A new audit report reveals that South Korea's local governments have set greenhouse gas reduction targets that collectively reach only 68.7% of the national NDC goal for 2030. Even if every city and province hits its target, the country will still miss its required 37.8% cut in transportation sector emissions. The gap is largest in major cities like Busan and Incheon, which set targets far below the national benchmark. The report also shows that local zero-emission vehicle adoption plans cover only 3.7 million units against a national goal of 4.5 million by 2030. Actual deployment rates have fallen short every year since 2020, with subsidies going unused. Domestic automakers can produce at most 3 million zero-emission vehicles by 2030, and no import plan exists to fill the gap. The findings raise serious questions about whether South Korea's climate targets are achievable without major policy corrections.
