Renewable Energy Industry of Gyeonggi-do, Korea

Gyeonggi-do Energy Center works on to follow up on Energy Vision 2030 plan. Renewable energy industry of Korea is led by Gyeonggi-do.

Our fast-growing and advanced lifestyles can’t exist without energy. However, our increasing dependence on energy is a major contributor to the global emission of greenhouse gasses. We are experiencing warmer global temperatures, warmer oceans, and shrinking ice sheets, as well as other drastic environmental changes. Now, the world is craving next-generation energy resources to battle looming climate change.

The Republic of Korea, a technologically advanced country with few energy resources, is the 8th biggest primary energy consumer in the world. The country's reliance on primary energy sources has caused a dependency on imported energy, resulting in supply and demand issues and a decrease in air quality. To adress these issues, as well as concerns over climate change, the Korean Government has made renewable energy its top energy policy priority. 

Accordingly, Gyeonggi Province has stepped up and taken the initiative by expanding its renewable energy programs in line with Korea's renewable energy policies. The investment in renewable energy industry will improve public health and quality of life while also contributing to economic growth. 
▶Mega project for renewable energy : Gyeonggi Energy Vision 2030

Climate change has been an ongoing concern 

A Brief History of Climate Change and the Importance of Renewable Energy

“People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction…" These passionate words, spoken by 16-years-old Greta Thunberg at U.N.'s Climate Action Summit in 2019, resonated with public sentiment and went viral last year. 
She speaks for a generation that has been watching global society take backward steps due to unexpected changes in political spheres. For decades, scientists have been constantly warning us about the imminent threats to climate, yet some groups have turned a blind eye on tangible evidence and are in complete denial. There is little that people can do on an individual basis since greenhouse gas emissions can only be reduced through massive infrastructural change. 
Concern about human impact on the climate is not recent; the idea that our actions can influence weather goes as far back as ancient Greece. The greenhouse effect was first described in the 1820s, and by 1960s the scientists had predicted the warming effect that a sharp rise in CO2 levels could have on the planet.
There has been a number of conferences, treaties, and agreements since the 1970s regarding this matter. However, widespread concern about global warming coalesced in the 1980s when the world saw a sharp increase in temperatures. 
Since then, climate change has been a constant concern, one that is seen as a threat to humankind and the other living species. This might be the biggest problem our generation has to face in the coming decades.   

Kyoto Protocol & Paris Climate Agreement

The Kyoto Protocol and Paris Climate Agreement are two major binding steps aimed at limiting global greenhouse gas emissions. 
In 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was adopted to commit the signatory nations to controlling their emissions. Each country agreed on an individual target that they would try to achieve in a set amount of time. As the industrialized nations have had a bigger impact on the climate, the agreement demanded a bigger commitment on their end. 

Plenary session of the COP21 for the adoption of the Paris Accord

The Paris Agreement was the next ambitious step to bring all nations together and unite them in the battle against climate change. The central goal of the Paris Agreement was to limit the global temperature rise within this century to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The agreement called for transparency about emission reports and also included plans to help various countries deal with the climate change impact.
The Republic of Korea has demonstrated its commitment to fighting climate change by entering both agreements. The Kyoto Protocol was signed in 1998 and ratified in 2002. While the Paris Agreement was signed in 2016 and ratified in 2016. Currently, the country plans to increase its energy production portion from renewable sources to 35% BY 2040.

Renewable energy is essential in order to meet the climate goals

Importance of Renewable Energy on Entire Industry

All such efforts aside, we are still facing a climate crisis. In January 2020, the Doomsday Clock, a metaphoric clock that symbolizes humans drawing closer to the end of the world, was updated to 100 seconds before midnight. Climate change is regarded as the biggest current threat to mankind, and one of the best ways to steer away from the looming disaster is by promoting the use of renewable energy instead of fossil fuels. 
According to REN21, promoting renewable energy is essential if we want to meet our climate goals. These commitments, however, should not be deemed as a burden; expanding renewable energy brings along benefits such as:

·         Promoting public health by reducing air pollution

·         Reducing and stabilizing energy production costs

·         Developing local industries and additional job opportunities

·         Increasing the reliability and resilience of local energy systems 

Investing in renewable energy is a move that not only helps fight climate change and secure a future for our children, but one that also has direct benefits for local communities and economies.

Gyeonggi-do's (Korea) Renewable Energy

Gyeonggi-do is planning to increase its renewable energy production in accordance with Korea's energy goals and climate commitments. To achieve this, the province has set the Gyeonggi-do Energy Vision 2030, created the Gyeonggi-do Energy Center, and promoted investment in local renewable energy industries of Korea.

The Renewable Energy Industry in Gyeonggi-do

Gyeonggi-do is the second-largest producer of renewable energy in the Republic of Korea, providing about 14% of local renewable energy. The province produces renewable energy primarily in the forms of geothermal, solar-thermal, and hydropower. 
In addition, the province accounts for 23% of the businesses related to renewable energy in Korea.

Gyeonggi-do held the 2019 Clean Air International Forum 

Gyeonggi-do Energy Centre

The Gyeonggi-do Energy Center was established to follow up on Gyeonggi-do's Energy Vision 2030.

The focus of the Gyeonggi-do Energy Center is to create positive influences in several energy-related areas including: the promotion, development, and implementation of energy-saving solutions; technological developments for renewable energy production and use; support for businesses; support for the commercialization of renewable energy; formulation of plans and strategies for the reduction of greenhouse gasses; harnessing and use of hidden energy (wastewater energy, etc.); and support for energy research, both local and international, as well as data generation, energy-related education, and promotional materials.
Gyeonggi-do seeks to initiate a positive step towards a clean and green future that leads the entire country along the path to renewable energy.

Gyeonggi-do Energy Vision 2030

Gyeonggi-do has a positive outlook for our capability to bring change. That is why the Gyeonggi-do Energy Vision 2030 was established.
Within the framework of this plan the province seeks to achieve 70% self-reliance in electricity production, 20% electricity production from renewable sources, and a 20% reduction in energy consumption. Gyeonggi-do calls upon its residents and businesses to join together in creating a future powered by safe and clean energy.