Korea's Energy Insecurities

Korea's Energy Insecurities PDF Author: Kent E. Calder
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description

Korea's Energy Insecurities

Korea's Energy Insecurities PDF Author: Kent E. Calder
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description


A Sustainable Energy Policy to Meet the Challenge of Climate Change in the Republic of Korea

A Sustainable Energy Policy to Meet the Challenge of Climate Change in the Republic of Korea PDF Author: Heung-Won Seo
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781369115246
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
Energy is indispensable to sustain a society. However, rapid increase in energy consumption has caused many problems such as environmental pollution, ecological degradation, and worldwide climate change. Especially, climate change caused by anthropogenic GHG has been seriously threatening the world. According to the IPCC, the global temperature is expected to rise by 4.8 °C and sea level by 0.95 m compared with pre-industrial period, provided that the world would keep consuming fossil fuel without making resolute efforts for reduction (2014: 10-11). Nonetheless, the world has not taken sufficient actions to address these crises. Korea is no exception. Korea’s GHG emissions have increased by 2.57 times during 22 years, from 2.17 toe in 1990 to 5.57 toe in 2012 based on per capita (MOTIE & KEEI, 2014: 5). According to IEA, Korea is the world’s 7th largest GHG emitting country and its per capita emission is 2.8 times higher than that of the world (2015a). Confronting these challenges, it is necessary to reform Korea’s current energy system toward a sustainable one within the frame of global equity and responsibility. A sustainable energy system should satisfy the key elements of sustainable development: namely, minimizing environmental pollution or degradation, preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, sustaining continual economic development, improving social equity, stability and balanced development, and, if possible, contributing to other countries. To keep GHG emissions within a level believed to be sustainable, the Korean government has established many policies such as the National Basic Energy Plans, the Basic Plans on Developing and Disseminating New and Renewable Energy, the Basic Plans for Electricity Supply and Demand, and the Plan for Setting Post-2020 GHG Reduction Goal (hereinafter referred to as ‘INDC plan’) which was developed for submitting to the UNFCCC secretariat that included Korea’s INDC. Among these policies, the INDC plan includes the most challenging goal – 37 % of GHG reduction by 2030 compared with BaU scenario, which means the emission reduction to 535.5 Mt_CO2 from 850.6 Mt_CO2. Provided that Korea achieves this reduction goal, per capita emissions in 2030 will amount to 10.3 t_CO2. However, the target is not sufficient to satisfy the international requirement to bind the global temperature rise within 2 °C – around 3.3 ton of per capita CO2 emissions (Byrne & Wang et al., 1998). This means that Korea’s current and future energy system is far from fulfilling what is required for sustainable energy system. Recognizing these limitations, this study analyzes the situations of Korea’s energy system and suggests policy alternatives to contribute to constructing sustainable energy system. For this, it designs a new BaU scenario, which predicts that Korea’s TFC would amount to 272.4 Mtoe and TPES 372.2 Mtoe by 2030. This study also estimates the potential of renewable energy would be 272 (3,022 TWh) ~ 363 Mtoe in 2030, and foresees that renewable energy would increase to the extent that exceeds the energy demand of Korea – 449 Mtoe (5,652 TWh) in 2050 – due to technological advancement and growing public acceptance. Based on these, this study