Suncheon-si Takes Scientific Steps Toward 2040 Carbon Neutrality Reduction

Published 01 Feb.2024 14:55(KST)

Renewable Energy, Public Resource Facilities, Blue Carbon, etc.

Suncheon City, Jeollanam-do (Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu) announced that it has officially launched various carbon neutrality policies in 2024 to become a premium residential city where three generations can live well.

The city plans to promote carbon neutrality by leveraging Suncheon’s strengths such as improving energy self-sufficiency and restoring carbon sinks, aiming for carbon neutrality (Net-Zero) by 2040, which is 10 years ahead of the national greenhouse gas reduction target (NDC).

[Photo by Suncheon-si]

To this end, the city must reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1.77 million tons CO2eq. (carbon dioxide equivalent, hereafter ‘tons’) by 2040.

In the building sector, it plans to reduce 790,000 tons through expanding the supply of renewable energy, establishing the Suncheon-type Virtual Power Plant (S-VPP) system, and improving energy efficiency. In the transportation sector, it aims to reduce 230,000 tons by creating a next-generation advanced transportation environment, implementing vehicle greenhouse gas reduction projects, and promoting zero-emission vehicles.

In the agriculture and livestock sector, 90,000 tons will be reduced through smart farms and the dissemination of new technologies responding to climate change. Carbon sinks will reduce 260,000 tons through forest creation, the establishment of the National Marine Garden, and wetland restoration, utilizing blue carbon.

The waste sector plans to reduce 400,000 tons by utilizing next-generation public resource recovery facilities and integrated biogas facilities.

In particular, supplying electricity and heat generated from the next-generation public resource recovery facilities to nearby complex cultural facilities will save about 10.8 billion KRW annually and reduce 70,000 tons of greenhouse gases.

Also, supplying electricity produced by the integrated biogas facilities to about 30,000 households will save about 3.8 billion KRW annually and reduce 90,000 tons of greenhouse gases. The successful construction of these two facilities currently underway is essential to achieving carbon neutrality by 2040.

Mayor Noh Gwan-gyu of Suncheon said, “Only by becoming a representative city strong against the climate crisis and leading carbon neutrality can we survive amid the crisis of local extinction,” and added, “We hope for continuous interest and participation from citizens, such as joining the carbon neutrality points system, using public transportation, bicycles, and walking (Daejabo), and refraining from using disposable products to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040.”