Six major South Korean economic organizations have called on lawmakers to adopt a 'convex reduction path' for greenhouse gases, arguing that the alternative concave path ignores the current technology readiness of key sectors like steel, petrochemicals, and cement. The groups submitted their proposal to the National Assembly's Special Committee on Climate Crisis, which is revising the Framework Act on Carbon Neutrality after a 2024 Constitutional Court ruling found the law lacked specific reduction targets for 2031 to 2049. The business groups support the national goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 but warn that forcing early emission cuts could cripple manufacturing competitiveness and shift costs to consumers. They point out that hydrogen reduction steel, carbon capture and storage, and clean hydrogen are still in the demonstration stage and will not be commercially viable until after 2040. Lawmakers from the climate committee have pledged to work toward a realistic path that accounts for technological and economic constraints.
