SEOUL — The South
Korean government will invest 2.7 trillion won ($1.9 billion) in developing
technologies aimed at tackling climate change next year, the science ministry
said on Sunday.
The figure marks a 3.9 per cent increase from the 2.6
trillion-won investment into the scheme in 2024, according to the Ministry of
Science and ICT, Yonhap news agency reported.
The investment is part of the government's 10-year plan to
advance science technologies by 2032 to respond to global warming.
South Korea has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas
emissions by 40 per cent from 2018 levels by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality
by 2050.
Next year's budget will be used for developing core
technologies for renewable energy, such as next-generation solar batteries and
massive floating wind power systems, and advancing carbon neutrality
technologies, including the next-generation nuclear power system and hydrogen
power.
The government will also work to analyse the vulnerability
of the forest and marine areas and the broader ecosystem to climate change and
devise measures for the stable production of food.
Earlier, the country’s science ministry said it has
completed devising a comprehensive road map for achieving carbon neutrality in
various industries, Yonhap reported.
The presidential special committee on carbon neutrality
technologies has drawn up strategies to achieve net zero carbon emissions in
six fields, including wind power, energy storage, and environment, according to
the Ministry of Science and ICT.
With the new guidelines for the six sectors, South Korea has
completed devising a comprehensive plan to develop carbon reduction
technologies across 17 areas, ranging from steelmaking and chemical industries
to car manufacturing and nuclear power industries.
"Now that climate change is a reality, it is more
important than ever that we strive to achieve carbon neutrality," said
Vice Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Ryu Kwang-jun, adding the
government will continue to support the development of carbon-neutral
technologies.
