South Korea Reduced Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2014

The Office for Government Policy Coordination of South Korea announced on November 24 that South Korea’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased for the first time in 18 years in 2014. Specifically, the amount fell by approximately six million tons to 690 million CO2 equivalent tons between 2013 and 2014. For reference, the amount totaled 656 million CO2 equivalent tons in 2010, 682 million CO2 equivalent tons in 2011, 687 million CO2 equivalent tons in 2012 and 696 CO2 equivalent tons in 2013.

The recent decrease can be attributed to an increase in the use of nuclear power plants, which resulted in a decrease in the use of thermal power generation. In 2014, the latter showed a year-on-year decline of 6.9%.

The greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 0.6 million CO2 equivalent tons and 0.5 million CO2 equivalent tons in the agricultural sector and the waste treatment industry, respectively. Meanwhile, the field of industrial process recorded an increase of 2.6 million CO2 equivalent tons due to an increase in steel product production.

Carbon dioxide accounted for 91.1% of the total emissions, followed by methane (3.9%), nitrous oxide (2.2%), sulfur hexafluoride (1.4%), etc. 94% of the carbon dioxide resulted from fuel combustion while cement production and waste incineration took up 4% and 1%, respectively. Waste landfills, rice cultivation and fuel combustion represented 28%, 26% and 22% of the methane.