Incheon City-Bupyeong District Pass First Round of 'Carbon Neutral Green City' Contest Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyesook] Incheon City announced on the 13th that the project proposed in collaboration with Bupyeong-gu for the Ministry of Environment's 'Carbon Neutral Green City' contest has passed the first evaluation.

The Carbon Neutral Green City project is a contest promoted by the Ministry of Environment to present a leading model for regional-centered carbon neutrality implementation and expansion in line with the full transition to a carbon-neutral society, focusing on energy transition, expansion of carbon sinks, promotion of resource circulation, and climate change adaptation.

The Ministry of Environment started the contest targeting local governments nationwide in February, and announced eight local governments, including Incheon City, that passed the first evaluation on this day. After on-site presentation evaluations for these eight local governments, two final winners will be selected by the end of this month.

The two selected local governments will each receive a national budget of 24 billion KRW over the next five years.

Incheon City and Bupyeong-gu proposed to reduce 40,573 tons of greenhouse gases by 2030 through carbon emission reduction, energy self-sufficiency, and expansion of carbon sinks targeting urban buildings, parking lots, bus stops, parks, and streams, aiming to create a "nearly Zero Energy City (nZEC)" where people and the city rest and save the Earth.

An official from Incheon City stated, "This nZEC model will become the standard for carbon neutrality in urban areas nationwide," adding, "Incheon City will take the lead in realizing carbon neutrality by 2050 by establishing a 2050 carbon neutrality strategy service, presenting concrete mid- to long-term greenhouse gas reduction targets, and achieving more systematic implementation and management."

Meanwhile, Incheon City achieved first place nationwide in the local government sector in 2020 in the public sector target management system led by the Ministry of Environment, as well as excellent achievements in greenhouse gas reduction targets for ten consecutive years.