The UK-ROK Clean Energy High-Level meeting took place on March 8th in Seoul, with Namho Choe, Vice Minister of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE), and Jeremy Pocklington, Permanent Secretary for the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero, leading the discussion. This meeting is a deliverable to the Clean Energy Partnership signed during President Yoon suk-yeol’s State Visit to London in late November last year, meeting with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to discuss our shared priorities. It marks a significant step towards a "global strategic partnership" to advance our respective efforts and common goals to address energy security and the climate crisis.
Vice Minister Choe and Permanent Secretary Pocklington have highlighted the immense potential of bilateral cooperation to accelerate the global transition to net zero, with a strong emphasis on clean energy. This collaboration is crucial in light of the recent geopolitical conflicts and the climate crisis, which have disrupted the energy supply chain and created an urgent need for sustainable solutions. To this end, both countries have agreed to actively use the UK-ROK Nuclear Energy Industry dialogue, establish a Critical Minerals Working Group, continue the Offshore Wind Industry Dialogue, expand cooperation in clean hydrogen and energy technology development, and further cooperation in the field of carbon-free energy to further decarbonization efforts in the industrial and power generation sectors. The UK and ROK discussed collaboration in the G20 and the need to agree on a delivery plan to implement the COP28 Global Stocktake commitments to transition away from fossil fuels and accelerate the clean energy transition.
“Korea boasts commendable expertise in the field of clean energy manufacturing, and we are eager to work together towards advancing our respective industries and promoting clean energy worldwide,” said Vice Minister Choe. “The UK-ROK Clean Energy High-Level meeting marks an important milestone towards the establishment of a global strategic partnership, as agreed upon in the Downing Street Accord. These collaborative efforts will also position both nations as significant players in the global response to carbon neutrality and energy security.”
“The 2023 State Visit of President Yoon Suk-yeol was a landmark moment for UK-ROK collaboration”, said Permanent Secretary Jeremy Pocklington. “Cooperation to tackle the climate crisis and to enhance energy security is to the fore of our global strategic partnership. During the UK-RoK Clean Energy High-Level meeting, I was pleased to agree further cooperation, accelerating joint efforts on nuclear, offshore wind, critical minerals and a number of other sectors. This demonstrates our shared determination to deliver the COP28 outcomes on transitioning away from fossil fuels, tripling nuclear energy capacity and tripling renewables capacity globally by 2030.”said Permanent Secretary Jeremy Pocklington.