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For global climate agreements and national carbon reduction goals to be accomplished, a standardized mechanism to track emissions is essential. Korea Electronics Technology Institute is currently researching and developing such devices, particularly in its Smart Network Research Center. Kim Young-han, the head of this research team, provided deep insight into the future of these carbon measurement devices and the imperative role it can play in carbon reduction. What is your r

Companies in the oil and gas exploration sector are exploring innovative ways to reduce their carbon footprint, and Halliburton is no exception. Halliburton is one of the largest transnational corporations that provides products and services to the global energy industry. On its way to achieve 40% reduction of Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2035 from the 2018 baseline, the company is exploring CCS as one of its net-zero strategies. Through a written interview, Halliburton's Techn

Expanding on one of the first interviews with SK EarthOn's Ji Sung-hoon, who explained their Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) investigation, today's interview is with Julia Davies at InCapture. InCapture  is a carbon store project developer based in Australia, and is currently collaborating with SK EarthOn on a new project along the western coast of Australia.  This enriching conversation with Ms. Davies, a CCS expert, introduced a new lens of viewing CCS as a complex interna

How solar cells can contribute to carbon neutrality and renewable energy expansion is a commonly thought notion. One Korean eco-friendly energy materials company exploring solar cell development is Hanhwa Solution. A researcher in the R&D team, Kim Keun-jin shared the biggest benefits of solar cells, and emphasized the need for long-term R&D policy support alongside continued advancements in solar efficiency and diversification. First, what kind of solar-related research is y

Among the rapidly developing battery industry is Lotte Chemical, a company that has a unique department called Future Technology Center within the Battery Materials division. This interview with Kim Jae-kyum, a senior researcher at the Future Technology Center, touched upon the battery industry's efforts to improve battery efficiency in an eco-friendly manner, but still highlighted that eco-friendliness and sustainability is yet to be recognized as a primary consideration for

Aside from large scale carbon reduction efforts such as CCS, changes for a net-zero future are being made through substances as small as carbon fiber. One expert in carbon fiber is Park Duk-myung, Sales Manager of the Composite Materials Division at Toray, a major chemicals and advanced materials business based in Japan. A conversation with Park introduced the crucial role carbon fiber plays in manufacturing materials and contributing to carbon reduction efforts.  What exactl

With a continued emphasis on the role that solar cells play in a wider range of energy and climate solutions, researchers are exploring how these technologies can be applied beyond traditional systems and adapted in more innovative ways. Lee Da-seul is a researcher at Gyeongnam Aerospace Defense Industry Science and Technology Institute, who recently started exploring how solar cells can be applied to outer space. Through this interview, she provided the perspective of a sola

As an extension to our previous Case Study article on Slovenia's model path to sustainability, we interviewed none other than the H.E. Ambassador Jerenj Müller at the Slovenian Embassy of Seoul, who embodies knowledge and diplomacy about climate change and sustainable solutions.  This comprehensive and meaningful discussion with the Ambassador allowed us a chance to learn deeper about Slovenia's diplomatic efforts to contribute to the world's journey to net-zero, as well as t

The current wave of competent researchers, business leaders, and climate activists commonly look up to one group of people—the future leaders who tackle climate change. One individual who cultivates such aspiring future climate leaders is Min Bae-hyeon, a professor at Ewha University.  This extensive fruitful discussion with Professor Min provided substantive insights into the uniqueness of his Climate and Energy Systems Engineering Department and its wide-ranging application

Along the similar lines of CCS and batteries, the energy storage system (ESS) is another prominent strategy for the world to gradually transition into eco-friendly energy usage. One company specializing in the development of ESS is SK Innovation E&S, and Team Leader of Renewable Energy, Bae Min-su, shared with us the company's progress. His responses about current challenges, ESG rating, and government policies, shed light to the complexities of ESS business and its importanc

Despite the pressing challenges of climate change and the rapidly approaching deadline for the 2035 NDC, Korea is still fraught with the rising demand for power generation. In light of the recent farmers' lawsuit against KEPCO for environmental damages, carbon emissions caused by coal power plants remains as a pressing issue for Korea's journey to net zero. One major contributor to carbon emissions from power generation is SK Hynix, a company that significantly relies on ener

Our previous discussions with battery researcher Shin Kyung-soo delved into the vital role that batteries play in creating systems that can efficiently store renewable energy. This interview with Lee Seung-yong at the LG Chem technology research lab expanded on the importance of batteries as an innovative solution to net-zero. Lee described how the battery technology is being invested and developed on the company level through LG Chem's strategy of battery process optimizatio

Beyond CCS, another unique method to undo the ever-increasing carbon emissions is CO₂ conversion. One researcher investigating such unique and innovative climate strategy is Won Da-hye at Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). She provided insights into the noteworthy effectiveness of CO₂ conversion, its application to businesses, as well as future opportunities in the technology's advancement. I heard that your uncle mentioned you’re researching CO₂ conversion cat

With the pressing challenges of climate issues, its connection to humanity at different societal levels is becoming increasingly clear. A student studying such connections at Universiity of California Berkeley, Heewon Kim, shared how she approaches climate change from a college student's perspective. From class experiences to societal impact, Heewon described how she learns and pursues sustainability in her college life. What made you choose your major of Society and Environm

Beyond renewable energy and CCS, climate action also starts from venture capitalist firms that make sustainable businesses financially viable. Venture Capitalist Cho Kang-hee, founder and CEO of an Investment firm Xquared, offered perspectives on how investments for ESG companies work, and future hopes for investments that contribute to netzero. Could you please start by introducing your company? We are a company called Xquared, an investment firm. In Korea, there are license

To balance the rising human demand for energy and our responsibility to achieve net zero, battery researchers play a large role in improving sustainability and efficiency of batteries. One such researcher is Shin Kyung-soo, who shared how efficient batteries take steps toward net zero and its key role in collaboration with existing renewable energy systems. What specific field are you currently researching? I research the materials that go into battery composition, including

As the most promising strategy to reduce carbon emissions, renewable energy continues to gain the most attention and investments. Behind the growth of renewable energy is the combined effort of researchers who develop technology, governments that create regulatory policies, and companies that invest in large-scale projects to run renewable energy power.  A business with a unique strategy of investing in overseas renewable energy projects is none other than Samsung C&T. Ji San

We previously talked to Ji Sunghoon at SK Earthon, who spoke about companies' perspectives on the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology. But CCS is not solely utilizied by companies, as it is the scientists and researchers who first investigate and improve the technology.  To get insights about CCS from the researchers' perspective, we spoke to Park Jaesung, a senior researcher at the Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology (KRICT). Park is a part of the Green C

When thinking of the concept of renewable energy, one would imagine a wide array of shiny solar panels glinting on rooftops. But beyond these familiar arrays lies a smaller, more compact technology called photovoltaic solar cells, Though less visible in everyday life, this rapidly advancing field promotes a promising future of sustainable and efficient energy consumption. In today's interview we spoke with Chung Jaehoon, a researcher at University of Toledo's Wright Center fo

While climate change is a global crisis applicable to anywhere in the world, what different places teach and take action about climate change can be different. To gain a better insight about such differences, we interviewed students around the world: Vidya Nagar from Massachussets, USA; Angela Philip from Dubai, UAE; Nia Bolton from Illinois, USA; and Anna Schubert from St. Pölten, Austria. When was the last time you remember learning about the climate crisis at school, and i