South Korea Pledges to Phase Out Unabated Coal Plants at COP30 and Joins Global Alliance

South Korea to phase out unabated coal and join the Powering Past Coal Alliance

At COP30 in Belém, Brazil, South Korea announced it will join the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) and phase out coal-fired power plants that do not use emission-reducing measures. The government did not set a single end date for all unabated coal use but committed to stop building new unabated coal plants and to retire 40 of 61 existing units by 2040.

Climate Minister Kim Sung-whan said: "Our long-term goal is to create a decarbonised green society where renewable energy takes up a large share in our power mix and use nuclear power as a complementary source, phase out coal and use gas as an emergency source." He added, "We will kickstart our coal phase-out" and that the move will "help the Alliance advance the coal transition worldwide."

The PPCA said the remaining 21 plants will have closure dates "determined based on economic and environmental feasibility," and that a detailed roadmap will be finalised in 2026. "Unabated" refers to coal burned without technologies to reduce CO2 emissions, such as carbon capture and storage (CCS); most coal plants today do not capture their CO2.

Asia's fourth-largest economy currently operates the world’s seventh-largest coal fleet and is the fourth-largest coal importer. Coal's share of South Korea's electricity generation has fallen to 30.5% last year from 46.3% in 2009, according to energy think tank Ember, which also reported that renewable generation overtook coal globally in the first half of 2025.

The announcement builds on Seoul's 2020 pledge to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 and its target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 53–61% from 2018 levels by 2035. Officials say the transition will create "thousands of jobs" in emerging low-carbon industries.

Analysts welcomed the move while urging faster action. Richard Black, Ember's director of policy and strategy, noted that coal power in Korea has declined by roughly one third since the Paris Agreement, making a formal phase-out decision more feasible. PPCA co-chair British climate minister Katie White warned that "emissions from coal have not yet peaked" and stressed the need to support developing countries through the transition.

Key dates and facts:

• 61 existing coal units in South Korea; 40 confirmed to be retired by 2040.
• Roadmap for remaining 21 plants to be finalised in 2026 based on economic and environmental feasibility.
• Seoul's broader targets: carbon neutrality by 2050 and a 53–61% emissions cut by 2035 (from 2018 levels).