[Full Text] President Moon: "Carbon Zero Action Possible When Small Daily Practices Accumulate"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 7th, President Moon Jae-in, marking the '2nd Blue Sky Day,' urged action for carbon zero, encouraging public participation by saying, "It is possible when each small practice in daily life comes together."

Blue Sky Day is the first official commemorative day adopted by the UN in 2019 under South Korea's leadership.

Below is the full text of the commemorative video message for 'Blue Sky Day.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Dear fellow citizens,

On the occasion of the ‘2nd Blue Sky Day,’

it is my pleasure to greet you outdoors where the sky is visible after a long time.

The preciousness of clean air and blue skies, where we can breathe freely,

is deeply felt.

The human will to reclaim the blue sky

is growing stronger.

Following last year, today’s ‘2nd Blue Sky Day’ is also

being commemorated together around the world, including New York, Bangkok, and Nairobi.

I hope today’s ceremony

will serve as an opportunity to expand global cooperation

for living healthily with nature.

Dear citizens,

When we think of carbon, factory or car exhaust comes to mind first,

but many everyday items like plastics,

meals we eat, convenient transportation, and energy for heating and cooling

are all significant sources of carbon emissions in our daily lives.

The blue sky

can be enjoyed when we embrace small inconveniences in life

and gradually change our accustomed lifestyles one by one.

The Earth is heating up

faster than expected at this very moment.

Last August, scientists around the world studying climate change

warned that ‘1.5°C global warming’ would occur about

10 years earlier than previously projected.

If greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current pace,

soon we will regret not having acted at this very moment.

Only actions toward carbon zero can stop global warming.

As the public has done so far,

it is possible when each small practice in daily life comes together.

We were the first in the world in 1995 to start nationwide waste separation,

and within five years, we halved the amount of waste.

Over the past 20 years, the recycling rate has increased by about 20%.

We can proudly say this reflects great civic consciousness.

Korea has also led international cooperation.

We hosted the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI),

and have worked with neighboring countries through voluntary climate finance and contributions.

At the ‘P4G Seoul Summit’ held last May,

we led the Seoul Declaration, which embraces both developed and developing countries.

And last week, by enacting the ‘Carbon Neutrality Basic Act,’

we became the fourteenth country to legally define ‘carbon neutrality.’

The ‘Carbon Neutrality Basic Act’ includes

an intermediate goal to reduce carbon emissions by more than 35% by 2030.

This is based on 2018, the year with the highest greenhouse gas emissions.

Compared to countries that reached their greenhouse gas emission peak earlier

and have been reducing emissions for a long time,

this is a much more challenging goal.

But we can achieve it.

We have already reduced carbon emissions by more than 10% compared to 2018

over the two years of 2019 and 2020.

If we all join forces,

we can certainly achieve the newly set goals.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Dear citizens,

The government is confident

and plans to finalize and announce the ‘2050 Carbon Neutrality Scenario’ and the 2030 national greenhouse gas reduction enhancement targets within this year.

We must make a major transformation of our society and economic structure

toward the blue sky.

In ‘Korean New Deal 2.0,’ the Green New Deal aims for 2050 carbon neutrality.

The government will take the lead in transitioning to a low-carbon economy

and actively support the efforts of citizens and businesses.

By 2025, solar and wind power facilities

will be expanded to more than double the current capacity.

Also, through technological innovation, scaling up, and community participation,

we will further unlock the potential of renewable energy.

Businesses are also expanding development and investment

in low-carbon industries and products.

The carbon neutrality goal is also an opportunity for our companies,

which have global competitiveness in battery and hydrogen economy sectors,

to leap forward and create many new jobs.

The government will actively support our companies

to proactively respond to the new international order, including carbon border taxes.

In the long term, as we move toward a carbon-neutral society,

it is also very important to reduce fine dust immediately for ourselves and our children.

Over the past four years, strong fine dust measures

have significantly improved the annual average concentration of ultrafine dust,

and the number of days with blue skies has increased.

Especially through the seasonal management system,

carbon emissions and fine dust generation, which were worst in winter and spring,

have been greatly reduced.

Through this year’s third seasonal management system, considering regional characteristics,

we will minimize pollutant emissions

and protect our children’s health more thoroughly.

Dear respected citizens,

Today is ‘Baekro (白露),’ a solar term signaling the beginning of full autumn.

Farmers have traditionally observed rice ears carefully on Baekro

to gauge the year's harvest.

It is said that rice must bloom before Baekro for a good harvest.

We Koreans live by eating rice and drawing strength from it.

May the blue sky

nurture crops and fruits like today

and be passed on to the next generation.

A healthy Earth and a prosperous tomorrow

can only be protected through action and practice.

Let us create stories of protecting the Earth

together in homes, villages, and factories across the Republic of Korea.

Thank you.