Han Jeong-ae: "Decision on Excluding Hybrid Low-Emission Vehicles Will Be Made Once Related Research Service Is Available"

First Press Conference After Inauguration

Minister of Environment Han Jeong-ae is responding to key policy questions related to the '2050 Carbon Neutrality Implementation Plan' during a policy meeting with the Ministry of Environment press corps held on the morning of the 10th in the Ministry of Environment's main conference room.

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Joo Sang-don] On the 10th, Han Jeong-ae, Minister of Environment, stated regarding the plan to exclude hybrid vehicles from low-emission vehicles, "A decision can be made once the related research results are out."

On that day, Minister Han said at a press briefing held at the Government Complex Sejong, "Globally, hybrid vehicles are divided into plug-in hybrids and regular hybrids. A research project is underway to determine which emits less greenhouse gases over the entire lifecycle (production, operation, etc.)," explaining the situation.

Previously, the government's comprehensive fine dust management plan (2020-2024), announced in November 2019, included a plan to exclude type 2 hybrid vehicles from the scope of low-emission and zero-emission vehicles, which are classified into types 1 to 3, by 2023. However, the Ministry of Environment is discussing leaving only plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) based on the results of the related research.

Minister Han evaluated that the "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading System," implemented to achieve carbon neutrality, can lead to enhanced competitiveness rather than being a burden on companies. He emphasized, "The economic structure itself makes it difficult to survive in the international market without participating in this decarbonization or carbon neutrality movement. I believe companies are much more aware of this than the government." He added, "There is a high possibility that carbon border taxes will be applied differently between countries that implement emissions trading systems and those that do not. Since it is already in place, there is greater room for negotiation."

Regarding the National Climate and Environment Council's recommendation to raise diesel taxes and introduce carbon taxes for carbon neutrality, he explained, "The working group drafting the 2050 carbon neutrality scenario is reviewing various previously proposed contents and measures. We need to observe the results on how the reduction roadmap for transportation and power generation sectors will be shaped."

Minister Han expressed a cautious stance on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), which have recently emerged as an alternative to large nuclear power plants for carbon neutrality. He said, "It is difficult to give a positive score to any of the nuclear reactors, including heavy water reactors and light water reactors, especially heavy water reactors that produce a lot of high-level nuclear waste, in terms of public acceptance and sustainability." He added, "However, this should be considered separately from the development of SMRs." Furthermore, he stated, "We need to observe and judge how much technological innovation in SMRs can occur worldwide." This implies that SMRs might have potential different from existing large nuclear power plants.

Regarding the policy area in which he wants to achieve definite results during his term, Minister Han chose "plastic reduction." He said, "Regarding plastic policies, the Ministry of Environment fundamentally aims to establish the basics of a circular economy, so we want to firmly establish the foundation. It does not seem appropriate to impose too much burden on the public. We are trying to create a cycle where issues do not arise, such as packaging or plastic material manufacturers not using composite materials," he explained.

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