Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung (right) speaks to the press about the government reorganization plan at Government Complex Seoul, Sunday. (Yonhap) The Lee Jae Myung administration’s plan to merge energy and environment policies under one ministry has drawn cautious support from environmental critics, who say it could strengthen South Korea’s climate crisis response but warn of potential policy conflicts.
On Sunday, the government reorganization plan was finalized following the central government’s meeting with the Democratic Party of Korea, during which it was announced that the Ministry of Environment would be expanded under the tentative name of Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, reflecting the Lee administration’s commitment to climate action and green energy transition.
The overhaul marks the biggest expansion of the Environment Ministry since it was first established 45 years ago and its elevation to ministerial status 31 years ago.
Repeatedly mentioned and promised by Lee during his presidential campaign, the governmental reform is designed to strengthen Korea’s climate crisis response and accelerate its shift to renewable energy.
Under the reorganization plan, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment will merge the climate policies previously overseen by the Environment Ministry, with the energy policy responsibilities of the current Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, except for its resource and nuclear industry policies.
“Carbon neutrality is a national priority, but under the current fragmented governmental structure, it has been difficult to coordinate strong, coherent policies,” said Interior Minister Yun Ho-jung during Sunday’s press briefing. “By integrating climate and energy policies under one roof, the government will be able to pursue stronger and more consistent carbon-neutral policies.”
Until now, Korea’s approach of having two governmental ministries each take charge of environmental and energy policies has often pitted the Environment Ministry’s emissions-reduction goals against the Energy Ministry’s management of energy supply and pricing.
This imbalance has long been criticized by environmental critics, saying it has made it nearly impossible for environmental regulators to enforce ambitious carbon-cutting measures, since energy — known to be the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions — remained outside the Environment Ministry’s authority.
Though the Environment Ministry taking over climate and energy policies has been consistently brought up since Greenpeace Korea’s initial proposal in 2021, concerns remain regarding conflicting roles and policies.
Supporters say that integrating energy and climate policies under one governmental ministry may allow Korea to deliver on its net-zero commitments.
According to a report issued by the National Assembly Futures Institute, countries that integrated both policies under one governmental agency — such as Denmark, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands — saw greenhouse gas reductions accelerate by an average of 18 percent in the five years following the restructure, compared with 5 percent in the five years preceding it.
However, skeptics warn that Korea’s new ministry could remain torn between conflicting mandates: promoting energy development while regulating its environmental impacts.
As a regulator, the Environment Ministry has historically been the last line of defense against unchecked industrial development. However, adding energy promotion, critics argue, “risks luring this mission.”
For example, the government has been pushing ahead with an “energy highway,” a nationwide power grid that works to deliver renewable power to industrial hubs. Under the reorganization, the new ministry would both lead such projects and assess their environmental impact, raising doubts over objectivity.
“We hope the new Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment will be able to fulfill its role as a climate crisis response ministry, not as an industrial promotion body,” said secretary-general Jeong Kyu-seok of Green Korea United.
“However, if energy policy functions are combined, a high likelihood still exists that even the regulatory capabilities the Environment Ministry has maintained could be weakened, which is a serious concern.”
lee.jungjoo@heraldcorp.com