Sri Lanka  Joined GMI in 2005 

Methane Emissions Summary

According to the Fourth Biennial Report of the Republic of Korea, submitted in 2021, methane accounted for 3.8% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2018, amounting to 27.7 million tons CO₂ equivalent. Methane emissions have been reduced in the energy and agriculture sectors since 1990.

Total Methane Emissions and Percentage of Total Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 2010–2018, excluding LULUCF (million tCO₂ equivalent)

Change in Methane Emissions by Sector, 1990 and 2018

Source: The Fourth Biennial Report of the Republic of Korea, 2021. https://www.gir.go.kr/eng/board/read.do?pagerOffset=0&maxPageItems=10&maxIndexPages=10&searchKey=&searchValue=&menuId=31&boardId=7&boardMasterId=21&boardCategoryId=

Methane Commitments and Plans

Methane mitigation efforts in the Republic of Korea are guided by national and international commitments and plans.

National

• The National Plan for Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth, released in 2023, includes methane mitigation initiatives in the agriculture sector by implementing sustainable agricultural practices and developing low-methane feed.
• The Republic of Korea’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), published in June 2022, establishes the goal of reducing methane emissions by recovering methane emitted from landfills and promoting sustainable farming and livestock practices to mitigate methane emissions.

International

• The Republic of Korea joined the Global Methane Pledge (GMP) in 2021 at the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference (COP26), agreeing to take voluntary actions to contribute to reduce global methane emissions by 30% from 2020 levels by 2030.
• The Republic of Korea signed the Paris Agreement on climate change in April 2016, committing to significant measures to combat methane emissions. Specifically, the country’s NDC aims to achieve a 30% reduction in methane emissions by 2030.
• The Republic of Korea has been a partner of the Climate and Clean Air Coalition since 2013, supporting activities to reduce methane and other short-lived climate pollutants.

Methane Actions

The following highlights a sampling of actions taken by the Republic of Korea to address methane, organized by GMI sector.  

Biogas Sector

• The dung beetle, once native to the entire Korean Peninsula, was believed extinct in the 1960s and 1970s due to pesticides and anthelmintics. In 2019, the Republic of Korea began efforts to reintroduce a species of dung beetles from Mongolia. These beetles help reduce methane emissions by breaking down cattle manure and shifting decomposition from methane-producing anaerobic conditions to oxygen-rich, aerobic ones. (September 2023)
• In 2022, the Republic of Korea announced plans to expand biogas generation to achieve the larger goal of doubling renewable energy. These plans include increasing biogas plants from 110 to 140 facilities, resulting in approximately a 40% increase in biogas production. (June 2022)
• The Republic of Korea harnesses biogas generated from food wastewater to power city buses. Each day, 800 tons of food wastewater is processed into biogas, helping to reduce methane emissions and support sustainable energy initiatives. (June 2011)

Ministries and Agencies Supporting Methane Actions

Explore the following websites to learn more about the government ministries addressing methane emissions. 

• Ministry of Environment
• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport
• Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy