Gyeonggi Will Become a Leader in Confronting the Climate Crisis and Turning Crisis into Opportunity

Gyeonggi Province announces ‘Gyeonggi RE100 Vision’ Gyeonggi Province has announced ‘Gyeonggi RE100 Vision,’ which targets the expa...

Gyeonggi Province announces ‘Gyeonggi RE100 Vision’
Gyeonggi Province has announced ‘Gyeonggi RE100 Vision,’ which targets the expansion of renewable energy generation to 9 gigawatts, equivalent to the output of six nuclear power plants, by 2026. Public institutions in the province have committed to using 100% renewable energy. Through this initiative, Gyeonggi Province plans to increase the proportion of renewable energy generation from 5.8% in 2021 to 30% by 2030 while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40%.

On April 24, Gyeonggi Province held a declaration ceremony for its Gyeonggi RE100 Vision at the Siheung Sihwa National Industrial Complex. RE100 is a global campaign that sees participants pledge to cover 100% of energy usage with renewable energy so as to overcome the climate crisis, with leading companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK, Apple, and Google also participating.

The Gyeonggi RE100 Vision embodies the determination of the current Gyeonggi provincial administration to not pass the burden of addressing the climate crisis on to future generations or subsequent administrations. This stands in contrast to the national government's basic plan for carbon neutrality and green growth, which has reduced the target for the proportion of renewable energy generation from 30.2% to 21.6% and also significantly decreased the greenhouse gas reduction target in the industrial sector (from 14.5% to 11.4%).

Pursuing 13 strategic tasks in four sectors: public, corporate, resident, and industry
The Gyeonggi RE100 Vision encompasses Gyeonggi Province's bold climate crisis response under the slogan ‘Turn Today's Climate Crisis into Tomorrow's Growth Opportunity.’ The province has outlined practical measures in four sectors – public, corporate, resident, and industry – through 13 tasks to achieve the Gyeonggi RE100 Vision.

In the industrial and corporate sectors, Gyeonggi Province announced that it would promote large-scale projects such as industrial complex roof-type solar power and large-scale renewable energy integrated complexes so as to expand renewable energy sources. It also plans to allocate the supply of renewable energy to newly established industrial complexes that have established plans for introducing renewable energy and also to promote private-public cooperation in roof-type solar power generation projects on the rooftops of existing industrial complexes.

To expand resident participation, Gyeonggi Province plans to pursue policies that connect renewable energy generation to opportunities for resident income. The province aims to resolve the issue of resident acceptance of solar power generation, which has been limited until now, while further developing the concept of income opportunities, which encompass economic rewards for activities that generate social value but are not adequately compensated in the market. Efforts to overcome the climate crisis are viewed as an essential social value that generates such income opportunities.

Concrete plans are also being made to increase farm income through the promotion of farming-type solar power and the provision of financial incentives for various greenhouse gas reduction activities by residents, such as energy conservation. Additionally, Gyeonggi Province plans to promote cooperation between the provincial government and cities and counties of the province so as to expand exemplary policies implemented by cities and counties throughout the entire province.

Lastly, in the public sector, Gyeonggi Province announced that it would install solar power generation equipment on the rooftops and parking lots of public institutions, and convert 100% of their electricity consumption to renewable energy. This plan will be implemented through participation in energy cooperatives, profit sharing with residents, and budget reductions.

Meanwhile, to help achieve the RE100 goals, Gyeonggi Province purchased Renewable Energy Certificates (REC) for the electricity used during the vision declaration ceremony.