establishes an alternative scenario taking four policy recommendations into consideration. The first is the reform of industrial structure. Since Korea’s economic system is significantly dependent on energy intensive manufacturing industries, this study suggests lowering their portion from 6.3 % (the INDC Plan) to 4.2 % (KEEI’s 2006 scenario) based on the value-added. The second is to end the use of domestic coal. Domestic coal industry has been sustained by various environmentally harmful subsidies, tax exemption and political supports. The substitution of natural gas for domestic anthracite is, therefore, suggested. The third is to make and implement aggressive efficiency improvement policies, following the JISEEF report which analyzes the overall saving effects to be 27.1 % as TFC and 27.7 % as GHG. The fourth is to reduce energy service requirement. Public engagements by using public transportation, saving energy through adjusting temperature for heating and cooling, consuming local and seasonal food are the examples of these policies. If these all factors are adopted, Korea’s TFC would decrease to 162.2 Mtoe from 272.4 Mtoe in 2030. In addition, renewable energy is found to have price competitiveness from the mid-2020s with the internalization of external social costs. The gradual reflection of external costs, even if controversial, will not make the economy vulnerable given that other taxes like labor tax are adjusted together. With these policies, Korea is expected to reduce GHG emissions to 325.4 Mt_CO2 or 6.2 t_CO2 of per capita emissions by 2030 (or 4.4 t_CO2, if overseas purchase of emission certificate is considered) and to achieve one of the most important goals for sustainable energy system by 2050 – the accomplishment of 3.3 t_CO2 emissions based on per capita. Extended use of renewable energy could also contribute to accelerating regional development, since renewable energy is relatively well-distributed across regions. The burden of importing energy, which is usually identified as the ratio of energy import costs to GDP, is expected to go down significantly, from 12.9 % to 5.9 % by 2030 and much less by 2050. In addition, when the burden of energy import is relieved, it is possible to secure a stable energy supply. In sum, the policy alternatives suggested in this study are expected to make Korea’s energy system more sustainable from the perspectives of environment, economy, and socio-politics. Starting from the scenario that reflects the government’s premises, this study elicits the possibility of constructing a sustainable energy system. Even though the Korean government and many economy-oriented experts express their concerns, the transition from a fossil fuel-based centralized energy system to a renewable energybased decentralized one is indispensable and achievable with additional benefits such as clean environment, economic soundness and various socio-political advantages. For this, additional policies to reduce social resistance – the reform of tax and subsidy system, more aggressive renewable energy policies, active diffusion of efficient technologies, and the change of lifestyle based on self-sufficiency – are required. In addition, efforts have to be made to reduce the resistance of interested groups and people who do not want change. Even though this study has limitations in analyzing Korea’s energy situations and suggesting policy alternatives, the reform of Korea’s energy system into a sustainable one is important and imperative. Recently, the world at the COP21 in Paris agreed to reduce GHG emissions to hold the increase of global temperature within 2 °C or less. The policy recommendations of the study could be suggestive to Korea and, hopefully, to other countries. Key words: Sustainable Energy System, Industrial Structure, Energy Efficiency, Energy Service, Renewable Energy

