EU-Republic of Korea: 8th Working Group on Energy, Environment and Climate took place in Seoul

The eighth meeting of the EU-Republic of Korea Working Group on Energy, Environment and Climate took place on 20 October in Seoul. As its past iterations, the meeting of the Working Group allowed for an in-depth exchange of views on respective policies and the prospects for further bilateral cooperation through the EU-Republic of Korea Green Partnership that was established in 2023.

The EU and the Republic of Korea reaffirmed their commitment to enhance collaborative efforts in addressing the challenges and fostering opportunities associated with the green transition through the joint Green Partnership.

Acknowledging the impact of the Gulf crisis and extreme weather events on their economies, the EU and Korea agreed on the importance of delivering on the clean energy transition, which contributes not only to climate neutrality and climate resilience but also to their respective security, independence and competitiveness.

In that context, the EU and the Republic of Korea exchanged on the latest development of their respective climate policies. The EU recalled that it was on track to meet its 2030 targets and had set up a new ambitious target for 2040 under its revamped Climate Law. The EU also updated Korea on the revision of its Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) which provides the path to achieve its domestic targets and sustain industrial decarbonisation in a competitive environment. Korea updated the EU on the implementation of the 2030 NDC target and on the revision of its national ETS and presented its recently adopted Green transition strategy.

The EU and the Republic of Korea called for urgent and ambitious climate action in the context of the forthcoming COP31 UN Climate Change Conference to limit overshoot of the Paris Agreement targets and return to a 1.5° C global warming trajectory, in line with the best available science. They agreed on the need to collectively deliver on the outcomes of the first global stocktake (GST-1) including the transition away from fossil fuels and an accelerated clean energy transition. They also discussed areas for further cooperation on climate. The EU welcomed the successful exchange on the reduction of F-gases and Korea’s interest in pursuing technical cooperation on carbon pricing. Both parties also agreed to consider policy cooperation on climate adaptation and sustainable finance. Building on the work of the EU–Korea Green Industry Initiative, they further agreed to explore opportunities for enhanced policy cooperation on clean technologies and industrial decarbonisation.

Discussions on energy focused on the impact of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz on energy security and affordability, and on accelerating the clean energy transition to reduce exposure to fossil fuel supply shocks. Both sides highlighted cooperation through Electrify Now, which the Republic of Korea joined at its launch during London Climate Action Week in June 2026, to advance clean electrification, modernise grids and mobilise investment. They also exchanged views on energy priorities for COP31, including the Turkish Presidency’s Global Electrification Pledge to increase electricity’s share of global final energy consumption to 35% by 2035. Bilateral discussions explored closer cooperation on offshore wind, including grid integration and opportunities to strengthen competitive and resilient supply chains.

The EU and the Republic of Korea exchanged views on biodiversity as the CBD COP17 is ongoing in Yerevan, Armenia, reaffirming their commitment to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework underlining the need to accelerate progress towards its goals. Discussions also covered safe management of hazardous chemicals and international water issues, reflecting shared interests in stronger global cooperation. The meeting further highlighted the growing importance of the circular economy. In addition, discussions on multilateral environmental agreements and processes included exchanges on an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment and the preparation for the UN Water Conference. In this context, both sides underlined the shared objectives of advancing an ambitious instrument addressing the full lifecycle of plastics and regular UN Water Conferences backed by negotiated outcomes and stronger accountability. Korea also outlined Busan’s bid to host the fourth UN Ocean Conference in 2028, proposing a post-2030 ocean cooperation roadmap and requesting high-level EU attendance.