Incheon Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 1.219 Million Tons Last Year, Up 22% Year on Year

Incheon said on Oct. 12 that the city reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 1.219 million tons in 2025, equal to 78.4% of its annual target of 1.555 million tons. This was a 22% increase from 999,000 tons in 2024.

By sector, buildings and waste, which are highly visible to residents, exceeded their targets with an achievement rate of 120%. The results were attributed to measures including the construction of zero-energy buildings, reuse of treated wastewater from public sewage treatment plants, and the supply of waste-incineration heat for district heating.

In the transport sector, the city provided 318,760 eco-friendly vehicles, achieving 190% of its target, and deployed 155 hydrogen buses, the largest number of any region nationwide.

The city also expanded the foundation for carbon absorption in the sink sector, planting 3.87 million trees, or 129% of the annual plan under its long-term goal of planting 30 million trees, and creating marine forests.

Creation of an urban forest to address climate change. Photo provided by Incheon City.

By contrast, the agriculture, livestock and fisheries sector, which accounts for 0.3% of Incheon's total greenhouse gas emissions, had a relatively low achievement rate for its emissions-reduction measures. The city plans to identify effective new measures that reflect conditions in Ganghwa and Ongjin counties.

Next year, the city plans to formulate its "Second Basic Plan for Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth" and refine annual emissions-reduction pathways and implementation measures for achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. It also plans to rapidly expand initiatives with proven emissions-reduction effects, broaden support for groups vulnerable to the climate crisis, and proactively secure national government funding to expand greenhouse gas reduction facilities.

An Incheon City official said, "We will effectively address areas with insufficient greenhouse gas reduction results by linking them to key projects of the ninth popularly elected administration. We will establish the second basic plan, accelerate the response to the climate crisis and the energy transition, and make carbon neutrality by 2045 a reality."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.