Energy Insecurity in Asia

Energy Insecurity in Asia PDF Author: Naoyuki Yoshino
Publisher: Asian Development Bank
ISBN: 9784899741114
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 349

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Book Description
Unlike energy security, energy insecurity has not been extensively studied. While energy security is broadly understood to represent the securing of energy resources, mere physical availability does not necessarily mean that the resources can reach end users. Energy insecurity is not merely a mirror image of energy security, given the diverse consequences and impacts of the unavailability of energy for households. Energy Insecurity in Asia will identify the challenges and explore potential solutions in the context of energy insecurity in Asia. The book consists of two parts. Part I provides thematic and regional studies and solutions for dealing with energy insecurity in different Asian subregions. Part II discusses the importance of renewable energy in addressing energy insecurity and presents several country case studies. There are many factors that countries investing in renewables must consider, such as energy security, climate change mitigation, and reducing air pollution. This book is a timely and valuable resource for researchers and policymakers. It provides insightful case studies and offers practical policy recommendations for solving energy insecurity in Asia and in other regions.

Complexity, Security and Civil Society in East Asia

Complexity, Security and Civil Society in East Asia PDF Author: Peter Hayes
Publisher: Open Book Publishers
ISBN: 1783741120
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 270

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Book Description
Complexity, Security and Civil Society in East Asia offers the latest understanding of complex global problems in the region, including nuclear weapons, urban insecurity, energy, and climate change. Detailed case studies of China, North and South Korea, and Japan demonstrate the importance of civil society and ‘civic diplomacy’ in reaching shared solutions to these problems in East Asia and beyond. Each chapter describes regional civil society initiatives that tackle complex challenges to East Asia’s security. In doing so, the book identifies key pressure points at which civil society can push for constructive changes¯especially ones that reduce the North Korean threat to its neighbors. Unusually, this book is both theoretical and practical. Complexity, Security and Civil Society in East Asia presents strategies that can be led by civil society and negotiated by its diplomats to realize peace, security, and sustainability worldwide. It shows that networked civic diplomacy offers solutions to these urgent issues that official ‘complex diplomacy’ cannot. By providing a new theoretical framework based on empirical observation, this volume is a must read for diplomats, scholars, students, journalists, activists, and individual readers seeking insight into how to solve the crucial issues of our time.

Non-Traditional Security Issues in North Korea

Non-Traditional Security Issues in North Korea PDF Author: Kyung-Ae Park
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824837827
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 282

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Book Description
The concept of security has undergone significant change in the past few decades. Traditionally thought of in terms of the state-centric, militarily focused, realist discourse, the concept of security has been broadened to include a greater number of potential threats and an increased number of relevant actors. Yet, despite the great changes in security scholarship, the vast majority of studies on North Korea continue to focus primarily on the country’s nuclear weapons program, its military, and other traditional security issues surrounding Pyongyang. While North Korea captures headlines with its aggressive behavior and growing nuclear arsenal, the ground-level threats to average, everyday North Koreans go largely unnoticed. This groundbreaking volume seeks to refocus research on North Korean security from the traditional to largely unexplored non-traditional security (NTS) issues. In the wake of political succession to Kim Jung Un, the issue of non-traditional security is increasingly important. From the lasting effects of the famine of the 1990s to continued food shortages and the growing marketization of North Korean society, the Pyongyang regime is facing diverse and unprecedented challenges. This book offers cutting-edge analyses of emerging North Korean NTS issues by the world’s leading specialists in the field. It looks at these issues and their effects at the local, regional, and international level, as well as examining the international community’s efforts to promote an NTS approach to North Korea. More specifically, the volume addresses the traditional and non-traditional security paradigms, energy security, gender security, transnational organized crime, the internal and external dimensions of North Korea’s food security, the “Responsibility to Protect,” refugee issues and international law, and the role of NGOs in promoting NTS in North Korea. As the global community begins to move toward a more people-centered approach to security and foreign policy, work such as that presented in this thought-provoking volume will be increasingly vital to scholars, policymakers, and interested citizens. Contributors: Tsuneo Akaha, Peter Hayes, Brendan Howe, W. Randall Ireson, David C. Kang, Shin-wha Lee, Mark Manyin, Kyung-Ae Park, Scott Snyder, Jae-Jung Suh, David von Hippel.

Developmental Mindset

Developmental Mindset PDF Author: Elizabeth Thurbon
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1501704168
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 236

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Book Description
The Asian financial crisis of 1997–1998 was supposed to be the death knell for the developmental state. The International Monetary Fund supplied emergency funds for shattered economies but demanded that states liberalize financial markets and withdraw from direct involvement in the economy. Financial liberalization was meant to spell the end of strategic industry policy and the state-directed "policy lending" it involved. Yet, largely unremarked by analysts, South Korea has since seen a striking revival of financial activism. Policy lending by state-owned development banks has returned the state to the core of the financial system. Korean development banks now account for one quarter of all loans and take the lead in providing low-cost finance to local manufacturing firms in strategic industries.Elizabeth Thurbon argues that an ideational analysis can help explain this renewed financial activism. She demonstrates the presence of a "developmental mindset" on the part of political leaders and policy elites in Korea. This mindset involves shared ways of thinking about the purpose of finance and its relationship to the productive economy. The developmental mindset has a long history in Korea but is subject to the vicissitudes of political and economic circumstances. Thurbon traces the structural, institutional, political, and ideational factors that have strengthened and at times weakened the developmental consensus, culminating in the revival of financial activism in Korea. In doing so, Thurbon offers a novel defense of the developmental state idea and a new framework for investigating the emergence and evolution of developmental states. She also canvasses the implications of the Korean experience for wider debates concerning the future of financial activism in an era of financialization, energy insecurity, and climate change.

