Top Stories 25/11/28 Church-state deal seeks South Korea’s renewable energy expansion

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Renewable energy is considered a vital tool to tackle climate crisis

A worker is seen at a solar panel plant in South Korea in this undated photo. (AFP)

By UCA News reporter

Published: December 05, 2025 11:26 AM GMT

Updated: December 05, 2025 11:51 AM GMT

The Committee for Ecology and Environment of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea (CBCK) has signed a deal with state-run Korea Energy Agency to collaborate in providing and expanding the use of renewable energy to tackle the climate crisis.

The signing of the agreement was completed at the headquarters of the CBCK in the national capital Seoul on Nov. 28.

Abbot and Bishop Blasio Park Hyeon-dong, apostolic administrator of the Territorial Abbacy of Tokwon and head of the committee signed the deal on behalf on the conference.

Among other things, the deal allows both organizations to carry out various cooperative projects including expanding the supply of renewable energy within the Korean Catholic Church, promoting and educating to improve awareness of renewable energy, and expanding social participation to overcome the climate crisis.

The Korea Energy Agency plans to provide consultancy and support for energy-efficiency building constructions in Catholic facilities and organizations. It will also provide subsidies for the installation of renewable energy facilities in churches, educational, cultural, and welfare facilities and provide support for the solar power generation industry in diocesan institutions.

The agency and the committee will provide carbon neutrality, education support for children, youth, and adult believers to practice the ‘Laudato Si’ 7-year journey’ – a seven-year environmental master plan based on famed 2015 environmental encyclical of Pope Francis.

Both organizations will promote communication projects related to renewable energy in cooperation with Korean Catholic diocesan ecological and environment committees.

Bishop Park said he hoped the cooperation would yield good results for people in Korea.

“I am confident that the Korea Energy Agency’s professional technology and policy know-how, combined with the Catholic community’s respect for life spirit and nationwide network, will create amazing synergy,” the prelate said.

He termed the deal signing event “an exemplary and beautiful step forward" in cooperation between religious communities and public institutions in moving forward to “the National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target 2035.”

Korea Energy Agency chairman Lee Sang-hoon said the collaboration seeks to develop and implement “concrete measures to stand in solidarity with those suffering in the era of climate crisis.”

The deal is part of the agency’s efforts to expand civil society participation in ecological conservation and tackling climate change impacts.

Korean Peninsula is facing the brunt of climate change impacts such as global warming, reports say.

South Korea in particular has endured natural disasters such as record-breaking heatwaves, wildfires and flooding that killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands in recent years.

*This report is brought to you in partnership with Catholic Times of Korea