South Korea vows to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 61% by 2035

South Korea approved a plan Monday to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 53% to 61% by 2035 in a bid to speed up the transition to carbon neutrality while enhancing industrial competitiveness.

The Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth endorsed the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target for 2035, which is slightly higher than the government's initial proposal to cut the emissions by 50% to 60%, Yonhap News Agency reported.

The Cabinet will finalize the emissions goal at a meeting Tuesday and officially announce the plan at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil.

COP30 will begin Tuesday and runs through Nov. 21.

Under the Paris Agreement, all the countries are required to submit and update their NDC every five years.

South Korea previously submitted its 2030 NDC in 2021, pledging to cut emissions by 40% from 2018 levels.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok said the decision has been made to accelerate the government's transition toward carbon neutrality and boost industrial competitiveness.

South Korea plans to expand the use of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power to achieve the 2035 emission goal.