The South Korean government is set to discuss the investment direction for research and development (R&D) in climate energy for 2028, aimed at supporting a green energy transition. The government is also working to establish a public-private advisory system to outline long-term technology development directions, anticipating changes in industry and energy systems over the next 10 to 20 years.
On October 2, the Ministry of Climate Energy held the second meeting of the '2026 Climate Energy Technology Strategy Planning Investment Council' at the HJ Business Center in Jongno, Seoul, to address these topics.
The council serves as a public-private forum to deliberate and coordinate the basic direction of technology development projects in the climate energy sector, including planning, evaluation, management, and investment adjustments. The meeting is chaired by Lee Ho-hyun, the second vice minister of the Ministry of Climate Energy, and includes policy officials from relevant departments, the head of the Korea Energy Technology Evaluation Institute, and five private sector experts.
This meeting, the second since its inception in July, will focus on the '2028 Climate Energy R&D Investment Direction' and the 'Operational Plan for the Long-term Climate Energy Technology Advisory Committee.'
The investment direction for 2028 is being developed to incorporate feedback from the climate energy sector into the '2028 National R&D Investment Direction and Guidelines,' which the Ministry of Science and ICT is set to establish by March next year.
The Ministry of Climate Energy is reviewing considerations for new project planning based on the 5th Energy Technology Development Plan and the Energy Technology Diffusion Strategy Roadmap. Key criteria include the necessity of technology development, alignment with core government policies such as the green transition, technical excellence and market impact assessed by experts.
The 5th Energy Technology Development Plan outlines a medium- to long-term development strategy for the energy technology sector from 2024 to 2033. The Energy Technology Diffusion Strategy Roadmap focuses on achieving carbon neutrality and the national greenhouse gas reduction targets for 2030 and 2035, emphasizing short- to medium-term outcomes across the entire energy cycle.
The Long-term Climate Energy Technology Advisory Committee will project future scenarios for the next 10 to 20 years and provide guidance on technology development directions to support structural transitions in industry and energy systems.
The committee will be co-chaired by the director of green transition policy at the Ministry of Climate Energy and a private sector expert, aiming to present a blueprint for future climate energy technologies and identify innovative R&D projects that can surpass current technological limitations. Proposed projects will be reported to the council for incorporation into government investment directions.
Lee stated, "Climate energy R&D projects are a key means of supporting government policy implementation and fostering future industries through technology. Through this council, we will clarify investment priorities by examining policy alignment and technology and market forecasts, and strengthen strategic and innovative aspects in the long term."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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