To achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal, the relevant ministries and the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Committee proposed an increase in the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).
This NDC upgrade plan is to convert to the goal of ‘reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% compared to 2018 by 2030’, which is significantly higher than before, and calculates the amount of reduction by sector, such as industry, buildings, transportation, livestock and fisheries, and waste.
Since the establishment of the 2030 NDC for the first time in June 2015, partial revisions have been made, such as adjusting the reduction ratio at home and abroad and changing the target setting method (reduction from the expected emission in 2030 → reduction compared to the emission in 2017), but this is the first time for a major target increase am.
This is a follow-up measure following the 2050 Carbon Neutral Declaration, and the reduction target was set in consideration of the recent legislative purpose of the ‘Carbon Neutral Green Growth Framework Act’ and international trends.
In addition, considering the annual reduction rate from the base year to 2030, the 40% reduction target compared to 2018 is very challenging, which seems to reflect the government’s strong policy will.
To raise the NDC, the government maximized its efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in all sectors, such as conversion, industry, buildings, transportation, and agricultural and fishery, and applied both domestic and foreign reduction measures, but preferentially applied domestic measures.
Reduction measures such as reduction of coal power generation, expansion of new and renewable energy, energy efficiency through technology development and innovation, and conversion of fuels and raw materials were applied to the conversion and industrial sector with the highest proportion of greenhouse gas emissions. In the conversion sector, the reduction rate was raised from 28.5% to 44.4%, and in the industrial sector, the reduction rate was raised from 6.4% to 14.5%.
△In the building sector (32.8%), improve energy efficiency and expand the use of clean energy △In the transportation sector (37.8%), supply pollution-free vehicles and strengthen traffic demand management △In the agricultural and fishery sector (25.9%), expand the low-carbon agriculture and fishery industry △Waste sector (46.8%) ) applied reduction measures such as waste reduction and recycling expansion and bioplastic replacement.
In addition, as a means to increase the amount of greenhouse gas absorption and removal, enhancement of forest sustainability, securing new carbon sinks such as urban forests, coastal wetlands and tidal flats, and spreading of carbon capture, storage and utilization technology (CCUS) were applied.
The government and related ministries and the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Committee held an online discussion forum on the proposal to raise the NDC on October 8 and collected opinions from various fields. In the future, the NDC upgrade plan will be deliberated and decided at the 2050 Carbon Neutrality Committee plenary meeting, and the final decision will be made through the resolution of the State Council.
Meanwhile, the government plans to announce Korea’s NDC upgrade plan to the international community at the 26th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP 26) planned in November and submit it to the UN in December.
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