South Korea’s Greenhouse Inventory and Research Center, a unit of the Ministry of Environment, has unveiled the country’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for 2023, which are estimated at 624.2 MtCO2eq, a 4.4% decrease compared to 2022 (642.8 MtCO2eq). These emissions translate to 12 t/CO2eq/capita in 2023.
The tentative 2023 emissions fall below the reduction target of 633.9 MtCO2eq set in South Korea’s carbon neutrality and green growth framework plan for 2023-2042. The reduction is attributed mainly to an economic slowdown, with a 7.6% drop recorded in the energy generation sector, which accounts for around 30% of total emissions (higher renewable and nuclear power generation significantly reducing gas- and coal-fired power generation).
The second-most decrease (-7%) was registered in the building sector, as winter gas use for heating declined due to higher temperatures. The industrial sector, which represents around 38% of total emissions, also saw a 3% decline in 2023 amid the slowdown.