🚨 Joint Action Plan

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.09.29

0️⃣ Korea-China-Japan Environmental Cooperation and Climate Change Strategy

📌 Korea, China, and Japan Agree on 5-Year Climate and Environmental Cooperation Plan

💬 The 26th Korea-China-Japan Environment Ministers Meeting closed in Yantai, China, adopting the 4th Joint Action Plan for 2026-2030. This plan covers eight priority cooperation areas including air pollution, biodiversity, waste management, and climate change. The countries agreed to hold regular climate policy dialogues starting next year and strengthen cooperation on carbon markets and labeling. Korea, China, and Japan have expanded their cooperation from environmental policy to climate action. Since these three countries produce more than one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions, this agreement is expected to contribute to global carbon neutrality beyond Northeast Asia.

💡 Summary

• A Joint Action Plan is a five-year document for implementing environmental and social goals agreed upon by countries.
• Korea, China, and Japan will cooperate in eight areas including air pollution, biodiversity, and climate change through the 4th plan.
• Regular climate policy dialogues and carbon market cooperation will strengthen real climate change response.

1️⃣ Definition

Joint Action Plan means a document that organizes environmental and social goals agreed upon by countries into specific implementation plans for a certain period. It includes objectives, priority areas, and action plans, serving to establish continuity and institutional foundation for cooperation.

The Korea-China-Japan Environment Ministers Meeting adopts a Joint Action Plan every five years, continuing the framework for Northeast Asian environmental cooperation. It is used as a practical guide to coordinate environmental policies of each country and jointly respond to transboundary environmental issues.

💡 Why is it important?

• It presents specific implementation plans for international environmental cooperation.
• It provides an institutional foundation for effectively solving transboundary environmental problems.
• It builds a long-term and sustainable cooperation system.
• It contributes to environmental improvement and climate change response in Northeast Asia.

2️⃣ Main Contents of the 4th Joint Action Plan

📕 Eight Priority Cooperation Areas

• It covers various environmental areas comprehensively. The main areas are:

  • In air pollution, joint research will be conducted to improve air quality including fine dust and ozone.
  • For biodiversity conservation, cooperation on protecting endangered species and habitat management will be strengthened.
  • In waste management, efforts will focus on reducing marine plastic waste and transitioning to a circular economy.
  • For climate change response, greenhouse gas reduction and carbon neutrality strategies will be shared.
  • Water resource management, soil conservation, environmental education, and green technology cooperation are also included.

• A practical implementation system will be established. The main methods are:

  • Expert working groups will be formed for each area to hold regular meetings.
  • Joint research projects will be conducted and research results will be shared among the three countries.
  • Best policy practices will be identified and opportunities for mutual learning will be created.
  • Participation from the private sector and civil society will be encouraged to broaden cooperation.

📕 Climate Cooperation Enhancement Measures

• Climate policy dialogues will become regular. The main content is:

  • The countries agreed to hold annual Korea-China-Japan climate policy dialogues starting in 2026.
  • Each country's carbon neutrality implementation strategies and policy trends will be shared regularly.
  • Possibilities for coordinating joint positions in international climate negotiations will be explored.
  • Climate change adaptation strategies and disaster response cooperation will also be discussed.

• Carbon market and labeling cooperation will expand. The main plans are:

  • Each country's carbon emission trading system status and operational experience will be exchanged.
  • The possibility of future carbon market linkage will be examined and technical foundations will be prepared.
  • Product carbon footprint labeling and environmental labeling systems will be harmonized.
  • Low-carbon product certification standards will be shared and mutual recognition methods will be discussed.

