US EditionSouth Korea pledges to phase out coal plants at COP30
South Korea commits to closing 40 of its 61 coal-fired plants by 2040, aiming to reduce emissions by up to 61% from 2018 levels as part of its clean energy transition.
- On Nov. 17, South Korea announced at COP30 in Belém that it joined the Powering Past Coal Alliance and committed to close 40 coal-fired power plants by 2040.
- Seoul's climate agenda cites targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 53–61% from 2018 levels by 2035, building on its 2020 pledge and joining the PPCA to halt new unabated coal plants.
- Climate Minister Kim Sung-hwan said South Korea's fleet of 62 coal-fired plants supplies about a third of its electricity and joined about 60 countries in the PPCA, emphasizing benefits for energy security and jobs.
- Experts say Australia and Indonesia, as exporters, face a 'rude shock' with closure dates for remaining 21 coal plants determined based on feasibility, with a roadmap in 2026.
- Officials say the transition will create thousands of jobs in the industries of the future, while South Korea becomes only the second government in Asia to join PPCA after Singapore and renewable energy overtook coal in the first half of 2025.
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On the 17th, South Korea, which has relied on coal-fired power plants for electricity for many years, joined the "Coal Free Alliance," a group of countries and regions aiming to phase out coal-fired power plants. The country has reportedly decided to stop new construction and to decommission two-thirds of its existing coal-fired power plants, or 40 units, by 2040.
Daily Journal
South Korea pledges to phase out coal plants at COP30
South Korea pledged Monday to phase out coal power plants that lack emission-reducing measures, an ambitious step for a country that generates a third of its electricity from the fossil fuel.
The country has the seventh largest park in the world with 61 plants in operation. It announces this Monday the phase-out of 40 of them by 2040, then the remaining 21 according to a schedule to be determined.
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