Han Dae-hee, the mayor of Gunpo, praised the city’s recent achievement in receiving a ministerial award for outstanding carbon neutrality practices, stating, "This success has transformed the limitations of a space-constrained city into opportunities for carbon neutrality."
On September 10, Mayor Han announced that Gunpo secured second place in the national evaluation of local government carbon neutrality achievements, organized by the Ministry of Climate, Energy, and Environment and conducted by the Korea Environmental Corporation. This recognition included a ministerial award from the ministry.
Gunpo's environmental and energy policies are gaining national attention due to the city's significant accomplishments in carbon neutrality.
The evaluation assessed 73 cases of carbon neutrality achievements and collaborative efforts submitted by local governments, carbon neutrality support centers, and businesses across the country.
In the category of local government achievements, Changwon took first place, followed by Gunpo in second, and Gwangju's Buk-gu in third.
Notably, Gunpo was recognized for turning its urban conditions, which lack large-scale development or extensive vacant land, into opportunities for policy innovation.
A key example of Mayor Han's carbon neutrality initiatives is the "integrated solar power generation facility on soundproof tunnels," the first of its kind in the nation.
This project combines solar power generation facilities with soundproof structures at the Daya and Samsung underpasses, transforming existing urban infrastructure into eco-friendly energy production sites.
The facility, with a total capacity of 1,329 kW, is expected to generate approximately 1,495 MWh of green electricity annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 820 tons.
Moreover, Mayor Han actively secured external funding through national and local government grants, special adjustment grants, and private investments, minimizing the city's financial burden while addressing noise and climate energy issues simultaneously.
Rather than merely increasing solar facilities, the city has innovatively utilized existing urban infrastructure, such as roads and soundproof facilities, to produce renewable energy, effectively addressing Gunpo's spatial constraints through policy innovation.
Mayor Han's achievements in carbon neutrality extend beyond solar power. Initiatives like the smart climate safety network "Gunpo Ice and Hot" to combat extreme heat and cold, along with the "Third Climate Crisis Adaptation Plan" developed with the Citizen Happiness Committee, have also received high praise for their direct connection to citizens' lives.
Another notable aspect of Gunpo's carbon neutrality policy is its emphasis on citizen participation in the policy design process, rather than solely focusing on administrative implementation.
Gunpo's exemplary case was shared with over 250 representatives from local governments and related organizations at the "2026 Local Government Carbon Neutrality Conference" held recently in Jeju.
Thus, this award signifies that Mayor Han has demonstrated the potential to reinterpret existing facilities and link external resources to achieve carbon neutrality, even in urban conditions where large-scale development or extensive vacant land is not feasible.
The core of Mayor Han's vision for Gunpo's carbon neutrality is summarized as "not finding nonexistent spaces, but creatively utilizing existing spaces."
Transforming soundproof tunnels into power plants, expanding citizen safety networks into climate crisis response systems, and incorporating citizen input into policies have all contributed to the city's second-place achievement.
Citizens are also voicing that this award should lead to tangible improvements in living environments rather than remaining a lofty slogan for carbon neutrality.
Many have positively evaluated the approach of utilizing existing urban facilities, such as solar power generation from soundproof structures, while reducing budget burdens. One citizen remarked, "Utilizing existing facilities to produce energy and improve the environment seems more fitting for Gunpo's reality than simply creating new ones. I hope policies that allow citizens to directly experience benefits continue to expand."
Another citizen noted, "Carbon neutrality is not a distant conce; it is connected to issues like extreme heat and cold that citizens directly experience. I hope there will be more policies that are easy for citizens to understand and participate in going forward."
Meanwhile, Mayor Han Dae-hee added, "I will continue to discover policies that expand renewable energy and respond to climate crises, further developing the Gunpo carbon neutrality model that citizens can feel."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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