The 2nd Term Carbon Neutrality Committee Launched... "2035 NDC to be Submitted by September"

The government announced that it will submit the ‘2035 National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target (NDC)’ to the United Nations by September.

The Presidential Committee on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth 2050 (hereinafter referred to as the CNGG Committee) held the inauguration ceremony and a plenary meeting of its second term on the 24th at the government complex in Jongno-gu, Seoul, chaired by Choi Sang-mok, Acting Prime Minister and Acting Minister of Economy and Finance. The CNGG Committee began its first activities in 2022 under the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, and the second-term committee was newly launched from this day.

At the meeting, the CNGG Committee disclosed the discussion process of the NDC. The NDC is a national greenhouse gas reduction target to prevent global warming. Korea plans to reduce its national greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2018. However, since the NDC must be strengthened every five years under the Paris Agreement, a new target for 2035 must be set.

The government explained that from March last year to last month, a technical working group composed of experts recommended by related ministries held over 100 discussions to derive reduction scenarios. From this month, the government is preparing a draft through an inter-ministerial consultative body, and once completed, it plans to collect opinions from industry, civil society, labor, and future generations. After social public deliberation, the final plan will be confirmed through the CNGG Committee’s review and officially submitted to the UN in September.

Adaptation measures in response to the reality of the climate crisis will also be established. This year, the government will jointly establish the ‘4th National Climate Crisis Adaptation Plan’ with related ministries and prepare broad adaptation measures covering all sectors of society. The vision is set as ‘Realizing a Leading Climate Adaptation Nation that Protects the Daily Lives of the People.’ It is expected to include measures to mitigate price volatility of agricultural and fishery products caused by the climate crisis and develop climate insurance products for vulnerable groups.

The second-term CNGG Committee’s promotion strategies were selected as four key areas: presenting a national mid- to long-term vision, making policy task outcomes visible, strengthening collaboration, communication, and participation, and reinforcing the control tower function. Core policy tasks include carbon neutrality through science and technology, accelerating energy transition, and revitalizing the climate tech industry.

Meanwhile, the second-term committee recruited experts related to future new technologies such as Carbon-Free Energy (CFE), hydrogen, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The proportion of female members increased from 21% to 39%, and the proportion of youth members also expanded from 3% to 8%.