By Yun Suh-young
The government will introduce a so-called “green (eco-friendly) card” as part of its ongoing efforts to promote green growth, Cheong Wa Dae announced Wednesday.
The decision was made in a joint meeting of the Presidential Committee on Green Growth and the Presidential Commission on Architecture Policy held earlier in the day under the supervision of President Lee Myung-bak.
“We must reduce the use of fossil fuels for the future of humankind,” President Lee was quoted as saying by presidential spokeswoman Kim Hee-jung.
“I urge everyone to participate in energy saving and conservation programs in their everyday life.”
Kim said the card, which will be released in July, will provide users with “green points” valued at up to 200,000 won ($185) when they buy green or energy-saving products.
She noted that the government expects the use of green cards to reduce carbon dioxide by about 2.08 million tons by 2014. This amounts to 3 percent of the carbon dioxide released by households.
Once the green cards are released, consumers will be able to save green points more efficiently than they have before, an official from the Ministry of the Environment said.
“Until now, green points could only be accumulated in two ways ― the carbon point and carbon cash-back policies ― but had to be used separately,” he said. “Now, with the launch of green cards, consumers will be able to save green points on a single card, making it much more efficient and convenient for them.”