Creating Carbon-Neutral Green Cities... Pohang City Enhances Climate Change Resilience

Registration of Four Approved External Projects for Emissions Trading System, Most by Local Governments

Cheolgilsup, Haedo Urban Forest, Lifelong Learning Center Cultural Forest, Yeonil Neighborhood Park

The urban forest created through Pohang City's Greenway Project is accelerating the realization of a carbon-neutral green city, serving not only as a resting space for citizens but also as an environmental asset.

At the 51st Emission Certification Committee meeting recently held by the Ministry of Environment, the Lifelong Learning Center Batmeori Village Cultural Forest and Yeonil Neighborhood Park were finally approved as "external projects" under the greenhouse gas emissions trading system.

The greenhouse gas emissions trading system is a mechanism where the government allocates emission allowances to businesses that emit greenhouse gases to meet the national total greenhouse gas emission targets, and allows trading of these allowances between entities through surplus allowances or registration of external projects.

Previously, in December 2021 and April last year, the urban forest and Pohang Cheolgilsup were also approved under the emissions trading system. Including the two newly approved sites, Pohang City has become the only local government nationwide to possess four urban forests approved as external projects.

Pohang, home to the national steel industrial complex with higher greenhouse gas emissions compared to other local governments, holds significant meaning in presenting a model for carbon neutrality realization and climate change response capabilities through registering urban forest projects as external projects under the emissions trading system.

The Lifelong Learning Center Cultural Forest, located on a plaza of approximately 49,000㎡ adjacent to the steel complex and sewage treatment facilities, was transformed into a forest combining culture and nature by planting about 17,000 trees of 34 species including pine trees, serving as a buffer against various pollutants such as fine dust and odors. It was recognized for absorbing 8 tons of carbon annually.

Yeonil Neighborhood Park, located near Yeonil Public Library, covers an area of 20,000㎡ and has about 16,000 trees of 20 species including Quercus dentata, expected to absorb 9 tons of carbon annually.

Adding the greenhouse gas reduction amounts from Pohang Cheolgilsup and Haedo Urban Forest, Pohang City is expected to reduce 83 tons of greenhouse gases annually and approximately 2,400 tons over 30 years from its four urban forests. The reduced emissions can be sold as emission allowances to companies in need through the exchange.

Since the carbon emission allowance price in the market is fluid, the economic effect is expected to increase further if the trading price rises in the future.

Additionally, Pohang City is creating climate-responsive urban forests over about 50,000㎡ including Pohang Cheolgilsup Citizen Plaza and Sangdae-dong buffer green space for greenhouse gas absorption and carbon neutrality. The city also plans to continuously expand green spaces in living areas such as the Safe Green Forest around schools and the Songdo Pine Forest area urban living environment improvement project.

Along with this, through the Pohang Cheolgilsup Win-Win Forest Path pedestrian bridge, Haksancheon restoration project, and POSCO pedestrian-centered street creation, the city plans to connect the green axis of Cheolgilsup, the riverside axis of Hyeongsan River, and the old downtown, reorganizing the car-centered urban space into a pedestrian-centered space to create a living environment where carbon neutrality by 2050 can be realized.

Pyeongsaeng Learning Center Baetmeori Village Cultural Forest.

Kim Eungsu, head of the Pohang City Green City Project Team, said, “Through the approval of external projects under the greenhouse gas emissions trading system, Pohang City has established an image as a leading carbon-neutral city. We will do our best to continuously promote the Greenway Project and transform Pohang into a green ecological city equipped with climate change response capabilities.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.