South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) announced plans to expand carbon-free energy (CFE) supply to boost export competitiveness and meet global carbon regulations. The initiative aims to decarbonize corporate power usage and achieve carbon neutrality in industrial processes, with support from eight countries, including the U.K., France and Japan.

Industry minister Ahn Duk-geun hosted an expert roundtable to review progress on the CFE Initiative. The ministry plans to launch a global working group in October to establish a comprehensive implementation framework. Experts emphasized the importance of CFE expansion for supply stability, economic feasibility and environmental sustainability.