• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.58-74
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• 2021

Purpose - This paper research on the embodied carbon emission in Sino-Korea trade. It calculates and analyzes the carbon emission coefficient and specific carbon emissions in Sino-Korea trade from 2005 to 2014. Design/methodology - This paper conducted an empirical analysis for embodied carbon emission in Sino-Korea trade during the years 2005-2014, using a multi-region input-output model. First, direct and complete CO2 emission coefficient of the two countries were calculated and compared. On this basis, combined with the world input-output table, the annual import and export volume and sector volume of embodied carbon emission are determined. Then through the comparative analysis of the empirical results, the reasons for the carbon imbalance in Sino-Korea trade are clarified, and the corresponding suggestions are put forward according to the environmental protection policies being implemented by the two countries. Findings - The results show that South Korea is in the state of net trade export and net embodied carbon import. The carbon emission coefficient of most sectors in South Korea is lower than that of China. However, the reduction of carbon emission coefficient in China is significantly faster than that in South Korea in this decade. The change of Korea's complete CO2 emission coefficient shows that policy factors have a great impact on environmental protection. The proportion of intra industry trade between China and South Korea is relatively large and concentrated in mechanical and electrical products, chemical products, etc. These sectors generally have large carbon emissions, which need to be noticed by both countries. Originality/value - To the best knowledge of the authors, this study is the first attempt to research the embodied carbon emission of ten consecutive years in Sino-Korea Trade. In addition, In this paper, some mathematical methods are used to overcome the error problem caused by different statistical caliber in different databases. Finally, the accurate measurement of carbon level in bilateral trade will provide some reference for trade development and environmental protection.

• East Asian Economic Review
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.37-67
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• 2024

This paper analyses carbon emissions and value-added embodied in trade between two large developed countries, South Korea and the United States, during 2000-2014. Using multi-regional input-output (MRIO) tables, our analysis reveals that carbon emissions and value-added embodied in exports grew by 19% and 101% for South Korea but shrank by 43% and 7% for the United States. As a result, South Korea experienced a 40% increase in net carbon exports and 243% increase in net value-added exports. At the industry level, the primary drivers of changes in carbon exports were electricity and basic materials. The majority of industries in witnessed improvements in carbon intensities suggesting improved environmental efficiency. While both countries achieved a decoupling of carbon emissions from value-added exports, substantial year-to-year and sectoral variations were observed. Finally, structural decomposition analysis indicates that domestic supply-side factors played a role in decreasing emissions whereas foreign demand-side factors contributed to emissions increases. In line with the main findings, various implications for policy and future research are discussed.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.621-655
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• 2004

Emission Trading (ET) among Annex I countries as expounded in Kyoto mechanism can be an effective mean to control Greenhouse Gases(GHGs), particularly $CO_2$ emissions from fossil fuels. For the international ET to be an effective tool to reduce the global emissions, however, it presupposes that there are no carbon leakage, i.e. Annex I emitters will purchase emission permits if emitting above caps, rather than importing emission-intensive goods from non-Annex I countries thus inducing the foreigners to emit instead. The extent to which a country leaks carbon through trade can be revealed by its bilateral balance of current accounts and related Balance of Emissions Embodied in Trade (BEET) supplemented by Emission Terms of Trade (ETT). Earlier studies on BEET and ETT relied on few selected countries in a partial equilibrium context, Korea being treated as insignificant though she is not a minor emitter. This paper is an attempt to examine BEET in the global CGE framework and to compare its structural difference across countries, with a special emphasis on South Korea.

• Journal of Korea Trade
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.45-64
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• 2022

Purpose - This paper examines South Korea's potential status as a carbon leakage country, and the level of risk posed by the Korean emissions trading scheme (ETS) for Korean industries. The economic effects of border carbon adjustments (BCAs) to protect energy-intensive Korean industries in the process of achieving the carbon reduction target by 2030 through the Korean ETS are also analyzed. Design/methodology - First, using the Korean Input-Output (IO) table, this paper calculates the balance of emissions embodied in trade (BEET) and the pollution terms of trade (PTT) to determine Korean industries' carbon leakage status. Analyses of the risk level posed by carbon reduction policy implementation in international trade are conducted for some sectors by applying the EU criteria. Second, using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, three BCA scenarios, exemption regulations (EXE), reimbursement (REB), and tariff reduction (TAR) to protect the energy-intensive industries under the Korean ETS are addressed. Compared to the baseline scenario of achieving carbon reduction targets by 2030, the effects of BCAs on welfare, carbon leakage, outputs, and trading are analyzed. Findings - As Korea's industrial structure has been transitioning from a carbon importing to a carbon leaking country. The results indicate that some industrial sectors could face the risk of losing international competitiveness due to the Korean ETS. South Korea's industries are basically exposed to risk of carbon leakage because most industries have a trade intensity higher than 30%. This could be interpreted as disproving vulnerability to carbon leakage. Although the petroleum and coal sector is not in carbon leakage, according to BEET and PTT, the Korean ETS exposes this sector to a high risk of carbon leakage. Non-metallic minerals and iron and steel sectors are also exposed to a high risk of carbon leakage due to the increased burden of carbon reduction costs embodied in the Korean ETS, despite relatively low levels of trade intensity. BCAs are demonstrated to have an influential role in protecting energy-intensive industries while achieving the carbon reduction target by 2030. The EXE scenario has the greatest impact on mitigation of welfare losses and carbon leakage, and the TAF scenario causes a disturbance in the international trade market because of the pricing adjustment system. In reality, the EXE scenario, which implies completely exempting energy-intensive industries, could be difficult to implement due to various practical constraints, such as equity and reduction targets and other industries; therefore, the REB scenario presents the most realistic approach and appears to have an effect that could compensate for the burden of economic activities and emissions regulations in these industries. Originality/value - This paper confirms the vulnerability of the Korean industrial the risk of carbon leakage, demonstrating that some industrial sectors could be exposed to losing international competitiveness by implementing carbon reduction policies such as the Korean ETS. The contribution of this paper is the identification of proposed approaches to protect Korean industries in the process of achieving the 2030 reduction target by analyzing the effects of BCA scenarios using a CGE model.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.31-52
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• 2013

