South Korea's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Decrease, But Net Rise Due to Wildfire

South Korea’s total greenhouse gas emissions last year provisionally decreased by 0.9% compared to the previous year. The decline was attributed to a “recession-driven reduction” influenced by sluggish performance in high-carbon industries such as steel, petrochemicals, and cement. Meanwhile, a large-scale wildfire in Gyeongbuk Province caused a sharp decline in forest carbon absorption, leading to an increase in net emissions.

According to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment on the 20th, the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions last year amounted to 685.71 million tons, a decrease of 6.1 million tons (0.9%) from the previous year. Emissions decreased in the industrial, transportation, agriculture·fisheries·livestock, and waste sectors, while they increased in the power and building sectors.

Industrial sector emissions amounted to 242.93 million tons, a 2.1% decrease from the previous year. This was due to a 2.2% reduction in steel production, a 2.3% decrease in petrochemical base oil production, and a 12.8% drop in cement shipments, influenced by a construction slump and worsening exports. The decline in greenhouse gas emissions was not only due to companies’ transition to low-carbon practices but also reduced production in key industries affected by economic downturns.

Transportation sector emissions decreased by 2.9% to 94.59 million tons. The number of registered diesel vehicles fell from 9.1 million to 8.6 million, while electric and hydrogen vehicles increased from 722,000 to 944,000, leading to a 6.1% reduction in diesel consumption. Emissions in the agriculture·fisheries·livestock and waste sectors also decreased by 3.1% and 1.8%, respectively.

In contrast, power sector emissions increased by 0.2% to 220.43 million tons. Although renewable energy generation rose by 8.5%, nuclear power generation decreased by 2.2% due to increased shutdown days for maintenance, while coal power generation increased by 2.2%. Building sector emissions also rose by 3.3% to 45 million tons, driven by increased heating demand as temperatures last year were lower than the previous year.

Net emissions, which account for greenhouse gas absorption by forests and land, increased by 3.1 million tons (0.5%) to 654.7 million tons compared to the previous year. This was due to a 22.8% decrease in absorption by the forest and land sector, as the March wildfire in Gyeongbuk emitted 83 million tons of greenhouse gases. While direct emissions from factories and vehicles decreased, the actual emissions considering forest absorption capacity increased.

Last year’s total emissions were 84 million tons (11.4%) lower than in 2018, the base year for national greenhouse gas reduction targets. However, to achieve the 2030 national reduction target, an additional 149 million tons must be cut over the next five years. This means reducing approximately 1.8 times the amount cut over the past seven years within the next five years.