90% of government vehicles were low-emission in 2022

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Forestry

Sat, September 30, 2023 | 08:34

90% of government vehicles were low-emission in 2022

Posted : 2023-06-01 16:38

Updated : 2023-06-02 10:51

Officials from the North Gyeongsang Provincial Government pose in front of a hotel in central Seoul, May 7. The municipal authority announced on the same day they will introduce at least 2,000 fuel-cell hydrogen buses in the province by 2026. Courtesy of North Gyeongsang Provincial Government

By Ko Dong-hwan

The central and local governments and state-run agencies in Korea are speeding up their green initiatives, with the number of government-owned clean-emission vehicles in 2022 hitting a record high.

According to the Ministry of Environment on Thursday, in 2022, of the 8,072 vehicles purchased or rented by governmental bodies and agencies, almost 80 percent were emission-free vehicles ― those powered by fuel cells, electricity or hybrid technology. When considering vehicles operating on liquefied natural gas and gasoline that met the national standards for low emissions, over 90 percent of all vehicles fell under the broader "low-emission vehicle" category.

The survey, jointly conducted by the ministries of environment and trade-industry-energy, showed an increase of 881 hydrogen and electric vehicles compared to the previous year.

Initiated in 2021, the annual survey offers a glimpse into how the 769 governmental organizations are conforming to the country's updated Clean Air Conservation Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Promotion of Development and Distribution of Environment-Friendly Motor Vehicles.

Both laws mandate that starting from 2021, all governmental entities and relevant organizations should ensure that their vehicle fleet is fully composed of low-emission vehicles with at least 80 percent emission-free.

The legislation forced national authorities and agencies to purchase or rent more environmentally-friendly vehicles, if necessary, to meet the new standards. The Clean Air Conservation Act stipulates a maximum fine of 3 million won ($2,300) for those who fail to comply with these requirements.

The survey revealed the effectiveness of these laws. In 2022, 92 percent of all organizations complied with the environmental standards, representing an increase of 8.3 percentage points and 102 organizations from the previous year.

The survey also identified the organizations whose heads are setting an example by personally driving eco-friendly cars with this figure rising to 207 in 2022, from 120 in 2021.

Despite the progress, the survey indicates that 82 organizations are yet to meet the necessary standards. The government plans to encourage these organizations to revise their purchase plans to meet the required low-emission ratio, while the environment ministry imposed fines on organizations that failed to achieve the mandatory ratio in 2022.

Park Yeon-jae, head of Air Quality Policy Bureau under the environment ministry, noted that the current 80 percent minimum standard for low-emission vehicles is anticipated to be elevated to 100 percent this year through an additional legal revision.

"The efforts to steadily increase the number of clean-emission vehicles are contributing to the national goal of carbon neutralization in the country's transport sector," the director said.

aoshima11@koreatimes.co.kr