On January 11, the Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Jeong-ae) announced the Ministry's plan for 2022, which includes three core tasks and six detailed tasks under the vision of an "environment where the people can rest assured, and Korea leaping forward toward carbon neutrality." The achievements in environmental policies over the past four and a half years and major plans for 2022 are as follows.

The achievements in environmental policies over the past four and a half years

Since the launch of the current administration, the Ministry of Environment has laid the groundwork for implementing carbon neutrality through a bold shift in climate and environmental policies. The Ministry achieved tangible results in environmental challenges such as water and plastic problems.   

First, the Ministry set the goal and established a framework toward 2050 carbon neutrality. Thanks to the government's policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, such as strengthening the Emission Trading Scheme and limiting the operation of coal power plants, greenhouse gas emissions have been decreased after peaking in 2018, reducing about 10% in two years. Based on these achievements, the government declared its vision toward carbon neutrality by 2050 in December 2020. In the following year, the government set the scenario to achieve carbon neutrality and set the goal of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) target. It showed the future vision of the Republic of Korea and laid the groundwork for leaping as a climate leader.       

Secondly, the Ministry of Environment has created a driving force for green transition through bold policies and finances. The Ministry has developed the driving force for green transition in industries and infrastructure through the Green New Deal. Emissions-free vehicles reached 257,000 units, a 10-fold increase compared to when the current administration was launched. It also laid the foundation for a circular economy by reducing plastics and waste.

Thirdly, the Ministry of Environment strengthened the protection of environmental rights of the Korean people and improved long-standing environmental problems. The ultrafine dust concentration, which had been stagnant when the government was launched, has been improved to the lowest level since observation. The successful improvement in ultrafine dust concentration was mainly due to three pan-government measures and the introduction of the seasonal fine dust management program.

By establishing an integrated water quality and quantity management system, the Ministry reached an agreement to resolve the conflict over the Nakdong River's water quality. The water environment was improved by opening the four major river weirs and the Nakdong River estuary. 

The Ministry has prospectively expanded remedy for damage caused by humidifier disinfectants and established a system to prevent recurrence by enacting the Consumer Chemical Products Safety Act. Meanwhile, the Ministry improved the sustainability of the land by expanding protected areas of the country (11.6% in 2017 -> 17% in 2021).

Core Task 1: Full implementation for carbon neutrality

First, the Ministry of Environment will promote the carbon-neutral transit of the social and economic structure in all directions. Above all, the Ministry will support the green transition of the industry and foster promising green companies that lead it while promoting investment in low-carbon industries and technologies in the financial sector. The Ministry will also establish a model of city-level carbon neutrality by selecting two places as a carbon-neutral green city.  

The Ministry will introduce an eco-point incentive program to promote sustainable practices and environmentally conscious actions. In addition, the Ministry will designate carbon-neutral support centers in seventeen cities and provinces so that the local government will support the implementation of carbon neutrality. Consumers can accumulate eco-point when they take environmental-friendly actions. The accumulated eco-point can be converted to cash or gift certificates. In addition, the Ministry will expand high value-added recycling of waste resources, such as transparent plastic bottles. The Ministry will also promote waste reduction across all production, distribution, and consumption stages. 

In the institutional aspect, the Ministry of Environment will establish a national carbon-neutral green growth strategy (draft) and basic plan (draft) to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality and 2030 national greenhouse gas reduction goals. In addition, the Ministry will implement the climate change impact assessment ('22.9) and a budgeting system as a pilot project. In the budgeting system, the government will evaluate the effect of the national budget on greenhouse gas reduction and reflect the result on the budget. In 2023, the Ministry plans to introduce the government's finances and policies systems formally.  

Second, the Ministry will lead to achieving the country's carbon neutrality by 2050 and reducing greenhouse gas by 2030. The Ministry will expand hydrothermal energy and supply more floating solar energy to obtain renewable energy from potential or avoided environmental resources. The Ministry will also integrate organic waste sources such as livestock manure, food wastewater, and sewage waste and convert them into biogas. The Ministry will operate landfill gas facilities to reduce methane, which has a strong greenhouse effect. The Ministry will also reorganize aging unsanitary landfills to promote the implementation of the International Methane Pledge. At the same time, the Ministry will prepare an integrated map of land use such as forests and wetlands to establish a foundation for the integrated management of carbon sinks. The Ministry also plans to restore damaged areas within the protected area to enhance the absorption.   

To accelerate carbon neutrality in the transportation sector, one of the key carbon emission sources, the Ministry will set a goal to distribute 500,000 zero-emission vehicles. The Ministry will raise the distribution goals of automobile manufacturers for zero-emission vehicles. The Ministry will promote supply by preparing detailed plans for supply contribution. Meanwhile, the public sector will be required to purchase zero-emission cars when buying their new vehicles.

In addition, the Ministry reorganizes the financial support system more effectively. The Ministry will adjust the upper limit of the subsidy from 60 million won to 55 million won to spread high-performance and mass-size vehicles. The Ministry will introduce incentives to induce manufacturers to reduce vehicle prices.

