Ministry of Environment will observe the 12th Climate Change Week from April 22nd to 28th to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and implement low-carbon living campaigns to reduce GHG.

※ Earth Day: First organized by Senator Gaylord Nelson and Denis Hayes on April 22nd, 1970 following the oil leakage incidence in 1969 California. In Korea, civil environmental groups began to celebrate Earth Day in 1995. The Government designated Climate Change Week in 2009. 

The theme for this year’s Climate Change Week ‘SOS, Climate Action! Save My Earth’ represents climate change actions to reduce GHG as we response to the signals the Earth sends out.

For this year’s Climate Change Week, Korea Climate and Environment Network and Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute will jointly carry out activities aimed at raising awareness of climate crisis and encouraging actions to reduce GHG.

Most of the campaigns will take place online to comply with social distancing. 

The website ‘www.climateweek.kr’ for Climate Change Week will be open until May 10th where promotional contents are available like AR classic cinema on climate change and tips on low-carbon life.

‘AR Classic Paintings on Climate Change’ features 5 works by the renowned painters from the Joseon Dynasty era including Chungseon and Shin Yun-bok and interprets their paintings from the current climate change perspective.

※ AR: The technology to overlap virtual images on actual video or images to provide additional information to users

‘AR experience on Climate Change’ is a treadmill on the stage where users can experience rescue mission of a polar bear caught in melting glaciers 

Ministry of Environment will upload the video clip of Minister Cho trying climate change AR in ‘DoDream’ education center run by Suwon City on April 22nd on the website.

※ DoDream’ center is currently closed due to COVID-19 but ‘climate change AR’ is open

A variety of programs are prepared to encourage citizens’ participation in climate actions to reduce GHG.

Videos on low-carbon living, climate crisis song of revised lyrics from ‘Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter’, and shark family song of low-carbon living are introduced.

The low-carbon living video clip, in particular, features celebrities such as Song Seungheon, Seolhyun, Kim Bora, Paul Kim, Kim Jongjin, ZeNEX, Um Hong-gil, and Jung Serang encouraging citizens to practice low-carbon living.

On the website for Climate Change Week, citizens can receive free emoticon packages or electronic gift certificates on a first-come-first-served basis when they upload low-carbon living pledges such as separated waste discharge and public transportation usage. 

Citizens who pay with Green Card from April 22nd to December 31st can receive discounts on hydrogen vehicle or EV charging*.

* A 50% discount on charging and 5 times the deposited eco-money credit when purchasing eco-friendly products 

The event to turn off lights for 10 minutes in buildings takes place at 8 p.m. on April 22nd as part of the campaign for low-carbon living.

A total of 2,484 government agencies, Government Complex Sejong, 1,973 apartment complexes, corporates, and local landmarks including Suwon City Hwasung Fortress and Busan City Gwangan Bridge are participating in the event.

A wide range of other activities are also hosted online* by local governments, civic organizations, and public institutions.

* Low-carbon living pledges, climate change photo exhibitions, taking eco-friendly transportations, and more. 

Minister Cho said “While the world is struggling with COVID-19, climate change is also an urgent challenge that we cannot avoid or wait to take action against,” adding that the world should take climate change as an opportunity to shift to carbon-neutral and green life. “I hope that Climate Change Week serves as a chance to raise awareness of sustainable low-carbon living,” said Minister Cho.