The Carbon Brief Profile: South Korea

(CarbonBrief, 6 Apr 2020) As part of its series on how key emitters are responding to climate change, Carbon Brief looks at South Korea’s attempts to balance its high-emitting industries with its “green” aspirations.

South Korean governments have championed the concept of “green growth” as a way of building the nation’s economy while also benefiting the environment.

However, the reality is that the nation’s economic success over the past few decades has been driven primarily by energy-intensive industries, which in turn are fuelled largely by coal.

Nuclear is the only significant low-carbon energy source in South Korea, with renewables barely making a dent in its power supply.

As the country heads into an election amid the on-going coronavirus pandemic, mounting pressure has seen the ruling party propose the region’s first net-zero emissions target in its manifesto.

External link

CarbonBrief, 6 Apr 2020: The Carbon Brief Profile: South Korea