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Tue, September 26, 2023 | 16:09
-------------------------
Korea to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 37% by 2030
2030 온실가스 감축목표에 산업계 반발…진통 예고
Posted : 2015-06-30 17:24
Updated : 2015-06-30 22:31
Kim Se-jeong
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By Kim Se-jeong

The government has announced it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent from the previous projected emission levels for 2030.

This means that Korea's greenhouse gas emissions will be less than 536 million tons in 2030 if the plan is implemented successfully.

The target is higher than the Park Geun-hye administration's four earlier proposals, but still lower than the reduction target set in 2009 under the Lee Myung-bak government.

"Considering Korea's stance in the International community and negative feedback on the four proposals, we decided to present a more ambitious goal," an official from the Ministry of Environment said.

The official said there has been growing pressure from environmentalists and the international community to scrap the four proposals. Young Soo-gil, the former chairman of the Committee on Green Growth under President Lee Myung-bak, also issued a statement urging the government to use accurate data to come up with a new reduction target.

In 2009, the Lee administration vowed that by 2020, Korea would reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from the business as usual (BAU) level in 2005.

Under the new plan, Korea would emit 536 million tons of greenhouse gas in 2030, 7 million tons less than the predicted 2020 level.

The plan was submitted to the United Nations, Tuesday. If adopted at the annual climate change conference in Paris this December, it will become a binding target for Korea over the next 15 years.

Acknowledging strong opposition from the business sector, the government said achieving the 37 percent goal without putting further pressure on industry was doable.

According to the plan, about 11.3 percent of projected emissions will be covered by carbon credits obtained from overseas, including North Korea. In other words, the government will run more environmental development projects overseas or purchase carbon credits directly to meet the goal. The rest will be achieved by implementing new regulations and changing laws, officials said.

Countries with greenhouse gas reduction responsibilities under the Kyoto Protocol are allowed to use credits.

Those such as Japan purchased carbon credits from open carbon markets after it emitted more than was agreed. Europe has the biggest carbon market, by size, but because of cheap carbon credits, the market is slow. Negotiations are underway to create a new carbon trade system at the Paris conference.

Environmentalists are still not satisfied with the new goal, however.

Ahn Byung-ok from the Institute for Climate Change Action, an NGO based in Seoul said, "Domestic efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can lead to technological advancement and job creation, but purchasing carbon credits will not do any good, except spend taxpayers' money."

Seok Kwang-hoon from Energy Network was also critical. "Knowing the country's fiscal condition, I don't see how the government can purchase these credits." The government did not explain how it plans to pay for the credits.


2030 온실가스 감축목표에 산업계 반발…진통 예고

'투자의지 꺾어선 안돼…제도보완·지원 뒷받침돼야'

정부가 30일 확정 발표한 2030년 온실가스 감축 목표에 산업계가 강하게 반발하고 나섰다.

정부는 감축 목표를 확정하면서 업계의 부담을 완화하기 위한 별도 가이드라인과 지원책, 원전 추가 건설 등을 대책으로 제시했으나 업계의 불만은 쉽게 해소되지 않을 분위기다.

전국경제인연합회 등 30개 경제단체와 발전ㆍ에너지업종 38개사는 이날 공식 성명을 통해 '정부가 국가 경제와 직결된 온실가스 감축 목표를 정하면서 국민 부담이나 산업 현장의 현실보다 국제 여론만 의식했다'고 지적하며 강한 유감을 표명했다.

특히 '정부의 과도한 감축목표가 우리 경제 발목을 잡는 암 덩어리 규제가 될 것'이라고 강도높게 비판했다.

정부가 대책으로 제시한 원전 추가 건설과 신재생에너지 확대 등에 대해서도 조목조목 반박했다.

환경단체 등의 반대가 극심한 상황에서 원전 비중을 늘려 산업계 온실가스 감축 부담을 덜어주겠다는 것은 현실적인 대안이 될 수 없다는 것이다. 신재생에너지도 비용 부담이 커 결국 서민경제와 영세 중소기업에 부담을 지우게 될 것이라는 지적이다.

성명서에는 전경련과 중소기업중앙회, 무역협회, 경영자총협회, 중견기업연합회 등 주요 경제단체 외에 기계산업진흥회, 디스플레이산업협회, 반도체산업협회, 비철금속협회, 철강협회 등 업종 단체들이 거의 망라됐다.

이들 단체와 기업은 정부에 2030년 온실가스 감축목표를 재검토하고 현재 추진 중인 1차 계획기간 중 배출권도 재할당할 것을 촉구했다.

정부는 이날 온실가스를 2030년 배출전망치(BAU)보다 37% 감축하는 것을 골자로 한 온실가스 감축목표를 국무회의에서 확정했다.

이는 앞서 지난 11일 정부가 내놨던 14.7%, 19.2%, 25.7%, 31.3% 등 4가지 감축 시나리오에 비해 감축목표가 대폭 상향조정한 것으로 국제 사회의 비판을 의식한 것으로 풀이된다. 당시 산업계는 14.7%를 줄이는 1안에 대해서도 부담이 된다며 반발했었다.

산업 현장 일선에서도 우려의 목소리가 커지고 있다.

건설사 관계자는 '온실가스 감축 기술을 아파트나 공동주택, 공공건축물에 일괄적으로 적용하는 데는 가격 경쟁력 하락 등 현실적인 어려움이 있다'며 '기술개발 노력과 함께 제도적인 보완이 뒷받침돼야 한다'고 주장했다.

철강업계 한 관계자는 '정부의 온실가스 감축목표가 기업의 투자 의지를 꺾어서는 안된다'며 '기업이 감내할 수 있는 합리적인 수준에서 논의되고 결정돼야 한다'고 말했다.

철강업계는 최근 업황 악화가 심각해 올 초부터 시행된 온실가스 배출 규제가 이중고로 작용하고 있다.

일각에서는 기업 경쟁력 유지를 위해 온실가스 감축 기술 연구개발(R&D)에 대한 지원을 대폭 확대하고 탄소관세를 도입하는 등 보완 조치를 고려해야 있다는 주문도 나온다.

탄소관세는 탄소 관련 규제가 상대적으로 약한 국가들로부터 수입되는 제품들에 대해 탄소 비용 차이를 관세로 부과하는 것이다.

석유협회 관계자는 '국내 정유업체들의 에너지 효율은 세계 최고 수준에 올라와 있어 더이상 온실감스를 감축할 여지가 없다'며 '정부 확정안으로 인해 앞으로 더 힘들어질 것으로 보인다'고 말했다.

무역협회 관계자는 '국가 위상은 경제력이 좌우하는데 온실가스 감축 목표가 국가 경제의 피해를 초래하는 수준이 되어서는 안된다'며 '국민과 산업계가 최선을 다하면 감내할 수 있는 수준이어야 한다'고 했다. (연합뉴스)
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