023. More fundamentally, the Constitutional Court held that climate legislation must extend beyond emissions reduction targets and provide a comprehensive framework addressing climate change mitigation, adaptation and the protection of natural resources and future generations.

Although the Parliament did not meet the Constitutional Court’s original deadline of 30 June 2026, the Government has confirmed that a new Climate Act forms part of its legislative program and is expected to be submitted in November 2026. The legislative debate gained further momentum in July 2026 when nearly 200 environmental, scientific and professional organizations jointly presented a comprehensive draft Climate Act accompanied by detailed explanatory materials. While the proposal has no official legislative status, it represents one of the broadest civil society initiatives in Hungarian environmental law in recent years and is intended to provide a concrete legislative model for the Government’s forthcoming bill.

Unlike the current Climate Protection Act, which is widely regarded as largely declaratory, the proposed draft is a detailed framework law addressing all three pillars of climate policy: climate change mitigation, climate adaptation and societal resilience. In addition to strengthening emissions reduction measures, it seeks to integrate climate considerations into areas such as water management, biodiversity conservation, land use, public health, education, research and innovation, while recognizing that effective climate policy requires coordinated action across multiple sectors.

The draft also proposes substantially more ambitious climate targets. It retains Hungary’s objective of achieving climate neutrality by 2050 but would increase the 2030 emissions reduction target to at least 55% (net) compared to 1990 levels and introduce an additional target of at least 85% net emissions reduction by 2040. To support these objectives, the proposal introduces a system of national and sectoral carbon budgets designed to guide emissions reductions over successive planning periods based on scientific advice and economic considerations.

Beyond emissions reduction, the proposal contains a range of governance and institutional measures. It would establish new advisory and oversight bodies, including a National Climate Council, a Scientific Advisory Body and a Climate Finance Council, while requiring regular scientific review of climate policies. It also places greater emphasis on protecting natural carbon sinks and ecosystems, improving water resource management, maintaining biologically active land, and enhancing public participation in climate-related decision-making.

Both the Constitutional Court’s reasoning and the civil society draft indicate that Hungary’s future Climate Act is likely to move beyond a narrow focus on emissions reduction and establish a broader legislative framework for climate mitigation, adaptation and resilience. As a framework law, it would also provide the basis for future sector-specific legislation affecting areas such as energy, transport, construction, agriculture, manufacturing and land use.