S. Korean Updates: ‘Green light’ on Green Korea: steady reduction of greenhouse gas emissions for waste sector

Green light is on for green growth of Korea from reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in waste sector.

The Ministry of Environment (Minister Yoo Young-sook) had calculated the National Greenhouse Gas Inventory as the managing organization＊ for the waste sector and announced on the 27^th that greenhouse gas emissions for waste sector in 2010 have decreased to more than 14 million CO2eq, which is a reduction by more than 199 thousand CO₂eq compare to 2009.

＊ Managing organizations: Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (agriculture and forestry), Ministry of Knowledge Economy (energy and industry), Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (building and transportation) and Ministry of Environment (waste)

Greenhouse Gas Inventory is a comprehensive management system for checking, recording, calculating and reporting emissions of greenhouse gas.

Managing organizations including the Ministry of Environment calculates the data which are collected during the year and report them after two years.

According to the Ministry’s calculation, the amount of greenhouse gas emissions for waste sector have been steadily decreasing since 2001 when it recorded the highest number. Compare to the previous year, the amount decreased by 1.4% in 2010.

< Change in Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Waste Sector (1990∼2010) >

When looking into the details of calculation result of 2010 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, about 6.7million tonnes CO₂eq (47.2%) from landfill, 5.6million tonnes CO₂eq (39.9%) from incineration, 1.3million tonnes CO₂eq (9.3%) from sewage and waste water treatment and 497thousand tonnes CO₂eq (3.5%) from others were emitted.

Types of greenhouse gases are methane – approx. 7.1 million tonnes CO₂eq (50.6%), carbon dioxide – approx. 5.4 million tonnes CO₂eq (38.2%) and nitrogen dioxide – approx. 1.5 million tonnes CO₂eq (11.3%).  

The Ministry figures that the result is from the effort in greenhouse gases reduction of basic environmental facilities such as adoption of generator equipment utilizing methane from landfill facility and waste heat from incinerator.

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