Environmental technology of trade competitiveness: The case of South Korea

Environmental technology has become an important tool to solve and to improve local and global environmental challenges. Although many case studies and environmental and economic analysis provide positive aspects of environmental technology, little is known about environmental technology export and import trade balance and competitiveness at national level. In order to understand ‘environment and trade competitiveness’ from environmental technology perspective, clearly defined environmental technologies and the classification are required for investigation at national level. Using the Korean definition and classification of environmental technologies, this paper presents empirical findings of market concentration of environmental technologies using Herfindahl-Hirschman Index in South Korean context. The study finds that the areas of ecosystem restoration management, drinking water, toxicity evaluation and management, environmental material and products, and environmentally friendly process are particularly competitive for Korea. This paper also finds that in the identified area of environmental technologies, Korea is achieving environment and trade competitiveness.