City wins presidential award at 2012 EcoRich City contest
Changwon received the prestigious Presidential Award at the 2012 EcoRich City contest organized by the Presidential Committee on Green Growth.
The contest was divided into two categories _ the comprehensive division and the projects division. In the comprehensive division, winners were selected based on scores in the fields of energy, commuting, oasis, recycling, industry, corridor and humanism, which are crucial factors for green growth in provincial areas. In the division of projects, winners were chosen from among applicants in respective categories.
Under the vision of attaining the goal of making Changwon the country’s global environmental capital, the city presented strategies to build an environment-friendly city, environmentally sound and sustainable. To this end, the city made public the results of the pushing of four goals, such as making Changwon a city where water and wind circulate and eight other strategies, including making the sky blue.
Members of the screening committee responded favorably to the accomplishments Changwon has made, a city spokesperson said.
Changwon has implemented a goal-management system in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and the use of energy in industries, wastes and public sector.
In addition, the city took steps to give incentives to individuals participating in campaigns to curb carbon dioxide emissions, facilitate certified emission reductions, generate energy by recycling heat waste at incineration plants and recovering methane at sewage treatment facilities, establish plants to generate solar energy and create a carbon dioxide-neutral forest.
The city has implemented the Nubija public bicycle transport system, thus providing an innovative momentum to help activate the use of bicycles.
In addition, Changwon incepted a green transportation system which called for the establishment of public transportation schemes for citizens and the distribution of electric cars and vehicles which operate on natural gas.
At the same time, the city endeavored to restore the ecology system and water supply through the creation of ecological rivers, civilian-government campaigns to revive ditches, projects designed to limit contamination in areas near the Masan Bay and the Nakdong River.
Apart from these, Changwon has recycled 80 percent of wastes at workplaces and 51 percent of waste generated from daily activities.
Other measures designed to make Changwon a green city include planting 10 million trees, planting trees to offset air pollution around industrial complexes, turning piers into green areas, and creating theme parks and forests at schools in cooperation with citizens.
The city government invited citizens to participate in campaigns such as creating outstanding villages in the Korean environmental capital of Changwon, making “villages of hope” in Jinhae, a port city, designating the Green Day and introducing environmental education programs for citizens and students.
Additionally, Changwon has increased cooperation and exchanges with international environmental organizations and endeavored to enhance its status as Korea’s environmental capital by hosting international conferences, including the 10th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Wetlands in 2008, the EcoMobility Changwon Convention, the International Association of Educating Cities Congress and the East Asian Seas Congress.
Changwon wins PM’s Prize at Knowledge Awards
Changwon City also won the highest Prime Minister’s Prize at the first Korea Knowledge Awards jointly organized by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, Maeil Business Newspaper and Booz&Company for outstanding policies on knowledge-oriented administration.
Winners were selected from among administrative offices in the division of knowledge administration, and private companies in the division of business administration.
Changwon was chosen as winner of the coveted award for reflecting knowledge information in its policies through the hosting of the World Knowledge Forum and demonstrations on municipal administrative affairs.
In particular, Changwon was cited for the development of an app for its Nubija public bicycle system.
The city won high scores for its projects such as revival of ditches in the Sineum Village in the division of citizens’ complaints, purification of underground water for reuse in the category of construction knowledge, construction of an artists’ village in Chang-dong in the division of urban restoration and the establishment of a knowledge management system.
Changwon city official blog in Korea 