South Korea has approved its 2035 national greenhousegas reduction goal, pledging to cut emissions by 53 to 61 per cent from 2018 levels, tightening both the upper and lower bounds of earlier drafts but drawing sharp criticism from civic groups and industry over feasibility and ambition.
Under its new nationally determined contribution (NDC), South Korea aims to lower greenhouse gas emissions to between 348.9 million and 289.5 million tonnes by 2035, from 742.3 million tonnes in 2018. The government said the higher ceiling and higher floor compared with previous drafts reflected stronger intent to decarbonise.
To meet the new goal, South Korea must cut a total of 300 to 360 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2035, roughly three to four times the total amount reduced over the past six years.
The Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth said officials adopted what they called a “selective strengthening strategy”, tightening reductions in power, transport and buildings while easing the burden on manufacturing.
The industrial sector will cut emissions by 24.3 to 31 per cent from 2018 levels, with support for hydrogen-based steelmaking and transition finance.
The power sector faces the steepest cut – 68.8 to 75.3 per cent – through renewable expansion and a “high-speed energy highway”.
Buildings must cut emissions by 53.6 to 56.2 per cent by adopting zero energy construction and electrified heating, while the transport sector targets a 60.2 to 62.8 per cent reduction using electric and hydrogen vehicles.
Specific breakdown of energy sources and demand forecasts were not disclosed; the government said a detailed road map would follow.
Backlash
Major industry groups, including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Korea Iron & Steel Association, Korea Cement Association and Korea Petroleum Association, warned that the target was “detached from reality”.
They said emission-permit costs for key sectors such as steel, refining, cement and petrochemicals could reach trillions of won, spreading “a sense of crisis that this is not carbon neutrality but industrial collapse”.
Eight industry associations told the government last week that the allocation plan for the next phase of the country’s emissions-trading scheme “applies an excessive reduction rate inconsistent with the 2030 NDC,” urging a more cautious approach since the NDC is legally linked to permit allocations.
In response, Climate Minister Kim Sung-hwan defended the decision, saying it is a path that South Korea “must take as a member of the global community”.
“The industrial sector has fallen behind in decarbonisation research and development such as hydrogen-based steelmaking over the past three years, and we have prepared plans to minimise its burden,” Kim said at a joint briefing.
Kim added that “the government has not set a specific date to end production of internal combustion cars,” but the share of new electric and hydrogen vehicles would rise to 40 per cent by 2030 and 70 per cent by 2035.
He also predicted that “by 2035 we will see a period where hybrid, electric and hydrogen cars co-exist, and by 2040 selling internal-combustion vehicles will become difficult”.
The government’s new NDC also met with backlash from civic groups.
The COP30 Civil Society Delegation said the government had “set a target in the 50-per cent range that fails to align with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) recommendations, declaring once again to the world that South Korea is a climate villain”.
It criticised Seoul’s continued annual fossil fuel subsidies of about KRW 10.5 trillion and the lack of a clear coal phase-out plan before 2040.
It also warned that companies might “buy cheap offsets in the global South instead of cutting domestic emissions, a practice bordering on deception.” Such behaviour, it said, amounted to “a climate-era form of kicking away the ladder.”
Separately, the advocacy group People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy argued the lower end of the target would become the real benchmark, saying “61 per cent or higher is the minimum acceptable level.”
It urged parliament to “reflect public and youth voices and raise the lower limit in line with international recommendations.”
“Unavoidable” goal
President Lee Jae-myung acknowledged the controversy but said transitioning to a carbon-neutral society was “an unavoidable path for sustainable growth and for Korea to become a global economic power”.
“There is controversy over the NDC these days. Some say it brings pain, but if we avoid what must be done, we will face an even greater crisis,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting on 11 November.
He urged officials to seek “a pragmatic balance between goals and means, taking into account our realities and the public’s burden,” and asked ministries to “look carefully at the difficulties faced by citizens and businesses in the energy transition.”
