A total of 27 leading companies will take the initiative in establishing sustainable consumption and production culture.
The Ministry of Environment (Minister: Yoo Young-sook) will conclude the ‘Voluntary agreement for purchasing green products’ on August 28 with 27 companies committed to take part in the drive of promoting, production, distribution and purchase of green products. The ceremony for the signing of the agreement will be held at the Crystal Ball Room at Lotte Hotel in downtown Seoul.
The ceremony will be attended by Environment Minister Yoo Young-sook and executives at organizations and companies that participate in the agreement, including President Yun Seung-jun of Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, President Pak Chang-gyu of Lotte Engineering & Construction, and President Oh Gyeong-su of Hyundai Information Technology.
Companies that participate in the agreement include 15 firms that renew the agreement as the previous agreement (of 3 years) is terminated, including Lotte Group affiliates, such as Lotte Chilsung Beverage and Honam Petrochemical, as well as 12 newly joining firms, including Hyundai Department Store, DGB Financial Group, and Woongjin Polysilicon.
These companies will enact and implement the guidelines for purchasing green products, based on the content of the voluntary agreement for purchasing eco-friendly products. They will conduct a variety of activities to invigorate green purchasing practice by adopting green purchasing system, and conducting education and publicity activities.
More specifically, new participants in the agreement will intensify internal regulations for producing, distributing and purchasing green products, while positively conducting education and publicity activities for such practice.
Since the government first concluded the voluntary agreement for purchasing green products with the industry in 2005, a total of 138 companies participated in the initiative by 2011. An assessment of performances in purchasing green products by these companies showed that the purchasing amount of such products increased annually reaching 386.4 billion won in 2010.
In 2011, the 15 companies that renewed the agreement purchased green products (with environment mark and GR mark) worth 62 billion won, an increase of 43.4% compared to 42.6 billion won purchased in 2009.
Meanwhile, 814 public organizations purchased green products with a value of 1 trillion and 641.2 billion won in 2010.
‘The system of purchasing green products in Korea’s public sector’ is generating substantial outcome as it was introduced as an excellent example of expanding green product market and reducing greenhouse gases by the sustainability report published in February this year by the UN Senior Advisory Group.
Source:todayenergy
