Korea Expected to See Rise in Greenhouse Gas Emission
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Despite international efforts to slow down global warming by lessening greenhouse gas emissions, Korea could see an increase should it not come up with appropriate measures, a state-run think tank said Sunday.
The Korea Energy Economics Institute estimated gas emission will increase by 2.2 percent every year and eventually mark up to 137.7 percent of that of 2005 emission in 2020.
Among the emitted greenhouse gases, the portion of carbon dioxide and methane will drop from 88.6 percent to 87.9 percent and from 4 percent to 3.1 percent, each. However, the portion of nitrous oxide will go up.
The increase on the whole may be due to newly constructed iron mills and growth in the oil chemistry industry, but the dwindling agricultural industry will reduce methane emission, the institute said.
The research team said the government must come up with appropriate measures since many parts of the world are seeking regulations on gas emissions. Already, there are concerned voices rising that Korea may be obliged to cut down the gas emission from 2012 as a part of post-Kyoto Protocol measures.
``Korea still needs economic development without barriers and setting out an effective plan to deal with the much-expected regulation will be the key to the country's survival in the post-2012 era,'' a researcher said.
According to the government, Korea emitted 591 million tons of carbon dioxide gas in 2005, which takes ninth place in the world.
The Bally Roadmap adopted in 2007, urges all developed and developing countries to cut off greenhouse gas emissions from 2012. However, thanks to some countries opposing a 20 to 45 percent reduction rate, the amount of gas cut and the starting point of the reduction has yet to be decided.
Environment Minister Lee Kyu-yong urged for more preparation time at the convention. The ministry has also established a task force to deal the matter, but has yet to come up with a clear idea.