An Island Paradise Offers a Cautionary Tale for Net-Zero Goals
With renewable energy powered by wind and solar and an environmentally friendly economy, South Korea’s Jeju Island could have been a perfect place to get off fossil fuels
The world’s busiest airline route during the pandemic has been the one-hour flight from Seoul to the resort island of Jeju, and even in the chilly winter months, the airport is packed. Outside the terminal, electric Hyundai and Renault Samsung taxis idle silently, their blue license plates identifying them as battery-powered cars.
From the airport, a drive to Hallasan Mountain or the luxury beach enclave Seogwipo takes visitors along the coasts, where nearly 100 windmills churn in the isle’s notorious ocean gusts. Add in the solar panels that dot rooftops of houses and resorts, and it’s easy to get the impression that Jeju could be well on its way to powering the entire island with renewable energy.