💡 Main Features of the Joint Action Plan

1. 5-Year Plan: Systematic cooperation from a medium-term perspective
2. 8 Priority Areas: Comprehensive environmental cooperation including air, water, waste, and climate
3. Strengthened Climate Cooperation: Expanding from environmental policy to climate change response
4. Regular Dialogue System: Ensuring continuity by holding climate policy dialogues annually
5. Practical Cooperation: Cooperation in specific areas such as carbon markets and labeling

3️⃣ Expected Effects and Future Outlook

✅ Environmental Improvement Effects in Northeast Asia

• Solving transboundary environmental problems will accelerate. The main effects are:

  • Air pollution problems like fine dust cannot be solved by one country's efforts alone.
  • Joint response by the three countries will make identifying pollution sources and reduction measures more effective.
  • Cooperation on regional common concerns such as yellow dust and marine debris will also be strengthened.
  • Real-time information sharing will become possible through building environmental monitoring networks.

• Environmental policy levels of each country will improve. The main changes are:

  • Policy capacity will increase through mutual learning of advanced policies and technologies.
  • Environmental regulations and systems that meet international standards will spread.
  • It will also have positive effects on environmental industry development and green job creation.
  • It will lead to increased environmental awareness and participation among citizens.

✅ Contribution to Global Climate Change Response

• It will substantially contribute to global greenhouse gas reduction. The main significance is:

  • Korea, China, and Japan account for about 35% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
  • Active cooperation among the three countries plays an important role in achieving Paris Agreement goals.
  • Each country's emission reduction target implementation can be mutually monitored through climate policy dialogues.
  • Technologies and experiences for achieving carbon neutrality will be shared, creating synergy.

• A sustainable cooperation system will be established. The main outlook is:

  • New Joint Action Plans will be established every five years, maintaining continuity of cooperation.
  • With a regularized dialogue system, cooperation will continue despite political situation changes.
  • Public-private cooperation and youth participation will be expanded to attract future generation interest.
  • The Northeast Asian environmental cooperation model can become a best practice for other regional cooperation.

4️⃣ Related Terms

🔎 TEMM (Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting)

• TEMM is a Northeast Asian environmental cooperation system that started in 1999.
  • TEMM (Tripartite Environment Ministers Meeting) is a consultative body where environment ministers from Korea, China, and Japan regularly meet to discuss regional environmental issues. It has been held annually since the first meeting in 1999 and is Northeast Asia's representative multilateral environmental cooperation system.
  • TEMM's main roles include: First, sharing and coordinating environmental policies and issues of the three countries. Second, adopting Joint Action Plans and monitoring implementation. Third, seeking joint response measures for transboundary environmental problems. Fourth, promoting practical cooperation projects in the environmental field.
  • TEMM holds various side events such as youth forums, business meetings, and NGO forums along with government-level meetings. Through this, it encourages participation not only from governments but also from the private sector and civil society, building a broad foundation for environmental cooperation. Recently, it has been expanding cooperation beyond environmental issues to climate change response.

🔎 Carbon Market

• A carbon market is a market where greenhouse gas emission permits are traded.
  • A carbon market refers to a market where emission permits for carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are bought and sold. Governments allocate emission allowances to companies, and companies can purchase emission permits if they exceed their allowance or sell remaining permits. It is an economic tool that encourages greenhouse gas reduction through market mechanisms.
  • Types of carbon markets include: First, the Emissions Trading System (ETS) is representative. Governments set total emission caps and allow trading of emission permits among companies. Second, there are carbon offset markets. Companies trade carbon credits generated by investing in reduction projects. Third, in voluntary carbon markets, companies voluntarily purchase credits for carbon neutrality goals.
  • The significance of Korea-China-Japan carbon market cooperation is sharing each country's emissions trading system experience and exploring long-term market linkage possibilities. Coordinating carbon pricing, trading rules, and monitoring systems can enable more efficient reduction. However, actual linkage will take time due to different industrial structures and policy conditions in each country.

