Incheon Becomes First Korean City to Join 'Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance'... Partners with 22 Global Cities

Incheon City has become the first city in South Korea to join the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance (CNCA), an international network of leading carbon-neutral cities from around the world.

The city announced that on June 17 (local time), it officially joined the CNCA by sending a delegation to the regular meeting held in Glasgow, Scotland. At the meeting, the Incheon delegation presented the city’s carbon neutrality policy initiatives and shared best practices with other member cities.

The CNCA currently includes 22 cities such as New York, Vancouver, London, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Yokohama, and Sydney. These cities are cooperating in policy, technology, and finance with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality before 2050.

Through this membership, Incheon City has secured various opportunities for collaboration, including policy exchanges with global climate action cities, participation in joint research, support linked to international projects and funds, and presenting policies on the international stage. The city plans to actively participate in CNCA's strategic projects and meetings to further advance international activities for the development of carbon neutrality policies.

Climate Crisis Clock installed at Incheon City Hall. Incheon City

Meanwhile, in 2023, Incheon City established the '2045 Incheon Carbon Neutrality Strategy and Roadmap,' which aims to achieve carbon neutrality five years ahead of the global target. The city is currently implementing greenhouse gas reduction projects in five sectors: buildings, transportation, waste, agriculture and fisheries, and carbon sinks. Last year, in recognition of these carbon neutrality efforts, Incheon became the first city in Asia to receive the United Nations Sustainable Development Innovation Award.

Incheon is also a “1.5°C Declaration City,” having adopted the 1.5°C Special Report at the 2018 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) General Assembly. By attracting the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the city has supported a variety of initiatives for climate crisis response and sustainable development, positioning itself as a global leader in carbon neutrality and sustainable growth.

An official from Incheon City stated, "With our membership in the CNCA, we will take the lead in building a sustainable city for future generations alongside the world’s leading climate cities." The official added, "We will proactively respond to the climate crisis together with citizens and further advance Incheon’s customized carbon neutrality strategies to set an international example."