Anne Hoglund, back row third from right, acting Swedish ambassador to Korea, poses with Swedish company executives during the Sweden Plus Korea Green Transition Alliance event in Seoul, April 25. Korea Times photo by Kim Hyun-bin

Anne Hoglund, acting Swedish ambassador to Korea, emphasized the importance of working together for net zero and the global shift toward sustainability, during the Sweden Plus Korea Green Transition Alliance event in Seoul, April 25.

The initiative, a collaboration between nine leading Swedish companies and their Korean counterparts, marks a significant step forward in bilateral cooperation.

"The Green Transition Alliance is a unique initiative with nine global Swedish companies and the Swedish Embassy and Business Sweden in Korea cooperating with Korean partners to enhance green transition," Hoglund said during the event.

Highlighting the shared commitment of Sweden and Korea to combatting climate change, the ambassador emphasized the significance of reaching net zero carbon emissions.

"The Swedish example shows that greener means richer," she said. "Achieving the climate goals in the Paris Agreement and reach net zero carbon emissions is of the highest priority to both our countries."

The event also featured video remarks from two distinguished guests: Ebba Busch, Swedish minister for energy, business and industry and deputy prime minister; and Kim Sang-hyup, co-chairperson of the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth in Korea.

Kim emphasized the urgency of collective action in addressing the climate crisis.

"I hope that we today can share experiences on how industry can drive the green transition through new technologies and expertise to help speed up this transformation together," he said.

As representatives from the nine Swedish companies, including well-known Swedish brand names such as Volvo and IKEA, shared their achievements in promoting sustainability and innovation, the event underscored the critical role of private sector engagement in driving the green transition.

Suet Wan, the country customer fulfillment manager of IKEA Korea, announced the company's commitment to achieving zero emissions in its product deliveries, with plans to implement this initiative in Korea starting next year.

"We aim to achieve 100 percent zero-emission delivery by 2025, contributing to a greener future. At IKEA, our pledge is that by 2025, all home deliveries will be conducted using electric vehicles (EVs) across all countries," Wan said.

"Our primary focus is on ensuring that Seoul is entirely served by EV trucks, considering its high population density. Recognizing the importance of this initiative, currently in Korea, 50 percent of our furniture deliveries are already being carried out using zero-emission methods."

Meanwhile, Volvo Truck Korea outlined its vision for achieving zero carbon emissions from all its vehicles by 2050.

"Our sustainability goals entail reducing carbon emissions by 50 percent by 2030, reaching 100 percent reduction by 2040, and ultimately achieving net zero emissions by 2050," Park Gang-serk, managing director of Volvo Trucks Korea said.

"As part of our current strategies, we will introduce practical large electric trucks for domestic sales next year, marking a significant step forward in our preparations for a sustainable future."