Ministry of Environment: "This Year, Nationwide Annual Average Fine Dust to Be Reduced to 20㎍/㎥"

Report on This Year's Work Plan at Blue House Reception Hall on the 11th
Expansion of Total Air Pollution Cap System...Reduction of Fine Dust
Cumulative Distribution of 200,000 Eco-Friendly Vehicles Including Electric and Hydrogen Cars

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Ministry of Environment plans to reduce the national annual average concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to around 20㎍/㎥ this year. It also announced plans to create 19,000 green jobs and generate a production inducement effect of 4.5 trillion won.

On the 11th, the Ministry of Environment reported its 2020 work plan at the Blue House State Guest House, attended by President Moon Jae-in. This year’s work report focused on concretely fulfilling the promise to protect the public’s environmental rights.

Minister of Environment Cho Myung-rae stated, "We will make an all-out effort to tackle fine dust and strengthen the environmental safety net so that citizens can live in a healthy and pleasant environment," adding, "We plan to promote a green transition across the economy and society through green industry innovation, climate crisis response, and realization of a resource-circulating society."

First, the national annual average concentration of fine particulate matter will be lowered from 23㎍/㎥ last year to 20㎍/㎥ this year. Measures to reduce fine dust include the seasonal management system implemented since December last year, expansion of the total air pollution volume control system, a 30% strengthening of emission standards for workplaces, and real-time measurement and disclosure of emissions.

The Ministry of Environment announced that as a result of implementing the fine dust seasonal management system, the concentration of fine particulate matter from December last year to the end of January this year decreased by 13% compared to the same period last year. The seasonal management system is a policy that strengthens management and supervision of fine dust across all sectors such as transportation, power generation, and workplaces from December to March of the following year, when high concentrations of fine dust occur. The ministry plans to quantitatively analyze the impact of the seasonal management system and improve and develop the system.

In addition, while expanding the total air pollution volume control system in the industrial and power generation sectors, the ministry announced that it will apply the strengthened emission standards by 30% starting last month and impose emission charges on nitrogen oxides to reduce emissions from large emitters by more than 20%.

The Ministry of Environment plans to expand the air management zones to four nationwide regions and allocate total emission volumes by workplace by July. Workplaces subject to total volume control will be equipped with automatic chimney monitoring devices to reduce workplace fine dust emissions.

Asia Economy DB=Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

In the transportation sector, the reduction of old diesel vehicles and the promotion of eco-friendly vehicles such as electric and hydrogen cars will continue. Through the reorganization of early retirement subsidies for old diesel vehicles and expansion of early retirement subsidies for SUVs (up to 3 million won), the ministry plans to reduce old diesel vehicles by more than 1 million compared to 2018.

Subsidies of up to 8.2 million won will be provided for electric passenger cars, and up to 100 million won for electric buses. Charging infrastructure will also be expanded with 9,500 electric chargers and 40 hydrogen chargers. The goal is to distribute more than 94,000 eco-friendly vehicles within the year, surpassing a cumulative total of 200,000 vehicles.

The Korea-China fine dust cooperation policy will be promoted in a way that increases actual reduction results, while expanding cooperation with international organizations to induce responsible reductions from China.

Furthermore, the ministry announced plans to foster green industries that solve climate and environmental problems as new growth engines for the Korean economy. Through this, it aims to create 19,000 green jobs and generate a production inducement effect of 4.5 trillion won this year.

The Ministry of Environment plans to focus investments on clean air industries such as fine dust reduction (5,100 jobs), smart water industries and New Southern Policy exports (6,700 jobs), climate energy industries (1,200 jobs), and ecological service industries (5,600 jobs).

To support green industries, the ministry will collaborate with the Financial Services Commission, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and others to establish a green industry-specialized fund worth 12.5 trillion won and activate green finance by creating a public-private joint green industry fund. It also plans to prepare guidelines on targets and standards for green finance for domestic companies and financial institutions to utilize.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.