Contents of the 'Reducing Digital Carbon Footprint' Campaign for All Songpa-gu Employees?

Establishing 8 Action Plans, Every Fourth Thursday of the Month as 'Digital Carbon Footprint Reduction Day'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) will launch a 'Digital Carbon Footprint Reduction' campaign for all district employees starting in February to promote green living practices.

The term ‘digital carbon footprint’ refers to the carbon (greenhouse gases) generated throughout the entire process from the production to the consumption of digital devices such as smartphones and computers.

According to data from the Ministry of Environment, the digital carbon footprint accounted for only about 3% of the total carbon footprint in 2018, but it is estimated to exceed 14% by 2040.

In response, the district explained that it is implementing the 'Digital Carbon Footprint Reduction' campaign as a proactive measure against the increasingly severe climate change crisis and as a public institution leading by example.

This campaign consists of eight key action plans: ▲organizing unnecessary emails to reduce server load ▲using automatic power-saving mode and lowering brightness on digital devices ▲practicing ‘green printing’ ▲actively using bookmarks ▲downloading instead of streaming ▲extending the replacement cycle of digital devices ▲reducing smartphone usage time ▲using Ecosia, a tree-planting search engine.

The main focus is to change employees’ unconscious carbon-emitting behavioral habits.

To reduce power consumption of monitors, which account for 60-70% of total computer power usage, the district has shortened the automatic sleep time on all employees’ computers from the previous 10 minutes to 5 minutes and set all monitor brightness levels to 70%.

Additionally, the use of Ecosia, a nonprofit search engine that plants trees with its revenue, is actively encouraged.

Moreover, the district plans to designate the fourth Thursday of every month as ‘Digital Carbon Footprint Reduction Day’ and expand the campaign activities to schools, companies, related organizations, and residents within the region.

Meanwhile, last September, Songpa-gu became the first autonomous district in Seoul to establish the ‘Songpa-type Green New Deal Carbon Neutral City Plan,’ aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Songpa-gu by 50% by 2030. It is currently promoting 40 detailed projects across six major sectors: buildings, transportation, waste, public sector, green infrastructure, and external cooperation.

The district is making various efforts, including operating a carbon neutrality task force, hosting environmental expert symposiums, and conducting research projects every three years.

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “Now is the time to act to leave a healthy planet for future generations. Small habit changes by each employee will create a butterfly effect that leads to amazing results in saving the Earth. We will further expand the Digital Carbon Footprint Reduction campaign and prepare for a healthy future for Songpa.”