Press Releases

 RE100 Urges the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment to Include

‘2030 Renewable Energy 100GW’ Target and Roadmap

in the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand 

- 76% of Korean RE100 companies say current renewable energy targets make it difficult to reach the RE100 target, as Korea remains one of the most challenging markets for procurement 

- Emphasis needed on an implementation pathway with annual capacity expansion and policy measures to ensure implementation 

- KoSIF: “A basis should also be laid for a medium- to long-term transition pathway toward the upper-end NDC target of 61%” 

As discussions accelerate on the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand (“12th Basic Plan”), the global initiative RE100 has called on the government to present concrete implementation measures for renewable energy expansion. 

Climate Group and the Korea Sustainability Investing Forum (KoSIF) said they delivered an official letter on the 15th to the Minister of Climate, Energy and Environment Kim Sung-hwan. The letter calls for the 2030 target of 100 GW in installed renewable energy capacity to be formally included in the soon-to-be-established 12th Basic Plan, along with a detailed roadmap for achieving it. 

[Image] Climate Group-KoSIF logo 

RE100 welcomed Korea’s climate leadership at COP30, including the announcement of an enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) and Korea’s accession to the Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA). At the same time, the global initiative stressed that renewable energy expansion targets should not remain mere declarations, but should be backed by feasible pathways, including annual capacity expansion plans and policy instruments. In response, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment stated that it would concentrate its policy capacity this year on expanding total renewable energy supply. 

There are more than 180 RE100 member companies operating in Korea, and together they account for around 10% of Korea’s annual electricity consumption. However, according to the recently conducted “2025 RE100 Policy Survey,” 76% of responding companies stated that the current national renewable energy target is far from sufficient to support corporate RE100 implementation. 

Despite the enormous demand for renewable energy, Korea continues to be identified as one of the most difficult markets for RE100 companies to secure renewable electricity. 

The letter also raised concerns about rapidly increasing electricity demand. Citing International Energy Agency (IEA) analysis, the two organizations said peak electricity demand is projected to reach 129.3 GW by 2038 due to AI expansion, data center growth, and industrial electrification. They added that accelerating renewable energy deployment is more important than ever to meet this demand in a sustainable way. 

Ollie Wilson, Head of RE100, said in the letter: “A clear commitment to renewable electricity, paired with a consistent and supportive policy framework, would send a strong message to companies, spark significantly greater investment in renewables and help ensure South Korea exports remain competitive.” 

Chun Seung Yang, Executive Director of KoSIF, said: “Starting with the release of a detailed implementation roadmap to achieve the 100 GW target by 2030, the government should lay the groundwork for a medium- to long-term transition pathway toward the upper-end target of 61% in Korea’s 2035 NDC.” 

Meanwhile, KoSIF said it plans to continue monitoring how the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment reflects renewable energy policies in the 12th Basic Plan. 

• Inquiries: Seung Youn Seo Senior Researcher (syseo@kosif.org), Dajeong Kim  Senior Researcher (kimdj@kosif.org)