Directions for Achieving Carbon Neutrality in Manufacturing by 2050

As the severity of climate change is increasingly recognized throughout the world, the international community has announced plans to achieve carbon neutrality and has introduced policies to curb greenhouse gas emissions. The Korean government is also devising concrete measures to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, and going carbon free in industry, which produces a large portion of such emissions, is a key task. While carbon neutrality is a challenging goal given the manufacturing-centric structure of Korean industry, setting up an effective response system based on cooperation between the private and public sectors is an essential response to an irreversible tide. The climate crisis is a prime opportunity to find new drivers of growth without harming industrial competitiveness through a decarbonization strategy that includes the adoption of new eco-friendly fuels and materials, more efficient energy use, and innovative processes based on sectoral characteristics. This paper explores potential directions for decarbonization in Korea.Decarbonization will above all require an institutional base and multifaceted government support through investment and other approaches. Since manufacturing accounts for a large portion of the Korean economy and has a low rate of renewable energy use, a careful consideration of alternative responses is needed. In the transition toward carbon neutrality, industry is expected to experience not only a shift in energy sources but also major changes in technology, products, and structure. Achieving zero net emissions while minimizing the negative impact on business requires a sophisticated strategy that includes step-by-step targets, the development and application of technological innovations, the construction of green infrastructure, and streamlined regulations