November 7, 2025
SEOUL – The South Korean government on Thursday unveiled its proposal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2035 to at least 50 percent below 2018 levels, according to the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.
The new target, however, quickly drew criticism from both sides: Environmental groups argue it falls short of meeting global climate goals, while industry representatives claim it is unrealistic. The government is likely to face backlash for failing to either strike a responsible balance or build strong social consensus on the issue.
At a public hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, the Climate Ministry presented two candidate targets, officially known as the 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution.
According to the ministry, the first option proposes that the country reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by between 50 and 60 percent, while the second option calls for a slightly more ambitious goal of reducing emissions by between 53 percent and 60 percent by 2035.
After being reviewed by the Cabinet and the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth as early as next week, one of the proposals will be submitted to the United Nations.
However, the move has been criticized for failing to address the sharp, ongoing division between advocacy groups and industry.
Environmental organizations have long urged the government to set a minimum 61 percent reduction limit, in line with what the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has recommended for Korea to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Korean Federation for Environmental Movements, which has advocated for a 65 percent cut in line with science-based goals, criticized the government’s recent proposal as a “constitutional violation,” citing a 2023 Constitutional Court ruling that Korea’s climate pledges must align with scientific and international standards and must not place an undue burden on future generations.
Business representatives, particularly from manufacturing and energy-intensive sectors, have argued in the past that it would be difficult to achieve even a 48 percent target, which was the lowest of four minimum reduction targets proposed by the government in its sixth round of public forums. The other minimum reduction targets proposed at that time were 53 percent, 61 percent and 65 percent.
Following Thursday’s public hearing, business coalitions responded by releasing a joint statement urging the government to clarify how each sector is expected to cut emissions and to offer concrete tools and methods, not just targets.
The government’s decision to present its NDC as a range, rather than a fixed figure, has also fueled criticism. Environmental activists have warned that the lower end of the range will serve as the “de facto target,” undermining the NDC’s binding force and weakening accountability.
A Climate Ministry official told the press that the target proposals were given as ranges “to consider various uncertainties and to seek balance amid conflicting views from industries and civil society,” and that Korea is not alone in proposing a target range, as the US, EU, Canada and Australia also recently submitted their targets as ranges.
Meanwhile, government estimates show that a 50 percent reduction would require emissions to fall to 371.2 million metric tons by 2035, while a 60 percent cut would mean reducing emissions to 296.9 million tons — a significant drop from the estimated 691.6 million tons emitted in 2023.
South Korea’s current pledge, finalized under the Moon Jae-in administration in 2021, vowed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent from 2018 levels.