Environment ministry seeks to lay foundation for carbon neutrality in 2021
The environment ministry said Monday it will focus this year on laying the foundation for carbon neutrality and bringing 300,000 low-emission cars onto roads.
The 2021 policy report also included plans to further reduce the use of plastic and improve air quality.
The Moon Jae-in government has vowed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, which means effectively reducing carbon emissions to zero.
It is also pushing a Green New Deal aimed at fostering low-carbon, environmentally friendly industries.
This file photo, taken Jan. 21, 2021, shows cars waiting to use a hydrogen filling station at a rest area in Chuncheon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul. (Yonhap)hide captionpreviousnext1 of 2
“2021 will be the first year of our transition to carbon neutrality,” Environment Minister Han Jeoung-ae said. “The Ministry of Environment will lead efforts to lay the foundation for realizing carbon neutrality by 2050 and produce tangible results under the Green New Deal.”
The ministry said in its report that it will pursue 10 key goals under three categories — providing a foundation for realizing carbon neutrality, producing tangible results under the Green New Deal and establishing an environmental safety net that will assure the people.
In particular, the ministry said it will devise and monitor a carbon emission reduction scheme with the 2050 target in mind.
By reducing the use of disposable products and packing material, it said it will seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from waste by 19 percent compared to the 2017 level.
To encourage the use of low-emission vehicles, the ministry set a goal of bringing 300,000 electric, hydrogen and hybrid cars onto roads this year and building 30,000 electric charging stations as well as more than 100 hydrogen filling stations.
The ministry added it plans to continue working on reducing fine dust levels, including through advanced technologies and cooperation with China, one of the major sources of fine dust in the country.
