A survey commissioned by the government indicates that local industries can only reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by a third of the goal set for 2030 by the Moon Jae-in administration.

The results of a survey entrusted by the trade, industry and energy ministry to the Korea Energy Economics Institute and Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade were released on Monday, revealing the finding.

It found that local industries will only be able to cut up to 13 million tons of greenhouse gases by 2030, equivalent to five percent of the emissions total in 2018.

In October of 2021, the Moon administration announced its goal of reducing annual greenhouse gas emissions to 40 percent of peak emissions in 2018 by 2030.

Under the “nationally determined contributions” targets, industrial sectors were assigned a goal to gradually reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by 14-point-five percent of the 2018 level by 2030.

The ministry said it submitted the research outcome and its opinions to the presidential Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Commission and the environment ministry in December and is now discussing a readjustment plan on the nation’s reduction target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction.