Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun says the nation will make necessary preparations based on social consensus to move toward the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050. 

He made the remark in a speech at a meeting of the special policy committee on fine dust at the Government Complex in Seoul on Monday, adding that the preparations will help turn the imminent climate crisis into an opportunity of coexistence and to leap forward. 

The goal to reduce greenhouse gases to zero by 2050 was announced by President Moon Jae-in during his parliamentary speech last week, drawing praise from UN Secretary General António Guterres, who called it a "very positive step" in the right direction in line with Seoul’s Green New Deal policies. 

During the Monday meeting, the prime minister also vowed to speed up efforts to respond to climate change and draft measures to mitigate fine dust emissions.