SEOUL — Greenpeace welcomed South Korea’s decision to join the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) at COP30, including its commitment to retire 40 of 61 coal power units by 2040 [1]. As the world’s fourth-largest coal importer and the second Asian country to join the PPCA, South Korea has significant potential to demonstrate climate leadership in the Asia–Pacific region.

However, Greenpeace stresses that this leadership cannot be realized without meeting three essential criteria for 1.5°C alignment:

1. Bring forward the 2040 coal phase-out date: The current 2040 target is critically misaligned with the PPCA guidance for OECD countries, which calls for a phase-out by no later than 2030, and to achieve the 2035 NDC upper limit of 61% GHG reduction compared to the 2018 level requires a 2035 coal phase-out.. Strengthening the domestic goal is essential for international credibility.

2. Ending all overseas coal financing: South Korea must immediately cease all remaining public and private overseas coal financing and take decisive action to withdraw from or shut down funding for all existing and yet-to-be-completed overseas coal power projects.

3. Establishing a clear, enforceable roadmap without gas expansion: Greenpeace urges the government to swiftly implement a comprehensive policy package, including a clear and enforceable roadmap, stronger regulations, and just transition measures for affected regions and workers. Crucially, this transition must avoid replacing coal with large-scale expansions of gas infrastructure, which risks creating stranded assets and locking in future emissions.

Insung Lee, Climate & Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace East Asia’s Seoul Office, said:

“While we welcome the government’s decision to join the PPCA with a 2040 coal phase-out commitment, for this commitment to be meaningful, the 2040 coal phase-out must not become ‘greenwashing’ that simply leads to an expansion of fossil gas power.

“The 12th Basic Plan for Electricity must reduce the 69.2GW gas power capacity planned by 2038 in the 11th Basic Plan, and the plan to convert 14.1GW of retired coal plants to LNG must also be replaced with renewable energy.”

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Notes:

[1] Power Past Coal Alliance: Republic of Korea and Bahrain join the Powering Past Coal Alliance at COP30

Media Contacts:

Yujie Xue, International Communications Officer, Greenpeace East Asia (Hong Kong), +852 5127 3416, [email protected]

Emma Kim, Communications Officer, Greenpeace South Korea, +82 10 8967 1909, [email protected]