Buildings

Final energy use in South Korea’s commercial and residential building sectors account for around 15% of the country’s primary energy supply and have done so for the past decade. While energy consumption from buildings has grown, it has done so at a slower pace than in other sectors (i.e., industry and transport). Between 2010 and 2019, the total final energy consumption increased by 15% while that for buildings did so by 6%.¹ This reflects the fact that emissions intensity of energy demand from buildings has decreased significantly over the last three decades (61% reduction between 1990-2019). This is a result of electricity having increasingly replaced direct fossil fuel combustion for meeting buildings’ energy demand.²

Graph description

Energy mix composition in the buildings sector in consumption (EJ) and shares (%) for the years 2030, 2040 and 2050 based on selected IPCC SR1.5 global least costs pathways.

Methodology
- Downscaling the energy mix in the final energy demand sectors
Data References
- Historical energy consumption : IEA WEB 2021

The 1.5°C compatible scenarios generally show a rapid decline in the share of fossil fuels meeting buildings’ energy demand, and a corresponding decline in direct CO₂ emissions, the latter reaching an emissions levels in 2050 less than half that in 2019.³ The scenarios show coal, which accounted for less than 2% of the sector’s energy demand in 2019, phased out by 2030. The role of natural gas, which met 32% of the demand in 2019, varies. While the use of this fossil fuel generally declines, it does so at a slower pace in scenarios which assume a high level of energy efficiency or uptake of carbon dioxide removal approaches.

The overall message from these scenarios is that South Korea will need to improve energy efficiency of buildings and focus on space heating, and cooling as the main drivers of emissions in the sector. In terms of energy intensity, the 3^rd Energy Master Plan does set a target for a 38% reduction from 2017 levels by 2040.⁴ In line with achieving this reduction, the government has set targets for “green remodelling” of public rental homes, public buildings, and schools.⁵^–⁶ This includes the zero energy buildings project which seeks to have buildings with maximum insulation performance and energy generated through solar power and geothermal heat. However recent analysis has shown that current policy incentivises the construction of new buildings over renovating existing buildings to improve energy efficiency.⁷

Direct CO₂ emissions only are considered (see power sector for electricity related emissions, hydrogen and heat emissions are not considered here).

Graph description

Direct CO₂ emissions of the buildings sector in selected 1.5°C compatible pathways.

Methodology
- Downscaling power carbon intensity
Data References
- Historical energy consumption : IEA WEB 2021
- Historical energy emissions : IEA GHG emissions from Energy database 2021

Indicator	2019	2030	2040	2050	Decarbonised buildings sector by
Direct CO₂ emissions MtCO₂/yr	48	24 to 42	4 to 41	1 to 19	2036 to 2056
Relative to reference year in %		-50 to -11%	-91 to -14%	-98 to -61%

Indicator	2019	2030	2040	2050
Share of electricity per cent	48	55 to 65	63 to 68	69 to 73
Share of heat per cent	6	7 to 10	11 to 24	13 to 35
Share of hydrogen per cent	0	0 to 4	0 to 4	0 to 7

All values are rounded. Only direct CO₂ emissions are considered (electricity, hydrogen and heat emissions are not considered here; see power sector for emissions from electricity generation). Year of full decarbonisation is based on carbon intenstiy threshold of 5gCO₂/MJ.

While aggregate energy demand has fallen, the energy intensity of certain end uses has increased. So while the energy intensity of space heating (per floor area) has decreased by 36%, and that of cooking (per dwelling) has decreased by around 39%, between 2000 and 2018, the energy intensities of water heating and residential appliances (per dwelling) have increased by 19% and 25% respectively over that period. Note that space heating is the largest energy user in the residential sector (accounting for 42% of total consumption).[^8] ↩
Specifically, the share of building energy demand met by electricity, hydrogen, and heating networks has grown from 14% in 1990 to 54% in 2019 while that of fossil and synthetic fuels has decreased from 84% to 45% over the same period. Consequently, the emissions intensity of buildings has declined from 70.5 to 27.4 gCO₂/MJ over that period. ↩
Direct CO₂ emissions of building energy demand was 48 MtCO₂ in 2019. Under the 1.5°C compatible scenarios, direct CO₂ emissions from buildings reaches a level of 1-19 MtCO₂ by 2050. ↩
Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC). Fueling the Climate Crisis: South Korea’s public financing for oil and gas. (2021). ↩
Republic of Korea. 2050 Carbon Neutral Strategy of the Republic of Korea: Towards a sustainable and green society. (2020). ↩
Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea. MoE Announces Plans for Green-Smart Schools of the Future (2020-07-17). (2020). ↩
Lee, J. H. & Woo, J. Green New Deal Policy of South Sorea: Policy Innovation for a Sustainability Transition. Sustain. 12, 1–17 (2020). ↩

What is South Korea's pathway to limit global warming to 1.5°C?

South Korea's energy mix in the buildings sector

petajoule per year

South Korea's buildings sector direct CO₂ emissions (of energy demand)

MtCO₂/yr

1.5°C compatible buildings sector benchmarks

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