S. Korea vows cooperation with Climate Group to promote renewable energy

Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun met with the leader of the Climate Group, a London-based nonprofit organization, to discuss ways to expand cooperation in using renewable energy sources, officials said Monday. Ahn met with Helen Clarkson, the organization's CEO, in Seoul to explain South Korea's renewable energy policy direction and explore ways to promote the RE100 initiative, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The global initiative focuses on encouraging major businesses worldwide to completely revamp their energy portfolios to harness renewable sources to tackle climate change. During the meeting, Ahn said that while South Korea faces challenges in transitioning to renewable energy due to the high energy consumption of major industries, like chips, steel and automobiles, it is notable that 36 firms have pledged to participate in the initiative. The minister added that the government will continue to improve its policies to pave the way for businesses to expand their use of clean en ergy sources. South Korea's Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) initiative, which was proposed by President Yoon Suk Yeol during his keynote speech at the U.N. General Assembly in September, also reflects the government's commitment to the promotion of renewable sources, Ahn said. Ahn and Clarkson agreed to explore potential areas of cooperation between the CFE initiative and the RE100 campaign, the ministry added. Source: Yonhap News Agency