South Korea greenhouse gas reduction targets show regional disparities

South Korea's 2025 greenhouse gas net emissions reached 590.9 million tons, exceeding the annual reduction target by 4.3%. However, the reduction rate has slowed to 1.3% year-on-year, marking a three-year downward trend in mitigation momentum.

Data from the Green Transition Research Institute reveals significant disparities in performance among local governments. While Jeonbuk exceeded its target by 135.6%, Daejeon achieved only 40.7%. Municipalities with dedicated administrative systems, such as carbon neutrality support centers and climate-responsive budgeting, showed up to 139.8% higher reduction rates than those without, despite the fact that such systems are currently implemented in only a small fraction of local authorities.

Sectoral analysis shows that while the transition, industrial, building, and sink sectors met their targets, the transport, agriculture/livestock, and waste sectors fell short. Industrial reductions were largely attributed to decreased production in high-emission sectors like steel due to economic slowdowns, rather than structural shifts. Additionally, the distribution of zero-emission vehicles like electric and hydrogen cars has lagged behind planned targets.