Yongin City to Reduce 2.53 Million Tons of Greenhouse Gases by 2030

Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.53 million tons by 2030. This represents a 40% reduction compared to the 2018 emission levels.

On the 9th, Yongin City held the '2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee' at the city hall conference room, where it deliberated and approved the 'Yongin City 2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Basic Plan,' which includes this target.

Lee Sang-il, Mayor of Yongin, is presiding over the '2050 Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee' meeting held on the 9th in the city hall conference room. Photo by Yongin City

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Prior to this, the city established the plan through citizen forums, surveys, practical meetings with department team leaders, and Mayor Lee Sang-il's directive to focus on implementing greenhouse gas reduction targets across all departments. After consulting with the Korea Environment Corporation, the basic plan was finalized at the committee meeting on this day.

The basic plan sets a goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2.53 million tons, which is 40% of the 6.32 million tons emitted in 2018, by 2030. It also includes a total of 177 detailed implementation tasks, comprising 108 greenhouse gas reduction measures and 69 climate crisis response strengthening measures.

The greenhouse gas reduction measures consist of six sectors and 13 implementation strategies with 108 detailed tasks, including ▲improving energy efficiency and expanding zero-energy buildings ▲promoting eco-friendly vehicles and expanding charging infrastructure ▲revitalizing local agriculture and spreading low-carbon agricultural technologies ▲reducing waste at the source and expanding resource circulation infrastructure ▲preserving and restoring carbon sinks and expanding new carbon sinks.

The climate crisis response strengthening measures include eight sectors and 13 implementation strategies with 69 detailed tasks, such as ▲implementing climate crisis adaptation measures ▲minimizing climate disaster damage to public assets and responding to the climate crisis ▲raising carbon-neutral citizen awareness to spread community-led carbon neutrality ▲promoting carbon-neutral green lifestyle practices ▲facilitating the transition to eco-friendly energy ▲supporting just transition and establishing collaboration systems.

The city plans to promote projects such as creating an eco-town for sewage sludge resource recovery, converting organic waste into biogas, and producing hydrogen from biogas to supply hydrogen refueling stations as part of a mini hydrogen city project. Reflecting the high greenhouse gas emissions from the building sector, measures will also be pursued to install solar power facilities on rooftops and auxiliary facility roofs in new apartment designs and to expand zero-energy building certification.

The committee also deliberated and approved the agenda on the '3rd Climate Crisis Adaptation Measures (2024?2028) Implementation Evaluation Report.' 'Climate crisis adaptation' refers to all activities that reduce vulnerability to the climate crisis, enhance resilience to health damage and natural disasters, and minimize or turn the ripple effects and impacts of the climate crisis into beneficial opportunities.

The detailed indicator implementation evaluation results for last year received a rating of 'very excellent,' with a 99.7% achievement rate for 34 detailed projects and a 93.1% budget execution rate.

Mayor Lee Sang-il stated, "Carbon neutrality is a task that requires joint efforts from all citizens," adding, "If these efforts continue to accumulate one by one, we will be able to get closer to carbon neutrality."

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