Gwangju City Offers Up to 100,000 Won for Driving Less

Recruitment Starts on the 18th for 3,149 Cars Participating in the Carbon Neutral Point System on a First-Come, First-Served Basis

Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kang Ki-jung) announced on the 17th that it will recruit 3,149 vehicles on a first-come, first-served basis to participate in the "2024 Automobile Carbon Neutrality Point System."

This initiative was promoted to induce greenhouse gas reduction and spread a culture of carbon neutrality practice.

The Automobile Carbon Neutrality Point System is a greenhouse gas reduction practice program that provides incentives based on the reduction performance when the driving distance of a vehicle is reduced, thereby decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

Eligibility for application includes non-commercial passenger cars and vans with up to 12 seats registered in Gwangju Metropolitan City. Commercial vehicles and eco-friendly vehicles (electric, hydrogen, hybrid) are excluded.

Incentives are paid in cash up to 100,000 KRW based on the reduction performance by comparing the past cumulative average daily driving distance with the average daily driving distance during the participation period (from the registration date to the end of October 2024).

Those wishing to participate can apply on the Automobile Carbon Neutrality Point System website during the recruitment period from the 18th to the 29th. Applicants must submit photos of the vehicle’s front and dashboard, which can be verified via a link sent by text message.

Last year, Gwangju paid approximately 116 million KRW in incentives to 1,641 out of 2,602 participants in the Automobile Carbon Neutrality Point System who reduced their driving distances. The greenhouse gases reduced through this effort amounted to 673 tons, equivalent to planting 74,000 30-year-old pine trees.

Son In-gyu, Director of the Climate and Air Policy Division, said, “Since greenhouse gas emissions from the transportation sector account for about 29% of total emissions in Gwangju, efforts to reduce them are very important. We hope that people will actively participate in the Automobile Carbon Neutrality Point System, which offers fuel cost savings, greenhouse gas emission reductions, and cash rewards proportional to the reduction in driving distance.”