This article is by Sarah Chea and read by an artificial voice.

Korea is pressing ahead with plans to set its 2035 greenhouse gas reduction target at a range of 53 percent and 61 percent compared to 2018 levels - a lower end five percentage points higher than what industry groups had initially proposed - despite the business sector's continuous outcry about fears of heightened costs and an expanded threat posed by China's low-price offensive.
The Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth on Monday voted for the target, a day after the government and the Democratic Party reached a consensus on the rate. Only confirmation from the Cabinet on Tuesday is required for its unveiling at the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties, or COP30, in Brazil and its submission as a final draft to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change next month.
Under UN rules, all countries that are party to the Paris Agreement are required to update their emissions reduction targets, known as Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDC, every five years.
The government has based its target on Korea's 2018 net emissions of 742.3 million tons, aiming to reduce that figure to between 348.9 million tons for a 53 percent cut and 289.5 million tons for a 61 percent cut by 2035. Unlike the previous announcement, which set a single reduction rate, the new framework establishes both lower and upper bounds.
The power sector has set a maximum reduction target of 75.3 percent compared with 2018 levels, focusing on cutting coal-based emissions and expanding the share of renewable energy. To achieve this, renewable capacity, including solar, is planned to reach 100 gigawatts by 2030.
The industrial sector has been assigned a target of 24.3 to 31 percent. The construction sector aims for a maximum 56.2 percent reduction through the expansion of zero-energy buildings and green retrofitting of aging structures. The transportation sector seeks to cut up to 62.8 percent by expanding zero-emissions vehicles and improving internal combustion engine efficiency.
"We are aware of the difficulties the industrial sector is facing, but setting the target as a range for the first time reflects our effort to reach a social consensus," said Climate Minister Kim Sung-hwan during a press briefing in the government complex in central Seoul on Monday. "Of around 12 experts in the deliberation, none of the private-sector commissioners opposed it."

Meanwhile, the commission also approved the national emissions allowance plan for the fourth phase, covering 2026 to 2030. The proportion of buyable allowances in the power sector will be gradually raised to 50 percent by 2030, while industries vulnerable to carbon leakage such as steel and petrochemicals will continue to receive free allocations.
Despite these assurances, manufacturers in sectors directly affected by the target such as automobiles, semiconductors and steel remain deeply concerned that the substantial costs could ultimately result in job losses and weakened industrial competitiveness.
Fourteen industry groups representing the business sector, including the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Federation of Korean Industries, issued a joint statement after the commission's announcement, arguing that the target will "place a significant burden on industry, particularly given the urgent need to respond to changes in the global economic environment, such as U.S. trade policies, and the fact that reduction technologies in the industrial sector have yet to be fully commercialized."
"Given industry concerns over increased electricity demand and potential rate hikes stemming from expanded energy transition efforts in the AI era, the government should restrain expected electricity price increases as much as possible and provide advance notice of any adjustments to allow companies to prepare adequately."
Automakers and auto parts makers, in particular, are uneasy with the target...

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