'Carbon Diet' Incheon... 57% Reduction Target for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Public Sector This Year

Yeongheung Thermal Power Plant Unit 5 [Photo by Incheon City]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City, which is focusing on greenhouse gas reduction policies, will once again embark on a high-intensity "carbon diet" this year.

On the 19th, the city announced that it has set the public sector greenhouse gas reduction target for this year at 57%, 1.6% higher than last year's 55.4%, and will concentrate all administrative efforts on achieving this goal.

To this end, the city plans to pursue four major strategies: building infrastructure for a carbon-neutral major transition, creating a regionally tailored citizen-experienced environment, establishing a sustainable eco-friendly resource circulation city, and developing a healthy and safe water environment city.

First, to build related infrastructure, the city plans to focus administrative efforts to have Incheon Eco Science Park selected in the Ministry of Science and ICT's ongoing public contest for the "Small but Strong R&D Special Zone." The city’s strategy is to make the Small but Strong R&D Special Zone an international environmental industry convergence technology commercialization hub based on green industry convergence technology.

The city will also expand the supply of renewable energy in both private and public sectors to achieve the 35.7% renewable energy supply target by 2030, while continuously pushing for the early closure of Yeongheung Coal Power Plant Units 1 and 2, which are considered major culprits of greenhouse gases.

Eco-friendly vehicles will also be further expanded and supplied this year, with an additional 552 hydrogen vehicles and 10,850 electric vehicles planned.

Along with promoting eco-friendly resource circulation policies, Incheon City plans to accelerate the construction of an eco-friendly landfill and resource circulation center to end the use of the metropolitan landfill site by 2025. Efforts will also be made to activate zero-waste markets and establish a high-quality recycling circulation system.

Mayor Park Namchun said at the environment and safety sector work plan briefing, "The major transformation of resource circulation policies for carbon neutrality is an unavoidable task of our time," adding, "Let us strive to return healthy soil, air, and marine environments to citizens and achieve the vision of 'Environmental Special City Incheon' by fostering the environment, including renewable energy and tidal flats, as Incheon’s growth engine."

Meanwhile, Incheon City ranked first among local governments in the public sector for greenhouse gas reduction rate last year and was selected as an institution that achieved reduction targets for ten consecutive years.