Korea 9th-largest CO2 emitter

Korea is the ninth-largest emitter of greenhouse gas in the world and sixth among Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development member countries, the government said yesterday, quoting a report by an international advisory group on energy.

The country`s CO2 emissions have increased 113 percent to 488.7 million tons in 2007 from 1990. The pecentage growth of greenhouse gases measured between 1990 and 2007 is the highest among the OECD member countries, the Ministry of Knowledge Economy added.

The volume of greenhouse gas emissions per capita per year reached 10.1 tons in 2007.

China topped the list of countries that emits polluting gases followed by the United States, Russia and India. Japan, the world`s second-largest economy, was ranked fifth on the list.

In the report released last week, the International Energy Agency, which falls under the OECD, urged member countries to make investments in renewable energy, biofuels and nuclear power to stabilize green house gas emissions.

The Paris-based agency advocates greenhouse gases peaking at 450 parts per million by implementing restrictions on CO2 emissions.

Without such restrictions, emissions will rise to 1,000 ppm, leading to a six-degree temperature rise, the agency claimed.

To keep to the 450 ppm scenario, the United States would have to drastically curb use while India, Brazil and African countries would have to reduce their energy consumption by 16 percent by 2020, it added.

It also urged OECD member countries to adopt a carbon trading system in their industrial sectors and called for the participation of non-OECD member countries in the carbon reduction project starting in 2020.

(christory@heraldm.com)By Cho Chung-un