🔎 Carbon Labeling

• Carbon labeling is a system that displays a product's carbon footprint.
  • Carbon labeling refers to a system that calculates and displays on products the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated throughout the entire process of production, distribution, consumption, and disposal. It is a policy tool that provides information so consumers can choose low-carbon products and encourages voluntary reduction by companies.
  • Main types of carbon labeling include: First, carbon footprint certification. It calculates and displays the lifecycle emissions of products in numbers. Second, low-carbon product certification is given to products with emissions lower than the average of the same product group. Third, carbon neutral certification is displayed on products with net-zero emissions through offsetting.
  • Korea-China-Japan labeling cooperation aims to harmonize certification standards and calculation methods of each country and establish a mutual recognition system. This can reduce duplicate certification burdens on companies and activate regional green trade. In the long term, it is expected to contribute to establishing international standards.

🔎 Circular Economy

• A circular economy is an economic model that reuses and recycles resources.
  • A circular economy refers to an economic system that maximizes the use and regeneration of products and resources, unlike a linear economy that extracts, uses, and discards resources. The key is minimizing waste and continuously maintaining the value of resources.
  • Main principles of circular economy include: First, considering reuse and recycling from the product design stage. Second, extending product lifespan and activating repair and remanufacturing. Third, establishing systems to recycle waste as resources. Fourth, promoting use over ownership through sharing and service economies.
  • In the Korea-China-Japan Joint Action Plan, circular economy cooperation is core to waste management. Especially, marine plastic waste is an urgent issue requiring joint response from the three countries. The plan is to cooperate on reducing plastic use, developing recycling technologies, and researching alternative materials, and to accelerate the circular economy transition by sharing best practices.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: How legally binding is the Joint Action Plan?

A: The Joint Action Plan is not a legally binding treaty, but it contains implementation commitment as a political promise.

• The Joint Action Plan is an agreement document with the nature of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) rather than a treaty under international law. Therefore, there are no legal sanctions for violations, but since it was officially adopted by the three governments, political and moral responsibility follows. First, each country has an obligation to faithfully pursue cooperation projects specified in the plan. Second, implementation status is reported and reviewed at the annually held TEMM. Third, progress is transparently disclosed under the attention of the international community and civil society.
• In reality, past Joint Action Plans have been faithfully implemented. Environmental issues are matters of national interest for all three countries, and the benefits gained through cooperation are large. However, implementation speed may differ depending on each country's political situation or economic conditions, and some projects may be delayed due to budget or technical difficulties.

Q: Can ordinary citizens also participate in the Joint Action Plan?

A: Citizen participation opportunities are provided through various side events such as youth forums and NGO forums.

• Although TEMM is an intergovernmental meeting, it actively encourages civil society participation. First, a Korea-China-Japan Youth Forum is held annually along with TEMM. University students and young environmental activists from the three countries gather to discuss environmental issues and adopt joint declarations. Second, at the Environmental NGO Forum, civic organizations make policy proposals and conduct monitoring activities. Third, at business meetings, companies share green technologies and best practices.
• Ordinary citizens can also participate indirectly. TEMM-related materials and the full text of the Joint Action Plan can be viewed on each country's environmental ministry website, and opinions can be submitted. Citizens can also directly voice their opinions by joining environmental NGOs or applying to participate in youth forums. Environmental issues are not just the government's task but everyone's responsibility, so active interest and participation are important.

Q: What is different about this Joint Action Plan from previous ones?

A: The biggest difference is that climate change response has emerged as a core issue and climate policy dialogues have become regular.

• The biggest feature of the 4th Joint Action Plan is the strengthening of climate cooperation. First, while traditional environmental problems such as air pollution and water quality were central in the past, climate change is now treated as the top priority. Second, the decision to hold annual climate policy dialogues starting in 2026 is a first. This establishes an institutional mechanism to continuously monitor the three countries' carbon neutrality implementation. Third, cooperation is strengthened in specific and practical areas such as carbon markets and labeling.
• These changes reflect the international environment where climate change response has become the top priority globally after the Paris Agreement. Since Korea, China, and Japan account for 35% of global greenhouse gas emissions, regional cooperation has a large impact on achieving global climate goals. How much practical results this plan produces over the next five years will determine the future of Northeast Asian climate cooperation.

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