"Will Commit to Building a People-Centered Environmental Capital"

"As Suwon marks the second anniversary of its declaration as an environmental capital, the city will continue to pursue various environmental policies implemented so far while undertaking more advanced projects to create a people-centered environmental capital," said Kim Chung-young, director of Suwon's Environment Bureau, on the 27th while presenting the city's environmental policy direction for 2013.

Suwon plans to break away from government-led environmental policies and establish a 'Green Environment Promotion Team' to implement citywide civic initiatives led by the private sector. The promotion team will be organized at the dong (district) level where citizen accessibility is high, implementing civic environmental campaigns that anyone can easily practice in their daily lives, such as reducing greenhouse gases in each household, promoting green energy practices, tree planting, and caring for potted plants.

A citizen participation network will also be established to create a citizen-participatory environmental capital. The city plans to develop citizen participation programs that can engage all age groups and social classes, thereby establishing a sustainable citizen participation cooperation system and expanding the foundation for green living practices.

Additionally, from this year through 2015, the city will implement a citywide campaign to reduce one ton of carbon dioxide per capita, cutting a total of 1.16 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

The city will also launch a 'Our Village Green Map' campaign to enable youth who will lead Suwon's future as an environmental capital to learn about and experience the ecological environment of their communities and understand the importance of the environment.

Car-sharing business, where multiple people share one vehicle, is expected to expand further this year. The city plans to introduce a one-way utilization method for citizen convenience and focus on business promotion to expand membership to 2,000 by year-end.

The city will also sequentially replace 170 aged diesel buses and old natural gas buses currently in operation, and implement low-emission projects by installing exhaust gas reduction devices or modifying engines on diesel vehicles over seven years old, as well as promoting early scrapping of vehicles.

The city will conduct fine dust reduction projects targeting air-polluting business facilities, and the Atopy Healing Center, which introduces a public system concept for treating environmental diseases, will proceed without construction delays this year and is scheduled to open around May next year.

The 'Eco-Mobility Festival' to be held throughout September in the Haengung-dong area of Paldal-gu is drawing worldwide attention. Last month, the city established an Eco-Mobility Promotion Team to oversee the 'Eco-Mobility Festival 2013' and will organize the festival through resident awareness surveys, promotional activities, event program development, and cooperation with international organizations.

In conjunction with this, a Low-Carbon Green City International Forum where approximately 200 people from about 10 cities across each continent will gather to share successful strategies and processes for green cities, and the '15th National Sustainable Development Conference' where environmental experts from across the country will gather in Suwon to review achievements of Local Agenda 21 and present the future vision of Suwon as an environmental capital will be held.

The city will also develop green energy pilot apartments to minimize carbon emissions and support solar power plant installations on rooftops. At Gwanggyo Reservoir, a green energy experience center will be established with solar power generation and water circulation systems installed for renewable energy experiences.

The city plans to expand the use of clean energy facilities such as solar thermal and geothermal systems. Clean energy utilization facilities will be installed at seven public sector locations including Jangan-gu Office and the Vehicle Registration Business Office, as well as at 60 single-family homes and 4 apartment complexes within the city.

An automatic road spray system will be introduced in the Gwanggyo New Town. By utilizing rainwater retention facilities installed in the Gwanggyo New Town, the city can significantly reduce facility costs while improving air quality through road spraying and eliminating roadside pollution sources, thereby reducing non-point pollution loads during rainfall. Additionally, by enabling liquid de-icing agent spraying during winter, the city can achieve rapid snow removal effects and simultaneously prevent river pollution from calcium chloride application.

Energy-sharing projects for vulnerable populations will also be implemented. These include insulation and window improvement projects for aging homes inhabited by low-income residents, low-income household utility gas sharing rate plans, heating oil and briquette support, and gas facility improvement projects.

Premium neighborhood wells will emerge with natural underground rock spring water flowing abundantly. The city plans to first develop one location after surveying water quality and geology and considering resident accessibility and usage.

A rainwater utilization facility will be installed at the Songduk-dong Community Center for use in restrooms, landscaping, and cleaning. Additionally, the city will install resident-participation rainwater piggy banks at four locations each in the four districts of Suwon. Residents will collect rainwater for joint use in living water, urban gardens, and cleaning, and during heavy rainfall, rainwater can be temporarily stored to prevent sewage pipe backflow and provide disaster prevention effects.