Sejong, November 1 - The Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center (President Seo Heung-won) determined that the national greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 were 656.22 million tons, a 6.4% decrease compared to the previous year, after deliberation of the National Greenhouse Gas Statistics Management Committee. The largest reduction of 30.68 million tons (12.3%) was recorded in the power and heat generation sector, followed by road transportation (4.21 million tons, 4.3%), and manufacturing (others; including nonmetals) (3.38 million tons, 8.6%). However, emissions rose in some sectors compared to the previous year, such as the chemical industry in the energy sector (up 530,000 tons, 1.1%) and energy consumption in agriculture, forestry, and fisheries (up 440,000 tons, 1.1%).

<Analysis of the causes for changes in GHG emissions by sector>

The energy sector emitted 569.92 million tons, or 86.8% of the country's total GHG emissions, down 41.65 million tons (6.8%) year-on-year. In the power and heat generation sector, GHG emissions were cut down by 30.68 million tons (12.3%)  year-on-year, which resulted from decreasing power generation (1.9%) according to lower electricity demand and declining coal-fired power generation (13.7%) for measures against fine particles. Emissions from the manufacturing and construction industries lowered by 6.02 million tons (3.2%) year-on-year. By item, there was a decrease in steel (3.3 million tons, 3.4%) and manufacturing (others) including nonmetals (3.38 million tons, 8.6%), while chemicals (530,000 tons, 1.1%) increased. As oil consumption decreased due to the prolonged COVID-19, GHG emissions were cut by 4.21 million tons (4.3%)  year-on-year in the road transport sector. The COVID-19 pandemic also impacted households, businesses, and public sector emissions. The figures decreased by 2.05 million tons (4.5%) year-on-year due to a decline in the demand for city gas for heating and fuel replacement.

Emissions from the process industries in 2020 amounted to 48.53 million tons, or 7.4% of the country's total emissions, down 7% year-on-year. By sector, there was a decrease of 2.77 million tons (7.9%), 30,000 tons (3.1%), and 50,000 tons (28.1%) in the mineral, chemical, and metal industries, respectively. Fluorinated GHG emissions decreased by 790,000 tons (4.9%) year-on-year due to alternate materials for ozone-depleting substances and reduced consumption in semiconductor fabrication and liquid crystal production.

The agricultural sector's emissions in 2020 amounted to 21.05 million tons, which accounted for 3.2% of the country's total emissions, an increase of 90,000 tons (0.4%) year-on-year. Specifically, enteric fermentation increased by 150,000 tons (3.4%), livestock excretions by 90,000 tons (1.9%), and cropland soil by 50,000 tons (1.0%), while rice cultivation decreased by 220,000 tons (3.6%) and incineration of crop residues by 1,000 tons (4.6%).

Emissions from the waste sector in 2020 recorded 16.73 million tons, equivalent to 2.5% of the country's total emissions and an increase of 210,000 tons (1.3%) year-on-year. Specifically, landfills increased by 4,000 tons (0.1%), wastewater treatment by 70,000 tons (4.8%), and incineration by 190,000 tons (2.9%), while other sectors decreased by 50,000 tons (5.9%).

<Proportion of national greenhouse gas emissions (as of 2020)> 

In 2020, the amount of GHGs absorbed by the "land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF)" sector was 37.88 million tons, up 1.66 million tons (0.4%) year-on-year. The amount taken by forest land rose by 260,000 tons (0.6%) due to the slower decline in forest area and the reduced wildfire damage compared to the previous year. Other than forest land, it is estimated that 20,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) were absorbed from the grassland sector. In comparison, 2.83 million tons were emitted from the agricultural sector and 320,000 tons from the wetland sector.

<Emissions by type of greenhouse gas>

Carbon dioxide (CO2) has the highest share of each of the top six GHGs in Korea at 91.4%, followed by methane (CH4) at 4.1%, nitrous oxide (N2O) at 2.1%, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) at 1%, sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) at 0.8 %, and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) at 0.5%. 93.5% of Carbon dioxide (CO2) comes from fuel combustion, down 6.9% compared to 2019. Methane (CH4) is primarily generated from landfills (28.5%), rice cultivation (21.0%), enteric fermentation (17.5%), and fugitive emissions (15.5%), with a 0.4% decrease year-on-year. Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions mainly come from cropland soil (39.7%), treatment of livestock excretions (25.5%), and fuel combustion (20.9%), which decreased by 1% year-on-year. 

Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) are used as refrigerants (89.2%) for cooling equipment like refrigerators, and perfluorocarbons (PFCs) are used in semiconductor production and liquid crystal production (100%). Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is mainly emitted from manufacturing semiconductors and liquid crystals (34.5%) and heavy electrical equipment (65.0%). Total emissions of these substances were cut by 4.9% year-on-year.

<GDP and GHG emissions per capita>

The GDP and GHG emissions per capita can be used to determine the efficiency of a country's greenhouse gas emissions, and the following is the analysis thereof. "GHG emissions per KRW 1 billion of GDP" were improved to 5.7% with 357 tons in comparison to 378 tons in 2019. "GHG emissions per capita" recorded 12.7 tons, decreasing 6.5% from 13.6 tons in 2019.

The Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center announced that the national GHG emissions in 2020 were calculated to be 1.2% higher than the preliminary estimate for 2020 (648.6 million tons) published in June 2021 as official statistics jointly ed by related ministries.

"National GHG emissions have decreased for two consecutive years since 2018," said Seo Heung-won, head of the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center. "However, as emissions are expected to increase in 2021 compared to the previous year, we need continuous and bold efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Detailed data on the national greenhouse gas emissions for 2020 can be found from the afternoon of October 25th on the Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center website (www.gir.go.kr).

Contact: Park Sung-kwon, Researcher

Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Research Center / +82-(0)43-714-7551

Foreign Media Contact: Chun Minjo(Rachel)

+82-(0)44-201-6055 / rachelmchun@korea.kr