South Korea mandates Climate Change Impact Assessments for major projects to cut emissions and adapt to risks in 2021. This presentation examines the regime's current limits and ways to improve it.
In September 2021, South Korea enacted the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth for Coping with Climate Crisis. Under this legislation, the Climate Change Impact Assessment (CCIA) was mandated, taking effect in September 2022 for plans and large-scale development projects subject to Environmental Impact Assessments that either generate substantial greenhouse gas emissions or exhibit high vulnerability to climate risks.
Pursuant to these statutory provisions, the CCIA regime is currently implemented across major initiatives, including the development of large-scale industrial complexes and residential districts, as well as the construction of power generation facilities and waste incineration plants. There are two review fields such as greenhouse gas reduction and climate change adaptation.
The assessment framework requires an ex ante evaluation to quantify greenhouse gas emissions, formulate mitigation strategies, project the impacts of the climate crisis, and establish adaptation measures.
Nevertheless, projecting climate crisis impacts remains constrained by inherent uncertainties, posing substantial limitations to the assessment process. This presentation aims to provide a comprehensive overview of South Korea's Climate Change Impact Assessment regime, examine its institutional and methodological limitations, and propose strategic measures to enhance and refine the policy framework.
Dr. Young Soo Lee, former president and current advisor of the Korean Society of EIA, has 30 years of research experience at KEI. Co-author Dr. Yu Mi Kim researches impact assessment regimes at KEI.