Natural disasters occur every year due to the climate crisis. South Korea, the 11th largest emitter of greenhouse gases, declared carbon neutral by 2050. Although North Korea emits less than one-tenth of South Korea's greenhouse gas emissions, it is actively responding to climate crisis adaptation and carbon emission reduction.
In June last year, North Korea submitted a Voluntary National Review to the UN on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. The Sustainable Development Goals are the agenda that the UN General Assembly decided to achieve by 2030 at the 2015 UN General Assembly, and presented 17 common human goals for sustainable development. Through the report, North Korea expressed its intention to participate in the efforts to achieve the SDGs pursued by the world and announced the current status of its SDGs and its implementation plan.
Sister Jin introduced the report and explained that North Korea is in "the struggle against climate change and its impact. In 2015, there was a drought and heavy rain, and the average temperature that year was 1 degree Celsius higher than the average year. In August and September 2016, record heavy rains fell along the Tuman River in North Hamgyong Province, causing the river to overflow. From 2018 to 20, there have been higher than normal temperatures, typhoons, human casualties, and huge damage to crops and infrastructure, and more than one natural disaster has occurred every year for the past decade.
North Korea is diagnosing itself as "a country prone to extreme climate change." In addition, North Korea stated in the report that solving the energy problem is the country's top priority. It reports that the use of renewable energy is increasing but the proportion of use is small. Sister explained that North Korea has set a goal of reducing 36 million tons (15.65 percent) of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and 157 million tons (50.34 percent) with international aid.
Planning for climate change adaptation in science, forestry, and energy North Korea has been aware of the various social and economic problems caused by climate change even before this report, and after adopting the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, it has ratified all climate change-related treaty documents. Specifically, regarding North Korea's perception of the climate crisis, Sister said that since there is little information publicly available to the international community, she can guess based on North Korean media reports such as "Rodong Newspaper" and "Democratic Chosun".
First of all, North Korea is making efforts to develop science and technology in almost all fields, including scientific farming methods and solutions to food crises. According to Meteorology and Hydrology, the only climate-related academic journal published four times a year, research on the modernization and information of weather and climate predictions is increasing. A developed weather information notification program even though they did not disclose detailed research, achievements, observation equipment, technology, etc. because North Korea recognizes meteorological information as military information. A smartphone app, 'Weather' 2.0, is a 'mobile phone weather information service system' in North Korea.
The next area that North Korea is focusing on in response to the climate crisis is forest restoration and energy. In the 2000s, North Korea established a 10-year forest plan, but failed due to a lack of investment and weakened social control. North Korea self-diagnosed and set up a 10-year forestry and agricultural complex management strategy and business plan for 2015-24.
Sister said that energy discourse has rapidly increased in North Korea since 2010, so even if it is not a friendly country, they are introducing examples of renewable energy. She also said that North Korea is promoting the development of energy technology and making it known, and trying to expand 'zero energy' (producing enough renewable energy to meet its own annual energy consumption) and 'zero carbon' technologies. In 2013, North Korea adopted the renewable energy law.
However, the facilities and technologies are outdated and the rainfall is not constant, so a dramatic increase in electricity production has not been achieved. According to the National Statistical Office, as of 2019, electricity use in North Korea was only 49.3 percent. Electricity utilization rate refers to the proportion of the population with access to electricity. "There is a phenomenon in which households, small institutions, and companies import small solar panels and voltage devices from China and use them in their places of work."
Sister Jin saw that North Korea, which is aware of the seriousness of the climate crisis and is making various plans to respond to the climate crisis in science, forestry, and energy, suggests the possibility of cooperation with South Korea.
