Gangneung City Expands Citizen Participation and Promotes Renewable Energy to Achieve Carbon Neutrality

City Accelerates Energy Transition and Carbon Neutrality
Achievements in Expanding Renewables and Improving Nighttime Pedestrian Safety
8,300 Households Join the Carbon Neutrality Point Program

Gangneung City in Gangwon Province (Mayor Kim Hongkyu) is strengthening the foundation for local energy transition by driving structural changes across various sectors, including expanding citizen participation in carbon neutrality initiatives, promoting the adoption of renewable energy, and improving the energy efficiency of urban infrastructure.

The scene of the "Mutual Cooperation Agreement Ceremony for Realizing Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth" held on July 26 last year in Gangneung City. Provided by Gangneung City

As a result of proactive policies to boost participation in the Carbon Neutrality Point Program (energy sector) and to spread a new culture of donation in 2025, Gangneung City currently has about 8,300 households participating in the program.

This represents a 10.6% increase (approximately 800 households) compared to 7,500 households in 2024. Notably, 287 households participated in the donation aspect of the program, a significant increase of about 30% from 221 households the previous year, indicating a growing engagement with the culture of giving.

The total greenhouse gas reduction achieved by participating households amounts to 2,152 tons. This is equivalent to the planting effect of approximately 260,000 30-year-old pine trees and the afforestation effect of 305 soccer fields (219 hectares), making a significant contribution to climate change response.

Gangneung City aims to increase the participation rate to reach 10,000 households by 2026, while also further promoting the culture of donation by encouraging more households to take part.

Through convergence support and residential support projects, Gangneung City is expanding the supply of renewable energy and strengthening the foundation for local energy self-sufficiency and carbon neutrality.

By the end of 2025, the city is working to install renewable energy facilities at a total of 479 sites, including 399 solar power installations (1,197 kW), 65 geothermal installations (1,137.5 kW), and 15 solar thermal installations (90 m²). This is expected to save approximately 7,200 MWh of energy annually and achieve a fossil energy substitution effect of 619 toe per year.

This amount of energy is enough to supply 1,714 four-person households for a year. In addition, it is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 3,302 tons annually, contributing to the realization of carbon neutrality.

From 2008 to 2025, Gangneung City has supported renewable energy at a total of 3,927 sites, resulting in annual energy savings of about 59,000 MWh and a fossil energy substitution effect of 5,105 toe per year.

Through energy efficiency projects, Gangneung City is enhancing crime prevention, ensuring pedestrian safety for citizens, and further improving the city's nighttime landscape.

In 2025, the city invested a total budget of 150 million won to replace approximately 400 outdated sodium and metal security lights with high-efficiency LED security lights in towns and villages, where nighttime lighting is relatively poor compared to urban areas.

Going forward, the city plans to increase the replacement rate of security lights-which currently stands at 38%, much lower than the 95% replacement rate for street lights-by implementing phased projects each year, with the goal of replacing more than 90% of security lights with LEDs by 2030.

Mayor Kim Hongkyu of Gangneung City stated, "We are continuously expanding policies that strengthen both energy transition and citizen safety," adding, "We will do our utmost to realize energy welfare and a carbon-neutral city that citizens can truly experience."

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