Four Metropolitan Governments Including Incheon Propose Joining Government's Coal Phase-Out Alliance

Incheon Mayor Park Nam-chun is taking a commemorative photo after signing the "Coal Phase-out Alliance Membership and Government Proposal for Eco-friendly Energy Transition" on the 9th.
[Photo by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Four metropolitan local governments with coal-fired power plants, including Incheon, have decided to propose that the South Korean government join the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA) and expedite the transition to eco-friendly energy.

Incheon, Gangwon, Chungnam, and Jeonnam, which have joined the PPCA, share the recognition that phasing out coal is essential to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and to halt the climate crisis. On the 9th, they adopted a "Government Proposal for Joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance and Transitioning to Eco-Friendly Energy" under the names of their respective mayors and governors. This proposal will be delivered to the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

In the government proposal, Incheon Mayor Park Namchun, Gangwon Governor Choi Moonsoon, Chungnam Governor Yang Seungjo, and Jeonnam Governor Kim Youngrok stated, "Regions with coal-fired power plants have become both perpetrators and the greatest victims, bearing the dishonor of being areas with massive greenhouse gas emissions due to the concentration of coal power plants nationwide supplying electricity to nearby metropolitan cities."

They further urged, "Phasing out coal is an essential condition for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, and the transition to eco-friendly energy must be promptly implemented for sustainable development."

The Powering Past Coal Alliance was founded in 2017 at the 23rd UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP23), led by the United Kingdom and Canada. It aims for OECD and European Union member countries to phase out coal power by 2030, and other countries by 2050, as coal power is a major cause of climate change and air pollution.

Meanwhile, Incheon is home to the Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant, the only large-scale bituminous coal power plant in the Seoul metropolitan area, with a capacity of 5,080 MW. It accounts for half of Incheon's total greenhouse gas emissions and about 20% of the emissions in the metropolitan area.

Due to this, environmental and civic groups argue that reducing greenhouse gases in the metropolitan area is impossible without the early closure of the Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant. They demand that not only Units 1 and 2, which Incheon City has proposed for early closure to the government, but also Units 3 through 6, be shut down early by 2030.

The Incheon Peace and Welfare Coalition plans to launch a citywide civic movement urging the early closure of the Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant starting September 25 and intends to propose that each presidential candidate pledge this commitment.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.