By Robert D. Atkinson
The U.N. climate conference going on in Glasgow is focusing on whether national governments are willing to ramp up their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Moon Jae-in recently announced a commitment for Korea to cut its greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2030.
But, as we all know, talk is cheap. Doing is hard. To turn promises into realities that succeed in averting climate harm, governments must dramatically accelerate emissions-reducing innovation.
The reason is simple: Unless clean energy is as cheap and reliable as dirty energy, even the most committed country will likely not meet its aspirational targets because of citizen opposition.
So far, too few nations have taken this innovation challenge seriously. South Korea is just starting to get serious. Over the past five years, it improved its standing by eight places among the 34 nations ranked for their contributions to the global system in the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's Global Energy Innovation Index, a study that includes 20 indicators, including government funding of clean energy R&D and clean energy patents and consumption.
But while that rise is admirable, South Korea still trails 13 other nations. "We're number 14" is nothing to cheer about.
Climate campaigners frequently dismiss innovation. Transforming the world's energy system, not to mention its factories and farms, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is a matter of political will, they say: Scare people enough about what might happen, and they will act.
This view couldn't be more misguided. For most people, most of the time, the climate threat is abstract. Top-of-mind solutions, like turning down the heat or taking the bus to work, can impose personal hardships ― and the practical reality is they can't succeed unless everyone in the world adopts them, which won't happen. Even scary events like floods in Germany and fires in California won't cut through that logic.
Concrete opportunities are more likely to move people than abstract fears. The most exciting developments in climate policy today flow from new technologies and business models that unlock improved goods and services.
Progress in renewables is making clean power more affordable. Advanced electric vehicles may provide satisfying and potentially more affordable transport options, especially if batteries improve. In short, the political will for cutting emissions is vastly easier to generate when climate solutions make life better and cheaper, not worse and more expensive.
To be sure, a significant share (84 percent) of South Koreans report that they would be willing to make some or a lot of changes to help with climate change.
But without specific actions asked of them, it's easy for people to say that. How many Koreans would be willing to pay 20 percent more for electricity? How many would be willing to drive 50 percent less? Probably not 84 percent.
Low-cost solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions don't appear magically. They require investment and only governments can mobilize such resources, whether directly through their own efforts or indirectly by shaping incentives for business, finance, academia, and other sectors.
South Korea does very well driving energy innovation in some respects. South Korea ranks fifth in a set of indicators related to clean energy innovation, including ranking first in high-value clean energy patents. South Korea's regulatory and carbon pricing policies, which help pull innovative clean energy technologies into the market, also win high marks in our index.
But on other indicators, the news is not as good. In clean energy entrepreneurship and market readiness, for instance, South Korea ranks in the bottom half of the 34 countries, and it is second-to-last in international collaborations that advance clean energy science and technology.
South Korea's progress since 2015 is heartening, and its path to further improve its position is clear. This is true for almost all governments.
Sadly, the 34 national governments covered in the index have essentially kept their investments in clean energy research and development flat as a share of their economies over the past five years. In fact, the South Korean government actually cut its investment in clean energy R&D as a share of GDP from 2015 to 2020.
As the world's attention focuses on Glasgow, it needs to hear more than fine aspirations. Detailed actions backed with real resources that yield game-changing climate innovations are what we will be looking for.
Robert D. Atkinson (@RobAtkinsonITIF) is president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), an independent, nonpartisan research and educational institute focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and public policy. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.
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But, as we all know, talk is cheap. Doing is hard. To turn promises into realities that succeed in averting climate harm, governments must dramatically accelerate emissions-reducing innovation.
The reason is simple: Unless clean energy is as cheap and reliable as dirty energy, even the most committed country will likely not meet its aspirational targets because of citizen opposition.
So far, too few nations have taken this innovation challenge seriously. South Korea is just starting to get serious. Over the past five years, it improved its standing by eight places among the 34 nations ranked for their contributions to the global system in the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation's Global Energy Innovation Index, a study that includes 20 indicators, including government funding of clean energy R&D and clean energy patents and consumption.
But while that rise is admirable, South Korea still trails 13 other nations. "We're number 14" is nothing to cheer about.
Climate campaigners frequently dismiss innovation. Transforming the world's energy system, not to mention its factories and farms, in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is a matter of political will, they say: Scare people enough about what might happen, and they will act.
This view couldn't be more misguided. For most people, most of the time, the climate threat is abstract. Top-of-mind solutions, like turning down the heat or taking the bus to work, can impose personal hardships ― and the practical reality is they can't succeed unless everyone in the world adopts them, which won't happen. Even scary events like floods in Germany and fires in California won't cut through that logic.
Concrete opportunities are more likely to move people than abstract fears. The most exciting developments in climate policy today flow from new technologies and business models that unlock improved goods and services.
Progress in renewables is making clean power more affordable. Advanced electric vehicles may provide satisfying and potentially more affordable transport options, especially if batteries improve. In short, the political will for cutting emissions is vastly easier to generate when climate solutions make life better and cheaper, not worse and more expensive.
To be sure, a significant share (84 percent) of South Koreans report that they would be willing to make some or a lot of changes to help with climate change.
But without specific actions asked of them, it's easy for people to say that. How many Koreans would be willing to pay 20 percent more for electricity? How many would be willing to drive 50 percent less? Probably not 84 percent.
Low-cost solutions that reduce greenhouse gas emissions don't appear magically. They require investment and only governments can mobilize such resources, whether directly through their own efforts or indirectly by shaping incentives for business, finance, academia, and other sectors.
South Korea does very well driving energy innovation in some respects. South Korea ranks fifth in a set of indicators related to clean energy innovation, including ranking first in high-value clean energy patents. South Korea's regulatory and carbon pricing policies, which help pull innovative clean energy technologies into the market, also win high marks in our index.
But on other indicators, the news is not as good. In clean energy entrepreneurship and market readiness, for instance, South Korea ranks in the bottom half of the 34 countries, and it is second-to-last in international collaborations that advance clean energy science and technology.
South Korea's progress since 2015 is heartening, and its path to further improve its position is clear. This is true for almost all governments.
Sadly, the 34 national governments covered in the index have essentially kept their investments in clean energy research and development flat as a share of their economies over the past five years. In fact, the South Korean government actually cut its investment in clean energy R&D as a share of GDP from 2015 to 2020.
As the world's attention focuses on Glasgow, it needs to hear more than fine aspirations. Detailed actions backed with real resources that yield game-changing climate innovations are what we will be looking for.
Robert D. Atkinson (@RobAtkinsonITIF) is president of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF), an independent, nonpartisan research and educational institute focusing on the intersection of technological innovation and public policy. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.
