Can South Korea achieve net-zero emissions?

Right now, no power plants in South Korea are fitted with carbon capture technology. A multi-trillion-dollar opportunity The journey to net-zero emissions hinges on $2.7 trillion of investment and spending between now and 2050 to decarbonize South Korea’s energy system, 37% higher than in an economics-led transition.

Will South Korea's energy transition be economics-driven?

Should the country’s energy transition proceed along an economics-driven trajectory – what BNEF calls its Economic Transition Scenario – there would only be an 18% decline over this period. “South Korea still has a chance to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target,” said David Kang, BNEF’s Head of Japan and Korea Research.

What is South Korea's biggest source of emissions?

The power sector is the country’s biggest source of emissions. Based on the findings of New Energy Outlook: South Korea, in order to be on track with a net-zero-by-2050 pathway, emissions from electricity generation need to drop by more than two-thirds by the end of this decade.

How much did South Korea invest in the energy transition?

South Korea’s investment in the energy transition came in at $25 billion last year. A clear and consistent policy framework is necessary to boost investor confidence and match the spending needs of a net-zero future.