Selected environmental performance indicators
Korea has the OECD's highest level of public R&D expenditure on energy as a share of GDP
Waste recovery has further progressed
Regions vary widely on well-being indicators
Korea has been one of the fastest growing OECD economies
Well-being indicators suggest room for improvement in Korea
Energy supply is heavily dependent on fossil fuels
The objective for new and renewable energy sources will be hard to achieve
Industries dominate Korea's energy consumption
GHG emissions are decoupled from economic growth but continue to increase
The number of deaths caused by outdoor air pollution is expected to nearly triple
Air emissions
Material productivity increases
Waste generation has increased in line with economic activity
Built-up areas have increased rapidly
Protected areas remain below the Aichi target
Korea is close to achieving river water quality targets, but falls short of those for major lakes
Energy structure and intensity
Road transport
GHG emissions and intensity
CO2 emissions and intensity
SOx emissions and intensity
NOx emissions and intensity
PM2.5 emissions and intensity
Waste generation and management
Material consumption and productivity
Agricultural inputs and livestock density
Fish catches and threatened species
Water abstraction and wastewater treatment
Water quality improves in several river basins
Inspections decreased but detection of violations by local governments rose
Targeted inspections by the central government are becoming more effective
Economic growth in Korea is largely based on pollution-intensive activities
Environment-related tax revenue as a share of GDP has declined
Motor fuel taxation is declining in real terms
A large share of carbon emissions are priced but at low rates outside the transport sector
Wastewater and waste management account for the bulk of environmental protection expenditure
Declining cost recovery rates threaten the financial sustainability of the water sector
Korea's electricity prices are below OECD averages
Roads dominate investment in transport infrastructure, but rail is growing
The share of diesel in the vehicle fleet is rising
The environmental goods and services sector is growing
Public R&D budgets on energy and key green technologies increased
Korea has become one of the world's most innovative countries in climate change mitigation technologies
Environment-related ODA is concentrated in water supply and sanitation
Environmentally related tax revenue
Green innovation
International development co-operation
Material resource use is growing, but at a lower rate than the economy and waste
Material consumption is driven by construction minerals and fossil fuels
Waste generation continues to grow
Municipal waste remains decoupled from private consumption and is increasingly recycled and used as an energy source
Rich and upper middle income households have benefited disproportionally from per capita GDP growth
Green cover varies considerably between metropolitan areas