Environment Minister Nominee Han Jeong-ae Emphasizes "Achieving Carbon Neutrality Results"

Expressing Commitment After Attending Final Policy Coordination Meeting at National Assembly
"Serious Times... Doing Our Best to Achieve Visible Results"

Han Jeong-ae, the Minister of Environment nominee and Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, attending the Policy Coordination Meeting held at the National Assembly on the 31st of last month, delivering opening remarks. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] "I will do my best to achieve tangible and visible results in the remaining year."

On the 31st of last month, Han Jeong-ae, the nominee for Minister of Environment, said this after attending the final policy coordination meeting as the chairperson of the Democratic Party's Policy Committee.

Han listed the Ministry of Environment's major policies, including ▲Green New Deal ▲2050 Carbon Neutrality (net zero carbon emissions) ▲Integrated Water Management ▲Post-Plastic Society ▲Fine Dust Reduction Measures, emphasizing that "each of these issues requires social consensus." She added, "We will promptly prepare concrete implementation plans."

Government officials and related industries are paying attention to the fact that she is a politician who contributed to raising the level of 2050 carbon neutrality. There is an expectation that when a politician takes on the role of minister or vice minister, they will exert strong negotiation power with the National Assembly's standing committees.

The highest-level carbon neutrality scenario presented at an expert forum early last year was "realization by 2062," but advancing this to 2050, 12 years earlier, was largely influenced by Han.

The Blue House assigned Han to the Ministry of Environment because they judged her to be the right person to lay the foundation for achieving the 2050 carbon neutrality emphasized by President Moon Jae-in, based on this driving force.

Han has participated in the National Assembly Climate Change Forum since the 19th National Assembly and currently serves as co-chair. She was also the lead proposer of the "Resolution Urging Emergency Response to the Climate Crisis" in the 21st National Assembly.

Through the resolution, she urged that South Korea must achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 in accordance with the recommendations of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) under the United Nations (UN).

Attention is also drawn to the fact that Han, who emphasized carbon neutrality, was the lead proposer of the Chemical Substances Control Act (Chemicals Control Act) in the past. The petrochemical industry, which includes LG Chem, Kumho Petrochemical, and Lotte Chemical?regulated under the Chemicals Control Act?is also a representative high carbon-emitting sector. From a corporate perspective, Han becoming minister could be perceived as increasing regulatory uncertainty.

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