The recent analyses of carbon emissions embodied in international trade are related with discussions on who is responsible for the carbon emissions causing global warming. Some authors insist that the countries importing carbon-intensive goods should share the responsibility with the suppliers of those goods. In order to determine which countries are net importers of carbon dioxide embodied in traded goods, we need to construct the multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model incorporating national input-output tables and data on bilateral trades. The paper calculates consumption-based as well as production-based inventories by using MRIO model whose global database is GTAP version 8 to get the picture of carbon footprints in international trades of Korea and other regions in the world.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.141-164
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• 2015

The concept of consumption-based greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory is directly related with the carbon content of international trade. Along the lines of the consumption-based GHG inventory, we investigate domestic and foreign carbon contents embodied in sectoral exports of Korea. In addition to the analysis of carbon content of exports, it is investigated how much share of responsibility for carbon emissions of Korea belongs to each major trading partner of Korea. We also compute the carbon intensities of Korean exports in carbon chain with other trading partners and find some characteristics revealed in Korea's carbon emissions embodied in its exports.

• Advances in Computational Design
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.385-404
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• 2018

The study investigated an area of sustainable structural design that is often overlooked in practical engineering applications. Specifically, a novel method to simultaneously optimise the cost and embodied carbon performance of steel building structures was explored in this paper. To achieve this, a parametric design model was developed to analyse code compliant structural configurations based on project specific constraints and rigorous testing of various steel beam sections, floor construction typologies (precast or composite) and column layouts that could not be performed manually by engineering practitioners. Detailed objective functions were embedded in the model to compute the cost and life cycle carbon emissions of the different material types used in the structure. Results from a comparative numerical analysis of a real case study illustrated that the proposed optimisation approach could guide structural engineers towards areas of the solution space with realistic design configurations, enabling them to effectively evaluate trade-offs between cost and carbon performance. This significant contribution implied that the optimisation model could reduce the time required for the design and analysis of multiple structural configurations especially during the early stages of a project. Overall, the paper suggested that the deployment of automated design procedures can enhance the quality as well as the efficiency of the optimisation analysis.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.851-891
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• 2012

The objective of this study can be presented as follows: First, given the consumption-based carbon accounting method which has now been claimed, this study reviews the emissions within Korea and the resulting position change in international society. Second, when each nation makes efforts to reduce carbon emissions under the Copenhagen Accord, this study, using the Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model, reviews the resulting carbon leakage and analyzes the effect from the various border adjustment measures. However, reflecting uncertainties in the negotiation processes, this study attempts to apply scenarios with regards to the reduction-mandatory nation group. In addition, this study tries to observe the impact on Korea through testing the various border adjustment measures, including the free allocation and embodied carbon tariffs.

• International Area Studies Review
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.209-227
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• 2018

The issue of climate change, which calls for urgent and improved action by countries around the world, requires cooperation from the international community. Therefore, consistency among various policies on climate change is particularly important. This study analyzes the relationship between the implementation of SDGs and the scale of assistance in the field of climate change in order to see if there is consistency between domestic policy and aid policy to address climate change issues. An analysis of the correlation between the indices related to the domestic implementation of SDGs and ODA amounts in the field of climate change by OECD countries was conducted. As a result, there is a significant negative correlation between imported CO2 emissions and the portion of climate change ODA. On the other hand, the amount of CO2 emissions embodied in fossil fuel export is significantly positively correlated with the portion of ODA for climate change. Consistency between domestic and aid policies of OECD countries in the field of climate change is not sufficiently ensured, and climate change, the cross-cutting issue, is not being pursued in a consistent direction across national policy.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.47-75
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• 2023

Compared to the EU, which legislates the Carbon Border Adjustment System (CBAM), the United States' carbon border adjustment policy movement is still relatively slow. Recently, however, a related bill has been proposed in the United States, and research institutes have been presenting research results on how to introduce an upstream carbon tax rather than an emission trading system and carry out carbon border adjustment based on it. Therefore, in this study, we looked at the economic and environmental effects of introducing this type of upstream carbon tax and carbon border adjustment in Korea. If an upstream carbon tax of KRW 30,000 per ton of CO₂ is applied to the net supply of domestic fossil energy, the expected carbon tax revenue is approximately KRW 22.9961 trillion, equivalent to about 5.7% of the total revenue of the Korean government of KRW 402 trillion in 2019. In addition, the carbon dioxide content of the steel sector, calculated based on the energy supply and demand status of the steel sector, which emits the most greenhouse gas emissions in Korea and has a considerable amount of overseas exports, was 106.22 million tons of CO₂. On the other hand, assuming that the upstream carbon tax of 30,000 won per ton of CO₂ embodied is directly passed on to the production cost of the steel sector, the carbon tax burden in the steel sector is estimated to reach approximately KRW 3.1865 trillion. Even after deducting KRW 1.1599 trillion in export refunds estimated by using the share of exports of steel products, the net carbon tax burden on steel products for domestic demand amounts to KRW 2.0266 trillion, which is analyzed to act as a factor in increasing the price of steel products.