The global drive to ditch internal combustion engines is picking up speed. This massive shift starts with cars, paving the way for changes in other sectors too. South Korea is now joining the charge, planning to clean up its air and roads.
The South Korean Ministry of Environment is seriously looking at banning new gasoline and diesel car sales by 2035. This move aims to help the country hit its greenhouse gas reduction targets. If it passes, South Korea would align with climate policies from other parts of the world, like the European Union.
Officials from the ministry believe that putting limits on selling combustion engine cars is key. It will help South Korea reach its national greenhouse gas reduction goals for 2035. These targets come from the Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs, that countries create under the Paris Agreement. Nations update these goals every five years. South Korea plans to share its new targets before the next UN Climate Change Conference in November 2025.
South Korea Bets on a Cleaner Future
South Korea’s transportation sector has seen slow progress in cutting emissions. Between 2018 and 2024, emissions dropped by just 1.2 percent. Currently, around 850,000 zero-emission vehicles drive on its roads. Because of this slow pace, the government is considering the sales ban on new gas and diesel vehicles. They are also looking at extra help, like tax breaks, to boost the switch.
The Ministry of Environment has laid out four possible paths for 2035. These plans show greenhouse gas cuts of 48%, 53%, 61%, or 65%. For instance, to hit the 48% target, transport emissions would need to fall from 98.8 million tons in 2018 to 44.3 million tons. Reaching the toughest goal, a 65% cut, would mean emissions dropping to 32.6 million tons.
These discussions happen while the European Union also debates its own internal combustion engine ban, set for 2035. Last September, German car makers met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. They asked her to reverse the ban and loosen rules for electric vehicle sales quotas by 2035.