40 Eco Mileage Groups Selected for 'Excellent' Energy Saving... Seoul City Offers Up to 10 Million KRW Incentives

Comprehensive Evaluation of 176 Organizations Including Corporations, Religious Groups, and Small Businesses with Over 10% Savings Leads to Final Selection
Korea National Sport University, Daesang Corporation, Cheonjugyo Mokdong Cathedral, Eunbit Workshop Among 4 Awarded Grand Prize

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] On the 14th, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it has selected 40 outstanding groups among corporate, religious organizations, and small business members of the Eco Mileage program who achieved remarkable energy consumption reduction results in the first half of this year.

The 40 groups were finally selected from 176 groups that reduced their energy consumption by more than 10% compared to the same month in the previous two years in the ‘2021 First Half Eco Mileage Outstanding Group Evaluation’ conducted by Seoul City. The final selection was based on a comprehensive evaluation of greenhouse gas reduction rates and excellent energy-saving cases. Outstanding groups will receive incentives of up to 10 million KRW.

Among these groups, four groups with high greenhouse gas reduction rates and amounts, and excellent performance in practical cases reviewed and evaluated by the Seoul Eco Mileage Outstanding Group Selection Committee, were awarded the grand prize. By usage scale (TOE), they are Korea National Sport University (1,000 TOE or more), Daesang Corporation (200 TOE or more to less than 1,000 TOE), Catholic Mokdong Cathedral (50 TOE or more to less than 200 TOE), and Eunbit Workshop (10 TOE or more to less than 50 TOE).

Among the award-winning groups, Korea National Sport University achieved about a 30% reduction rate in greenhouse gases and a reduction amount of 451 tons of CO2 compared to the same period last year. They set separate goals for reducing electricity and electricity costs, installed renewable energy facilities, and improved facilities such as lighting and heating/cooling systems to save energy. Daesang Corporation replaced and repaired facilities and equipment such as high-efficiency LED lamps and double-glazed windows, and practiced energy-saving measures such as managing heating and cooling temperatures in the office, achieving a greenhouse gas reduction rate of about 26% and a reduction amount of 161 tons of CO2.

Incentives given to outstanding groups range from a minimum of 500,000 KRW to a maximum of 10 million KRW depending on usage scale and ranking. At least 80% of the received incentives must be reinvested as ‘business expenses for energy saving,’ and up to 20% can be paid as rewards. Alternatively, the incentives can be donated to the Seoul Energy Welfare Citizen Fund.

Meanwhile, there are about 82,000 corporate and small business members registered in the Seoul Eco Mileage program, and it was reported that these group members reduced 516,580 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) over the past year. This is equivalent to creating a forest 165 times the size of Yeouido or planting 78.27 million 30-year-old pine trees.

Yoo Yeon-sik, Head of the Climate and Environment Headquarters of Seoul City, said, “Since the building sector accounts for 69% of Seoul’s greenhouse gas emissions, voluntary energy saving in the building sector is very important,” and added, “We ask for active participation from more group members such as companies, religious organizations, and small business owners.”