Korea Officially Joins International Coal Phase-Out Alliance... Kim Seonghwan: "Responding to the Climate Crisis Is a Shared Task for Humanity"

The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment announced on the 18th that, at the 30th Conference of the Parties (COP30) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change being held in Bel?m, Brazil, it presented the nation's 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for greenhouse gas reduction to the international community and declared its accession to the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA), an international coalition for coal phase-out.

Minister of Climate Kim Seonghwan officially stated at a high-level meeting held in Brazil that Korea's 2035 NDC is set to reduce emissions by 53-61% compared to 2018 levels. This measure clarifies the country's medium- and long-term targets for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and demonstrates the government's commitment to accelerating decarbonization and green transition policies.

At the event, the government emphasized that "a response based on multilateralism is essential amid the current global polycrisis," and called on the international community to put into practice the spirit of global 'Mutirang'-meaning 'joint cooperation' in a Brazilian indigenous language.

On the 8th, when the morning temperature dropped to around minus 10 degrees Celsius, steam was emitted from the chimney of the Shin-Incheon Combined Heat and Power Plant in Seo-gu, Incheon, due to increased electricity usage. Photo by Kang Jinhyung aymsdream@

Previously, on the 17th (local time), the government announced its participation in the PPCA, an international cooperation framework for the phased abolition of coal-fired power generation. The PPCA serves as a collaborative platform providing policy exchange and technical support, with over 180 governments, local authorities, and companies worldwide participating. In Korea, eight local governments, including Chungnam Province and Gyeonggi Province, have already joined.

Also, on the morning of the same day, the government hosted the 'Climate and Clean Energy Transition Forum' attended by ministers from major countries and international organizations, sharing a policy vision for decarbonization centered on renewable energy. The forum was organized as a follow-up discussion to accelerate the implementation of the COP28 agreement to triple global renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency. Officials from major countries such as Australia, Portugal, and Denmark participated and shared their policy cases.

Minister Kim stated, "Responding to the climate crisis is a common task for all humanity, and Korea will strive to become a leading nation in decarbonized green civilization by cooperating with the international community."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.