Energy Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia

Energy Security Cooperation in Northeast Asia PDF Author: Bo Kong
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317664965
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 243

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Book Description
Drawing on cutting-edge research from leading scholars, this book investigates state preferences for regime creation and assesses state capacity for executing these preferences in Northeast Asia’s energy domain, defined as the geographical area comprising the following countries: Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan, South Korea and North Korea. It examines questions pertaining to how states perceive the need and necessity for establishing a regime when it comes to the issue of energy and how much commitment they make to the effort in Northeast Asia. The book analyses the factors that shape each country’s fundamental energy interests in the region, how these interests impact their attitudes toward engaging the region on energy security and the way they carry out their regional engagement. Based on countries’ interests in promoting institutionalized regional energy cooperation and their capacity for forging that cooperation, the collection assesses each state’s role in contributing to an energy regime in Northeast Asia. It then concludes with a critique on the decade-plus quest for energy security cooperation in Northeast Asia and suggests ways forward for facilitating regional energy security cooperation. This book will be of great interest to scholars and students of environmental policy, energy policy, security studies, Asian studies and international relations.

Handbook of Transitions to Energy and Climate Security

Handbook of Transitions to Energy and Climate Security PDF Author: Robert Looney
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317528484
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 608

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Book Description
An original contribution to our understanding of a phenomenon that is reshaping the world, this title thoroughly discusses the transformation of the energy security policy arena brought on by two dramatic developments – the increased potential availability of energy in many parts of the world on the supply side, and on the demand side increasing concerns over the harmful effects on the environment brought on by the use of fossil fuels. An in depth discussion specifically focuses on what energy security means to different countries, and examines which of those countries appear to be managing their energy/climate transitions successfully and which are having a more difficult time adapting to the new environment. Part 1 introduces the topic, covering the main themes and provides an overview of the chapters Part 2 provides a framework for policy evaluation, considering the evolving factors affecting energy security and the energy/climate policy trilemma Parts 3 to 6 discuss energy transitions in the carbon producing countries (Saudi Arabia, Canada, Iran, Russia, Mexico), in intermediate carbon/producing/consuming countries (China, United States, UK, Brazil, Argentina, South Africa), in carbon consuming countries (Germany, Japan, South Korea, Israel, India, Spain) and finally in carbon reduction countries (France, Denmark, Switzerland) Part 7 looks at attempts at regional/international cooperation Part 8 considers the prospects for the future, examining technological breakthroughs. This title builds on the theme of unfolding energy transformations driven by, but increasingly constrained by climate/environmental considerations. It is ideal for researchers and students in the areas of environmental politics and policy, climate change, and energy and climate security, as well as for academics and professionals.

The New Energy Crisis

The New Energy Crisis PDF Author: J. Chevalier
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 0230242235
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 311

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Book Description
The New Energy Crisis comes from the recent intrusion of climate change issues into energy economics and geopolitics. Global warming reveals that the current evolution of the world energy consumption is on an unsustainable path. This book explores economic and geopolitical tensions and reinforces ways to overcome the crisis.

Energy Security and Climate Policy

Energy Security and Climate Policy PDF Author: International Energy Agency
Publisher: OECD Publishing
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 160

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Book Description
World energy demand is surging. Oil, coal and natural gas still meet most global energy needs, creating serious implications for the environment. One result is that CO 2 emissions, the principal cause of global warming, are rising. This study underlines the close link between efforts to ensure energy security and those to mitigate climate change. Decisions on one side affect the other. The book presents a framework to assess interactions between energy security and climate change policies, combining qualitative and quantitative analyses. The quantitative analysis is based on the development of energy security indicators, tracking the evolution of policy concerns linked to energy resource concentration. The indicators are applied to a reference scenario and CO 2 policy cases for five case-study countries: The Czech Republic, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.. -->