CHUNCHEON (UCAN): Marking Laudato Si’ Week, May 22 to 29, hundreds of Catholics marched the streets of South Korea caling on the government to phase out its nuclear power plants and to stop construction of coal-fired power plants to end the use of fossil fuels.
A walking pilgrimage on May 25 in the Diocese of Chuncheon was part of a series of programmes organised by dioceses throughout the country for the observance of Laudato Si’: On care for our common home, the landmark 2015 encyclical of Pope Francis that stressed action on environmental protection.
Participants said the government’s anti-environment policies are adding to the global climate crisis. The discussions brought out the unanimous opinion to reduce the use of fossil fuels. In South Korea, coal and oil account for about 82.5 per cent of energy consumption, according to Energy Tracker Asia [ETA].
However, the government has initiated an energy transition plan that aims to take the share of renewable energy resources for electricity to 35 per cent by 2040. The plan faces roadblocks because policies keep on changing.
South Korea’s government has reaped some success in reducing coal power consumption from 28.1 per cent in 2019 to 25.7 per cent in 2020. Meanwhile, oil consumption dropped from 42.2 per cent in 2019 to 41.6 per cent in 2020.
Yet South Korea remains one of the biggest carbon polluters, coal importers and the second-largest overseas coal financier, ETA says.
Air pollution in industry-intensive large cities like Seoul is a major concern in South Korea. Last year the country became the 14th to pass a carbon neutrality law with an ambitious plan to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
On the other hand, the government faced criticism for moving ahead with a coal power plant in the beach city of Samcheok in Gangwon province.
Catholic and civil society groups have been calling on the government to implement its policy of a gradual nuclear phase-out by closing all nuclear power plants and to introduce renewable energy like solar power and wind power.
Catholic activists said getting rid of nuclear and coal power while introducing renewable energy are huge challenges for the government, but these need to be done to protect the environment and curb climate change.
To stress the importance of environmental protection, the Archdiocese of Seoul organised an online prayer meeting on May 26. The next day the environment ministry of the Diocese of Daejeon and churches in Cheonan and Jeju island held a march for climate action.
