This research analyzes the green growth strategies in major countries and regions including the EU, the US, China, and Japan with a focus on key policies such as energy transition(renewable energy, next-generation nuclear power, and hydrogen energy), green finance, and carbon pricing. 

This study begins by providing an overview of the major policy areas of green growth strategy in each major countries/region. Chapter 2, titled, “Green Growth Strategies in Major Countries: A General Overview” covers this topic. In Chapter 3, titled “Energy Transition (1): Renewable Energy and Next-generation Nuclear Power,” examines renewable energy policies and the development of next-generation nuclear technology in major countries. It discusses topics such as the European Commission’s Renewable Energy Directive(RED), Japan’s introduction of the Feed-in Premium(FIP) system through the revision of the Renewable Energy Special Measures Act (April 2022), major renewable energy policies and the state and local government-led renewable energy storage projects in the US, and the operation of the Feed-in-Tariff(FIT) system in China. The research also explores the technology and policies of the next generation nuclear energy, with a focus on the development of Small Modular Reactors(SMR). 

Chapter 4, titled “Energy Transition (2): Hydrogen Energy,” delves into the hydrogen strategies of the EU, Germany, Japan, and China. It provides an overview of the hydrogen demonstration project known as “Mission Innovation(MI),” a group composed of government agencies from 22 major countries. The research also analyzes major countries’ international competitiveness in hydrogen technology by classifying hydrogen technologies into four types(gray hydrogen, blue hydrogen, turquoise hydrogen, and green hydrogen) and comparing the dependency and technological influence of each hydrogen technology based on a newly constructed index of backward and forward citations for patents from each country and institution.

Chapter 5, titled “Green Finance,” analyzes the global green finance market and green finance policies of the EU and Japan from an institutional perspective. The chapter begins by reviewing various definitions of green finance—an area that lacks a unified standard—and global green finance initiatives. It then moves on to analyze the recent trends in global sustainable bond issuance, considering bond type and region. Finally, this chapter evaluates national strategies and policies of the EU and Japan, who are two of the most proactive national participants in green finance policy, and who have observed a significant increase in sustainable bond issuance in recent years. 

Chapter 6, titled “Carbon Pricing,” discusses three types of direct carbon pricing: carbon tax, Emissions Trading System(ETS), and carbon credit mechanisms. The research also covers the Carbon BorderAdjustmentMechanism(CBAM)proposedbytheEU Commission as one of its protectionist measures. 

Based on the analysis of each chapter, the research provides policy suggestions for the Korean government on renewable energy and next-gen nuclear power, hydrogen energy, green finance, and carbon pricing. Key suggestions in the field of renewable energy include improving policy effectiveness through adopting a PDCA(Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle, measures for enhancing Korea’s Renewable Portfolio Standards(RPS) system, and initiatives to expand US exports by leveraging the Inflation Reduction Act(IRA) of 2022, etc. Regarding hydrogen energy, the research suggests active participation of the Korean government in developing international standards for green hydrogen and emphasizes the importance of securing competitiveness in green hydrogen production to enter the hydrogen market in China, who is current the leading player. It also suggests enhancing cooperation with Japanese companies in procuring overseas hydrogen energy, considering Japan’s heavy dependence on fossil fuels and low energy self-sufficiency rate. In the context of green finance, the research advocates addressing the problem of greenwashing, incorporating nuclear power into the green taxonomy, and introducing “transition finance” domestically. Finally, concerning Korea’s carbon pricing, the research presents policy recommendations on improving the existing ETS and managing the forthcoming EU CBAM.