Solutions for Our Climate, Climate Transparency and the German Embassy in Seoul hold an online event on 27 January 2021:

“Beyond Coal – Towards Net-Zero Emissions:
South Korea and Germany Share Experiences”

South Korea and Germany face similar challenges when it comes to the transformation of their energy systems. Both countries have pledged to become carbon-neutral by 2050, which will require an ambitious coal phase-out and fast-paced growth in renewables and other low-carbon technologies. In both, hydrogen is seen to be a critical component in their future energy systems.

In the wake of President Moon Jae-in’s pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 on 28 October 2020, the South Korean government plans to enhance its 2030 climate target and to develop carbon neutrality strategies for different sectors in 2021. This is catalyzing a national debate on when to exit coal and how to manage a just transition. In November 2020, the National Council on Climate and Air Quality (NCCA) recommended that South Korea should exit coal before 2045 and possibly before 2040 in order to achieve the net-zero emissions target by 2050.

Germany has also committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and has already made some progress on coal phase out plans. Germany reached a consensus to phase out coal by 2038 (at the latest) in 2019, following extensive negotiations with representatives from mining regions, business and industry, trade unions, the federal parliament, civil society, and academia. This decision was put into law in June 2020. The country also published a national hydrogen strategy focusing on green hydrogen in 2020.

This online event brought together high-level government representatives, business, think tanks, and NGOs from South Korea, Germany, and other countries to discuss:

  • What does a net-zero emissions pledge mean for the power sector?
  • What role can green hydrogen play to accelerate the energy transition?
  • How can we collaborate in our common aim to decarbonize the power sector?
Download the agenda and event presentations
Download the "12 insights to move beyond coal towards net-zero"

Event gallery (© Solutions for Our Climate)

Media coverage:

“The Carbon Neutral Committee will prepare a compensation plan for the coal de-coal roadmap and promote reorganization ahead of time”

“Germany puts large-scale financial commitments on coal phase-out. We need to prepare for social costs such as job reduction”

“Serious economic damage caused by the climate crisis last year… Coal phase-out is not an option, it is an essential task”

“In order to become carbon neutral, the coal phase-out needs to accelerate”