The Path of Just Transition

The Asia Business Daily's special report, "The Path to Just Transition," has been awarded the Excellence Prize at the "20th KBCSD Press Awards" by the Korea Business Council for Sustainable Development (KBCSD). On February 27, KBCSD held the "20th KBCSD Press Awards" ceremony at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in Samseong-dong, Seoul, honoring our reporters Hyunju Lee, Sangdon Joo, Jinyoung Jeon, and Byungseon Gong with the Excellence Prize. "The Path to Just Transition" special report focused on resolving conflicts that may arise during the energy transition process. Our reporting team visited places such as Nottinghamshire in the United Kingdom and Konin in Poland, which have found effective solutions, to highlight issues like job losses and regional decline resulting from the energy transition, as well as the support and cooperation provided by governments and local communities. The team also interviewed Jim Skea, Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) under

On a train from London to Kingston upon Hull, I stood for the entire two and a half hour journey. Expecting a quieter fishing village compared to the bustling and crowded capital, I had mistakenly purchased an unreserved seat. The train was already full, and more than a dozen passengers?including teenagers in Hull City football uniforms and businessmen in their forties carrying briefcases?were gathered in the aisles, unable to find seats, just like me. When people gather, a city comes alive. In Hull, renewable energy has not only meant the success of a single offshore wind manufacturing plant; it has become the catalyst for reviving the local economy. News of additional hiring at the plant has filled local residents with anticipation. A month before my visit to Hull, local elections were held in the UK, and Luke Campbell was elected mayor of Hull (East Yorkshire). Some expressed concerns that "offshore wind power could be shaken," since he is a member of Reform UK, a party opposed to r

"We will pave the way for a uniquely Korean model of just transition." Cha Jiho, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea and head of the Climate and Energy Task Force (TF) under the Presidential National Policy Planning Committee, said in an interview with Asia Economy on August 13, "We are looking at European cases for reference, but we are also carefully considering how to structure the energy ecosystem to fit Korea's circumstances." At the National Policy Planning Committee's public report conference, the committee recommended expanding the Climate Response Fund and introducing transition finance. The expansion of the Climate Response Fund is being considered to ensure that it covers not only climate response but also 'climate adaptation.' Transition finance refers to financial products that support high-carbon-emitting companies in transitioning to low-carbon operations, and discussions have included providing incentives such as tax benefits and subsidies. The United Kingdom and

"We will promptly establish a mid- to long-term plan for the Closed Mine Fund to be used over the next five years for coal mine workers and local residents." Jintae Kim, Governor of Gangwon Province, made this statement in an interview on August 14, following the publication of the special report series "The Path to a Just Transition." He added, "We will spare no effort in supporting future industrial investments to transform the industrial identity of closed mining areas." Through the series "The Path to a Just Transition," Asia Economy is examining the conflicts that have arisen during the government's coal phase-out and offshore wind farm projects, and reporting on how advanced countries such as the UK, France, and Poland have addressed similar challenges in their own just transition cases. Gangwon Province began accumulating the Closed Mine Fund in 2001, in accordance with the ordinance on the establishment of the Closed Mine Area Development Fund. Over the past 30 years, a total o

How does a Korean professor leading an offshore wind power project at the Laboratory of Hydrodynamics, Energetics and Atmospheric Environment (LHEEA) of Ecole Centrale Nantes?one of the top ten engineering Grandes Ecoles in France?view the wind power industry in Korea? We met Seungyun Han, a research professor at LHEEA who is actively working as a researcher in France, a country strongly committed to the transition to renewable energy. He stated that the level of wind power research in Korea is not significantly different from that in Europe, and that Korea has ample conditions to pursue offshore wind power. However, he pointed out that the lack of a collaborative system capable of generating synergy, as seen in the European Union (EU), is a major limitation that makes it difficult to expand the wind power industry. Professor Han believes that Korea has sufficient geographical conditions to attempt floating offshore wind power, just like France. He explained, "There is already experie

