Securing Effectiveness in Advancing Carbon Neutrality in the Construction Sector Ahead of Government Policies and Establishing a Smooth Management System
Efforts in Policy Development Focused on Buildings Lead to Selection as a Carbon Neutral Leading City
Nowon-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it has established the Green Building Support Center within the Carbon Neutrality Promotion Team through an organizational restructuring.
The main roles of the Green Building Support Center include ▲early promotion of mandatory Zero Energy Building (ZEB) certification for new buildings ▲establishment of a certified building management system ▲coordination of ZEB-related tasks in urban maintenance projects such as public buildings (design, construction, operation), reconstruction, and redevelopment ▲promotion of green remodeling projects for aging public buildings ▲and rationalization of building energy usage.
This is part of measures to strengthen expertise within the administrative organization to enhance the effectiveness of the carbon neutrality promotion plan in the building sector established by the district last year. The district’s plan presented a roadmap for mandatory Zero Energy Building (ZEB) certification for both public and private buildings, characterized by a faster and stronger implementation compared to the central government’s roadmap.
For example, while the government roadmap mandates 4th-grade certification for public buildings with a total floor area of 500㎡ or more starting in 2025, the district is prioritizing public buildings of 1500㎡ or more to start projects aiming for 4th-grade certification from 2024, then expanding to buildings of 500㎡ or more in 2025.
The goal of achieving a stricter 3rd-grade certification by 2030 is also planned to be applied two years earlier, in 2028, initially targeting buildings of 1500㎡ or more.
Major public building construction projects, including the Taereung Eoullim Center, are already being promoted according to the district’s roadmap. The Gwangwoon University Station area development project, the largest local development project, is also being pursued by applying the ZEB 5th-grade standard for the first time in the private sector. The district is preparing separate guidelines, including incentives, for future reconstruction and redevelopment projects.
The reason the district is focusing intensely on carbon neutrality policies in the building sector is due to research showing that 68.3% of greenhouse gas emissions come from buildings, highlighting the urgency. The district’s characteristic of having the highest proportion of aging housing over 30 years old in Seoul also increases the need for responses in the building sector. The process of extensively rebuilding aging housing and urban infrastructure creates conditions for leading carbon neutrality policies that can spread to various areas in the metropolitan region.
In fact, the expectation for a carbon neutrality model in the building sector was a significant factor in the district being the only metropolitan area local government selected among the four “Carbon Neutral Leading Cities” chosen last year by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The Green Building Support Center is a formal administrative organization within the Carbon Neutrality Promotion Team directly under the Deputy District Mayor and began operations in January. In addition to the center director, public officials with experience in architecture, electrical engineering, and other fields have been hired, with plans to expand personnel in administration and mechanical fields in the future.
Since upgrading the environmental affairs department to a promotion team directly under the Deputy District Mayor in 2023?the first among local governments nationwide?the district has led public-private cooperation, support and consulting for public and private activities, and the development of various policies. It is expected to demonstrate strong execution power in the green building sector as well.
District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “As the only carbon neutrality leading city in the metropolitan area, the building sector is a distinctive plan that differentiates us from other leading cities,” adding, “We will present concrete plans and effective policies on how to transform the city into a green one through buildings.”
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