South Korean Updates: Public-sector greenhouse gas emissions drop 8.1 pct in 2012 (16 Aug 2013)

Public-sector greenhouse gas emissions drop 8.1 pct in 2012

August 16, 2013
Yonhap News Agency

SEOUL, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea slashed greenhouse gas emissions from the public sector last year by 8.1 percent in its efforts to attain the state's ultimate goal of a 30 percent reduction, the environment ministry said Friday.

The government has led an energy frugality campaign with the goal of reducing the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent from its business-as-usual level by 2020.

Last year, the government succeeded in eliminating 394,000 carbon dioxide equivalent tons (tCO2e), or 8.1 percent of the standard emission level of 4.887 million tCO2e of emissions in the public sector, the ministry said.

It analyzed reports from 703 out of 762 central and local government offices, state-run agencies, national and public universities and colleges, and other entities obliged to cut their emissions under the law on low carbon and green growth that went into effect in 2010 under the former Lee Myung-bak government.

The law set the 2007-2009 average of annual emissions from the public sector as the baseline for the study on the result of the sector's efforts to reduce emissions.

The 8.1 percent reduction is tantamount to planting 78.8 million pine trees, according to the ministry.

Most of the public organizations reported that they saved energy by observing the state-recommended temperatures for air conditioning and heating, and reducing the frequency of operating elevators, the ministry said.

sshim@yna.co.kr

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