South Chungcheong Province will expand its "Chungnam-style Carbon Neutrality Point System Carbon Upsyu," offering up to 100,000 won in benefits for practicing carbon neutrality in daily life, the provincial government announced Wednesday.
The policy was designed to respond to the climate crisis and spread a culture of carbon neutrality. Participants who join various greenhouse gas reduction activities that are easy to engage in daily life will receive points redeemable as local currency.
During last year's pilot operation, the province distributed a total of 230 million points to approximately 48,000 people and achieved greenhouse gas reductions of about 80,000 tons, officials said.
This year, eligibility has expanded beyond provincial residents to include those who work within the province. The list of qualifying activities has also been expanded to 17 items across energy, transportation, waste, and promotion categories, broadening participants' choices.
Points are accumulated when participants submit photo verification of everyday carbon neutrality activities such as using tumblers, taking public transportation, riding bicycles, using shopping bags, and finishing meals without leftovers. Accumulated points are valued at 1 won per point, with up to 100,000 won per year available as local currency in each city and county. Payments are made twice a year, in the first and second halves.
The previous standard of "payment in units of 10,000 won" has also been relaxed to "full payment for amounts of 10,000 won or more." Through a partnership with Nonghyup Bank, participants can additionally receive preferential loan rates (a reduction of up to 0.1 percentage points) and reduced currency exchange fees.
Those wishing to participate can search for "Carbon Upsyu" on Play Store or the App Store, install the app, and sign up for membership.
The province plans to strengthen online and offline promotion through social media, local festivals, and environmental education programs, while expanding cooperation with related institutions including the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, Saemaul Undong, and the Korea Rural Community Corporation to broaden the participation base.
"We hope participants can protect the environment while also enjoying economic benefits through Carbon Upsyu," a provincial official said.
