일본의 탄소중립을 위한 CCS사업법의 시사점에 관한 연구

CCUS is not an option but a necessity. This technology captures carbon dioxide generated from fossil fuel use and either stores it permanently or converts it into high-value-added products. As a key carbon reduction solution, CCUS has been recognized by the International Energy Agency (IEA) as an essential technology for achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. Due to its significance, CCUS is gaining global attention, and many countries are making legislative efforts in this area. The EU CCS Directive (2009), the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA), the UK Energy Act and Climate Change Act (2008), and Germany’s Gesetz zur Demonstration und Anwendung von Technologien zur Abscheidung, zum Transport und zur dauerhaften Speicherung von Kohlendioxid (Law for the Demonstration and Application of Technologies for Carbon Dioxide Capture, Transport, and Permanent Storage) all represent such efforts. In the United States, regulations such as the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) UIC Class VI Rule, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and the 45Q Tax Credit under the 2018 Bipartisan Budget Act (a U.S. budget-related law) have been implemented to support CCUS initiatives. Among these countries, Japan, which is geographically close to South Korea, enacted similar legislation around the same time, making a comparative analysis of our legislative framework highly significant. First, the two laws share similar provisions. The regulations on storage and transportation are comparable, and economic ministries serve as the primary governmental bodies. Second, Japan’s law does not include carbon capture and utilization (CCU), making its scope narrower than South Korea’s legislation. However, it has clear regulations on carbon storage, which should be referenced when revising our legislation. Third, the importance of a support system has been emphasized. Fourth, in the case of South Korea, legislative improvements, such as a preferential purchasing system for CCU-based products, are necessary. The goal of CCUS projects is to protect the environment and ensure a sustainable living environment, not to cause environmental damage. As the CCUS Act has only been in place for a year and is set to be implemented on February 7, ongoing legislative revisions will be needed to keep up with technological advancements and global trends. Legislation is never perfect in its initial form; rather, it evolves through gradual amendments to become more effective. For CCUS projects to progress, continuous attention and proactive legal revisions are essential.