The Ministry will increase charging stations mainly around major transportation hubs and living areas to make people charge their cars more conveniently. The Ministry will provide preemptive administrative support to install hydrogen charging stations nationwide. At the same time, the Ministry will demonstrate new technologies such as wireless charging of electric trucks and battery replacement of electric two-wheeled vehicles. 

Core Task 2: Integrated water management  

First, the Ministry of Environment will make it possible to enjoy abundant and clear water evenly without being left out. The Ministry will manage water quality and quantity in real-time throughout the entire process, from water intake, purification to supply. The Ministry will also support reinstalling indoor water pipes for vulnerable groups. The Ministry will also promote integrating waterworks to narrow the gap of water bill and quality.  

In line with the unification of river management, the Ministry will reform the river management system, which used to focus more on flood and disaster prevention. The Ministry will create a better river with water quality, aquatic ecology, safety, culture, and landscape. The Ministry will implement the clean water supply plan for the Nakdong river as smoothly as possible to resolve conflicts for 30 years. To restore the nature of the country's rivers, the Ministry will expand the duration and width of the opening of all 16 weirs according to the measures for permanent water use of the four major rivers. The Ministry will implement projects to restore nature which can contribute to the growth of the local communities.  

In addition to the four main rivers, the Ministry will evaluate the effectiveness and continuity of cross-sections installed on tributaries. Accordingly, the Ministry will establish or dismantle fishways. The Ministry will also extend the opening period of the Nakdong river estuary and share the results of restoring the brackish water ecosystem with the local community, applying the restoration to other water systems. At the same time, as an alternative water resource for sustainable water use, the Ministry will promote to reuse of industrial sewage, publicly manage and store groundwater, and utilize rainwater runoff facilities. 

Second, the Ministry will build a safe water system without worrying about climate change and disasters. The Ministry will automate flood forecasting using artificial intelligence and expand flood warnings. The Ministry will introduce a digital twin-based dam-stream flood simulation to establish a smart flood response system. In addition, the Ministry will strengthen the foundation for flood response by adjusting and maintaining standards of flood and securing additional flood control capabilities. The Ministry will expand the creation of flood risk maps nationwide, which used to focus only on four major rivers to prevent flooding.

Core Task 3: Expansion of inclusive environmental services 

First, the Ministry will reduce fine dust and enhance the quality of life. The Ministry will actively provide financial support and develop technologies to maintain the progress of the fine dust concentration, so the industrial sector and power generation will reduce their emissions by more than 30% by 2024. In the transportation sector, the Ministry will encourage scraping old diesel vehicles earlier than their life span (340,000 units in 2021 → 350,000 units in 2022). The Ministry will implement measures to prevent people from purchasing diesel vehicles again. At the same time, the Ministry will supply eco-friendly boilers for home use (230,000 units in 2021 → 610,000 units in 2022) and provide support for remodeling of the gas heat pump (GHP) air conditioner (KRW 1 billion in 2021 → KRW 4.7 billion in 2022).

In addition, the Ministry will continue to cooperate with China to prevent and reduce fine dust through the Korea-China blue sky plan. It will also strengthen international cooperation to respond to fine dust by establishing a platform for joint use of environmental satellite data among 13 Asian countries.

Meanwhile, the Ministry will prepare an integrated indoor air quality index to improve indoor and residential environments. The Ministry will reinforce the standards of inter-floor noise levels by reflecting the degree of annoyance. The Ministry will disclose all compositions of household chemical products to ensure public safety from environmental hazards. The Ministry will strengthen to disposal of garbages inside the place of origin and public responsibilities to prevent waste from being left unattended.

Second, along with preemptive services to vulnerable areas and groups to environmental pollution, the Ministry will increase the benefits from nature by promoting environmental health. The Ministry will survey environmentally vulnerable areas using cooperative governance and big data to prepare a plan for environmental improvement. The Ministry will provide reliable environmental health services to vulnerable groups, such as improving child care centers and residential buildings.   

In addition, the Ministry will support the local community with residents' health management programs in areas prone to environmental pollution. As for damage caused by humidifier disinfectants, the Ministry will continuously strive to solve the problems by collecting additional contributions from manufacturers and supporting private adjustment between victims and companies. 

At the same time, for the wise use of and coexistence with natural resources, the Ministry will evaluate the value of ecosystem service of the entire country and disclose the data. The Ministry will also restore brownfields as a sanctuary for wildlife and ecological education center. The Ministry will manage the entire process for disease control of wild animals, including import, distribution, and storage. The Ministry will promote animal welfare by announcing the end of bear bile farming and establishing a protection system for abandoned wildlife.  

The Minister of Environment, Han Jeoung Ae, said, "This year is critical to fully implement the scenario for carbon neutrality by 2050 and the goal for greenhouse gas reduction by 2030, which were set last year." She added, "The Ministry will fulfill its responsibilities until the end so that our steps towards a carbon-neutral and eco-friendly society would not be interrupted."  

For inquiry, please contact 

- Planning and Budget division, Ministry of Environment 044-201-6330/6331