BUSAN — Climate and energy leaders from Korea and abroad agreed that combining the artificial intelligence transition, or AX, with the green transition toward carbon neutrality, or GX, will become a core growth engine for the next generation of the global economy.
The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry held its Global Climate and Energy Roundtable under the theme "AX & GX" at BEXCO in Busan on the 16th. About 100 participants attended, including Climate, Energy and Environment Minister Kim Sung-hwan, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Executive Vice Chairman Kim Jung-il and International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol, along with executives from domestic and foreign companies and officials from international organizations and governments.
Participants said the rapid spread of AI and geopolitical uncertainty are substantially reshaping the existing framework for the climate and energy transition, and they projected that the shift will create new opportunities for Korea as a manufacturing power. Birol said many countries are reviewing their energy policies amid rising geopolitical tension around the world, including the war between Russia and Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. He added that Korea, with its strong manufacturing capacity and technological innovation, has the potential to play a larger role in the global energy market going forward.
Participants also noted that pairing AI with renewable energy, batteries, hydrogen, carbon management and advanced manufacturing technology could open up new businesses and markets. "AX and GX are inseparable 'twin transitions.' We must use AI to accelerate the green transition, and support the sustainable growth of AI with low-carbon energy and infrastructure," Kim Jung-il said. "The public and private sectors must think together about what new industries and markets to open through the twin transitions, and how to turn the climate transition into a new growth engine." Minister Kim Sung-hwan added, "AI is a powerful tool for innovation that brings the green transition forward, and at the same time a challenge that creates unprecedented power demand." He said competitiveness for countries and companies will hinge not just on how much electricity they secure but on how cleanly and reliably they supply it.
The "AX-GX convergence" theme discussed at the roundtable was also on display at the exhibition floor of the 2026 World Climate Industry Expo, which opened the same day. Now in its fourth year, the WCE is a leading climate and energy event held jointly with the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the IEA, the International Renewable Energy Agency and the World Bank. It runs through the 18th under the theme "The Great Change Made by Climate Tech: A Leap Toward a Decarbonized World." About 550 companies from Korea and abroad are showcasing future technologies, including major conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), SK Innovation (096770.KS), LG Electronics (066570.KS), POSCO, Hanwha (000880.KS) Qcells and Doosan (000150.KS), along with climate tech firms. Samsung Electronics is presenting AI-based high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems and integrated energy solutions; LG Electronics is showing AI-based high-efficiency home appliances and HVAC technology; SK Innovation is displaying renewable energy, energy storage systems and power infrastructure for AI data centers; POSCO Holdings (005490.KS) is exhibiting decarbonized steel technology including Korea's hydrogen reduction ironmaking process, HyREX; and Doosan Enerbility (034020.KS) is showing nuclear power, small modular reactor, wind and gas turbine technologies.
A special climate tech zone features consumer-facing innovations from 12 promising ventures and startups, including winners of CES Innovation Awards. Circular economy solutions on display include Poen, which repairs only the faulty modules in electric vehicle batteries to cut replacement costs and resource waste; next-generation power transformer technology from Crocus, which combines AI with power semiconductors; a smart disposable cup collection system from Nawa; chemical recycling of waste PET and used clothing from Teracle; and technology from Foresys for producing recycled raw materials from marine plastic waste.
