As countries around the world are increasingly considering a green recovery from the pandemic, South Korea is looking to lead the way.
Part of the South Korean New Deal, this “green” policy is the Asian country’s response to the rising tide of climate change, while also boosting its economy — hit hard by the COVID-19 coronavirus — in hopes of achieving a net-zero economy.
The five-year initiative calls for the construction of zero-energy public facilities, many of which will be remodeled with eco-friendly materials. This move is expected to create 660,000 new jobs, in addition to reducing greenhouse gases by 12 million tons by 2025.
Upgrading public education is also high on the agenda, with the government planning to spearhead a country-wide transformation of its public schools into eco-friendly facilities. Schools will receive roughly 240,000 tablet computers, with WiFi installed in all elementary, middle, and high schools throughout South Korea by 2022.
The $61 billion investment is also expected to boost the implementation of green technology for city infrastructure and buildings, which would eventually give rise to 25 “smart green cities”. What’s more, the government also plans to create 10 “smart green” industrial complexes, with more than 1,700 “green factories.”
As the world braces for the full calamitous march of global climate change, the new investment puts South Korea among major worldwide economies already working to recover from the effects of the coronavirus crisis in an environmentally-wise way.
