{
  "id": 8594074,
  "title": "지난해 온실가스 0.9% 줄었지만… 전력·순배출량은 되레 늘었다",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/0-9",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-20T01:14:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hankyoreh",
    "slug": "hankyoreh",
    "url": "https://www.hani.co.kr/arti/society/environment/1278652.html"
  },
  "original_language": "ko",
  "account": "South Korea's greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 0.9% year-over-year last year, but power sector emissions unexpectedly increased due to coal power generation growth, and forest absorption capacity saw a sharp decline due to large wildfires in the central region. To meet the 2030 national target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, South Korea must further reduce emissions by nearly 1.8 times the amount it reduced over the past 7 years. The Ministry of Climate, Energy & Environment reported on the 20th that the country's greenhouse gas emissions in 2025 were 6.571 million tons, a 610,000-ton (0.9%) decrease from the previous year. Compared to the 2018 record, emissions were reduced by 84 million tons (11.4%). The decrease was driven by the industrial sector, which cut its emissions by 530,000 tons (2.1%) to 2.429 billion tons. However, this was largely due to a decline in production from heavy-emitting industries like steel and petrochemicals. Steel production dropped from 6.365 million tons to 6.223 million tons, and oil and chemical base materials fell from 3.313 million tons to 3.238 million tons. Cement shipments also decreased from 4.371 million tons to 3.810 million tons. Meanwhile, power sector emissions rose by 40,000 tons (0.2%) to 2.204 billion tons, due to a 8.5% increase in renewable energy generation, but a 2.2% rise in coal power output. The government attributed the decline in nuclear power output to maintenance and shutdowns, contributing to a 2.2% drop in nuclear power generation. Transport sector emissions fell by 2.9% due to the expansion of electric, hydrogen, and hybrid vehicles and reduced fuel consumption. However, building sector emissions increased by 3.3% due to higher heating demand and a 3.9% increase in fluorinated greenhouse gas emissions from refrigerants and other uses. While total emissions decreased, the net absorption from forests, including trees and land, increased by 0.5% compared to the previous year due to large wildfires in the central region last March. This decline in forest absorption capacity could pose challenges for meeting greenhouse gas reduction targets if wildfires and forest fires become more frequent due to climate change.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}