President Moon Jae-in has announced South Korea will commit to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, turning an election promise into a policy pledge.  

“Together with the international community, we will actively respond to climate change and aim for carbon neutrality by 2050,” he said in a speech to parliament on Wednesday — reaffirming plans for a Green New Deal that voters overwhelmingly backed in April. 

“By replacing coal power generation with renewable energy, we will create new markets and industries and create jobs,” he said. 

Moon’s announcement came two days after Japan committed to the 2050 net zero target and said it would rethink its reliance on coal. Last month, China stunned the world when it pledged to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. 

“The recent announcements from Japan and China have definitely put pressure on Korea to announce a target year for carbon neutrality,” Joojin Kim, managing director of South Korean campaign group Solutions For Our Climate, told Climate Home News. 

Guest post from Climate Home News