Han Deok-soo, acting president and prime minister, said on the 23rd, "The issue of the climate crisis is increasingly unpredictable and threatens everyday life in a destructive manner."
Acting President Han made these remarks during his opening speech at the carbon neutrality grand alliance declaration ceremony held at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan District, stating, "We plan to invest 450 trillion won in green finance by 2030 to sufficiently supply funds to the market."
Han noted that "climate change is the greatest crisis facing humanity," adding, "In November, despite it being autumn, record-breaking snowfall in 117 years fell in Seoul, while France experienced tropical nights."
He continued, "Carbon neutrality is a new paradigm promised by the international community, and an irreversible trend," stressing that "over 90% of the global economy has already declared a transition to an eco-friendly, low-carbon economy."
He noted, "The European Union announced it would officially implement the carbon border adjustment mechanism starting January 2026," adding that "the pace of countries around the world is accelerating to dominate the global green market." He also mentioned that "the government is concentrating all its efforts to achieve '2050 carbon neutrality' and is actively encouraging private investment by advancing the Korean green classification system."
Han said, "The most important thing is the transition to carbon neutrality in the industrial sector, which accounts for about 36% of domestic emissions," adding, "Our country has an export-driven economic structure with a high degree of dependence on foreign markets, so it is greatly affected by the international carbon barrier. Decarbonization is a mountain we must overcome to strengthen the competitiveness of our industries."
Han emphasized the role of finance in the transition to carbon neutrality. He noted, "Finance is key not only to the transition to a low-carbon economy but also to promoting technological innovation and leading new markets and industries," adding, "Placing the changes in climate and environment at the center of capital investment consideration can elevate the future value of corporations and expedite carbon neutrality."
He further added, "The government has announced the 'Basic Plan for Technology Development in Response to Climate Change' to address the climate crisis through technological innovation and plans to invest about 2.7 trillion won by 2025," mentioning, "We will robustly support the technological development of non-carbon energy sources and actively foster the 'clean methanol new industry.'"