Second Vice Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Choi Nam-ho (left) in February takes a photo at the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) ministerial conference with IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol at the headquarters of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. (Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy)
By Park Hye Ri
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and International Energy Agency (IEA) have agreed on the need for the decarbonization of energy and to strengthen relevant cooperation.
The ministry and IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol on Sept. 3 held a news conference at Korea Press Center in Seoul’s Jung-gu District to announce a joint statement containing these pledges.
Announced under the names of Minister Ahn Dukgeun and Birol, the statement contained the IEA’s support for the Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Initiative proposed by President Yoon Suk Yeol in September last year. This global campaign seeks to actively utilize carbon-free energy to promote decarbonization of the energy sector.
The statement also said the ministry and IEA agreed to focus on expanding cooperation in the initiative to guarantee energy security and speed up the transition to clean energy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The statement assessed the efforts of both sides toward Busan’s hosting of the World Climate Industry Expo from Sept. 4-6, adding that the event will provide a new opportunity to solve the urgency of the climate crisis and accelerate the transition to a more sustainable energy system.
At the news conference, Birol said no technology that can contribute to reducing emissions should be excluded since each nation has different energy sources to meet its energy needs. He also lauded Korea’s policy approach in this regard for comprehensively pursuing a range of clean energies like nuclear, renewable and hydrogen.
The ministry also announced stronger cooperation with the IEA in carbon-free energy and expanded talks on using such energy through international conferences such as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation and Clean Energy Ministerial.
hrhr@korea.kr
