Like-minded partners have never been more needed than they are today. During a time of turbulent change, the EU and South Korea have solid foundations to cooperate more closely on climate, the energy transition and industrial decarbonisation, both sharing the vision of green growth and ambitions to accelerate cleantech deployment and innovation.
This CEPS In-Depth Analysis report has two key objectives.
First, it introduces European stakeholders to Korea’s vision of pathways to carbon neutrality, highlighting the complexities of its economic development that have shaped its policy choices. The premise is that greater awareness and familiarity in Brussels can foster a more meaningful and better-informed dialogue between EU policymakers and businesses – and their Korean counterparts. While South Korea’s global innovation capacity and its leadership in certain forms of cleantech need no introduction, a deeper understanding of its political economy and climate governance could help build a foundation for stronger bilateral cooperation.
Second, the report explores tangible opportunities for deeper collaboration under the broad umbrella of the EU-Korea Green Partnership. It identifies avenues for cooperation, spanning industrial and energy system decarbonisation, advancing global climate ambition and fostering sector-specific technology cooperation, alongside enabling regulatory and diplomatic frameworks.
Two years after the launch of the EU-Korea Green Partnership, the clean industrial transition agendas in both Seoul and Brussels are increasingly shaped by competitiveness and economic security concerns. In this context, it is time to deepen EU cooperation with trusted, like-minded partners.
About the Authors
Irina Kustova is Head of the Energy Programme at CEPS.
Fanny Sauvignon is a Researcher in the Foreign Policy unit at CEPS.
Christian Dietz is a Researcher in the Energy, Resources and Climate Change (ERCC) unit at CEPS.