 In France, nuclear power accounts for 70% of energy production. However, there is also a strong commitment to expanding renewable energy sources such as offshore wind power. France's offshore wind farms began with the first operation in the western region of Saint-Nazaire in 2022, and expanded last year to the Normandy coast (Fecamp) and the Brittany coast (Saint-Brieuc). In June, France's first floating offshore wind power plant opened on the coast near Marseille. France has set a plan to produce 18 gigawatts of offshore wind power by 2035 and more than 45 gigawatts by 2050. One gigawatt is enough to reliably supply electricity to about one million households.South Korea has remained in the early stages of offshore wind power adoption for several years. What direction should it take in the future? On June 5, we spoke with Professor Sandrine Aubrun of Ecole Centrale Nantes, who is researching offshore wind power in the western French city of Nantes. Ecole Centrale Nantes is one o

With the Lee Jaemyung administration declaring a "major shift to renewable energy," South Korea is accelerating its journey toward a decarbonized society. However, conflicts with local residents and negative perceptions arising during the energy transition process remain challenges that must be overcome. What does a truly just transition look like? We asked Jim Skea, Chair of the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), for his thoughts during an interview in London, UK. The IPCC, in which South Korea also participates, reviews climate change responses and publishes reports every five years. These reports are highly influential, serving as the basis for setting Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) alongside the principles of the Paris Agreement. The following is a Q&A. -Europe has smoothly transitioned from decarbonization to renewable energy. What is the secret to this transition?▲If there is one thing Europe did well, it is that the transition was

In the phase of energy transition, both the United Kingdom and Poland have adopted the principle of a just transition, ensuring that no one is left behind. The governments have taken the lead, engaging in ongoing communication with stakeholders such as local communities and regional governments to find practical alternatives. Janusz Piechocinski, President of the Poland-Asia Chamber of Commerce, advised that when introducing alternative industries to regions where coal-fired power plants are being closed, the central government, local governments, and communities must cooperate to alleviate the concerns of residents and workers. Martin Kent, Trade Commissioner for the Asia-Pacific region at the UK Department for Business and Trade, emphasized the need for cooperation among labor, management, and government to ensure that stakeholders such as workers and fishermen are not marginalized during the energy transition process, and highlighted the importance of sufficient government funding f

Editor's NoteFollowing the coal phase-out, the UK and France are expanding the adoption of renewable energy. Offshore wind power is a representative sector. Offshore wind farms are a source of clean energy directly linked to energy security and the future business of companies, but fishermen have opposed their construction, citing disruptions to their livelihoods. How did the UK and France, both leading players in the energy transition, resolve conflicts with fishermen? "We plan to triple the number of renewable energy workers in the Humber region to 15,000 by 2030. Over 90% of new hires will be local residents." (Diana Taylor, CEO of Future Humber, a non-profit organization for regional development) Kingston upon Hull (Hull), the central city of the Humber Estuary in eastern England, faced population decline and the risk of regional extinction as the fishing and steel industries waned. The population, which remained around 260,000 until the early 1990s, dropped by 20,000 (7.5%) to abo

Editor's NoteFollowing their transition away from coal, the United Kingdom and France are expanding the adoption of renewable energy. Offshore wind power is a representative sector. Offshore wind farms are not only a clean energy source directly linked to energy security and the future business of companies, but also a source of controversy, as fishermen have opposed their construction due to concerns about disruptions to their livelihoods. How did the UK and France, both leaders in the field of energy transition, resolve conflicts with local fishermen?"Offshore wind power saved our declining fishing town." Grimsby, located in the Humber region on the eastern coast of England, is now filled with people whose livelihoods have improved thanks to the development of offshore wind farms. Grimsby, which once relied on fishing as the backbone of its local economy, began to see a sharp decline in the industry starting in the 1970s. However, today, it is rare to find residents concerned about