:
The Integrated Environmental Strategies
(IES) Program in Seoul, South Korea
What is the IES Program?
The Integrated Environmental Strategies (IES)
program engages developing countries to build
support for "integrated" planning that reduces
emissions of both global greenhouse gases (GHGs)
and local air pollutants. The program promotes the
analysis and local support for implementation of
policies and technologies that have multiple public
health, economic, and environmental benefits. By
analyzing and implementing integrated policies
and measures such as clean energy (e.g., renewable
energy), energy efficiency (e.g., improved energy
efficiency standards for appliances), and public
transportation (e.g., converting diesel buses to
compressed natural gas), IES partners have an
opportunity to make a positive impact on local air
quality, public health, and the economy, while at
the same time reducing GHGs at the global level.
Background of the Program in South Korea
South Korea's IES work was initiated in February
1999 with a brief analysis of potential co-benefits
in the metropolitan area of Seoul. Building on this
initial analysis, the Korean government completed
a national co-benefits assessment in 2001 (see
) using
the IES co-benefits framework, which proved to be
a useful tool for policymakers.
Following the initial phase of South Korea's IES
analysis, the Korean Ministry of Environment
(MOE) met with non-governmental organizations
and businesses to discuss the results. Although
successful, the group of stakeholders identified a
need for more health effects information and a
closer link to policy implementation. This meeting
prompted Phase 2 of South Korea's IES work,
which linked a specific policy plan—the Seoul Air
Quality Management Plan (SAQMP)—to the
analysis of GHG emission reductions.
Table I: Mitigation Measures Analyzed in Phase 2 of South Korea's IES Analysis
Point Source
Fuel regulation
Emission standards
Voluntary agreement
Sample Features of Measures
Promote low-sulfur fuel
Develop stricter standards for small industrial sources
Monitor and assist voluntary programs
Fuel regulation
Promote low-sulfur fuel and natural gas
Area Source
NOX source management
Encourage use of low-NOx boilers
Demand management
Require eco-building certification
Emission standards
Develop stricter emission standards for new cars
Mobile Source
Clean vehicle
Promote electric or hybrid cars
This figure illustrates sample features (right column) of the mitigation measures (middle column) analyzed in Phase 2 of South Korea's IES analysis, along with their
corresponding emission source categories of air pollution (left column).
Printed on paper that contains
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Figure I: Estimated Annual Emission Reductions Resulting from
Mitigation Measures During the Period 2001-2014
n NOx n sox
IVOCs
IPMIO
Point source Area source Road vehicle
Emission Source
Off-road vehicle
This figure shows—on a logarithmic scale—the estimated annual emis-
sion reductions of nitrogen oxides (NOX), sulfur oxides (SOX), volatile
organic compounds (VOCs), and particulate matter smaller than ten
microns in diameter (PM|0) from point, area, and mobile (on and off-
road vehicle) sources. Each emission source category (along the x-axis)
represents potential emission reductions from that particular source
through the implementation of mitigation measures listed in Table I.
Since the beginning of 2006, Dr. Yeora Chae of the
Korea Environment Institute (KEI)—a policy
analysis group funded by MOE—has led the IES-
South Korea program, along with a team of experts,
including Dr. Jeongim Park (also from KEI).
Kangwon University has collaborated on different
sections of the IES analysis as well, including
developing mitigation scenarios, performing air
quality modeling, and identifying concentration-
response functions for the health effects analysis.
"The IES program is providing important new
information for consideration by our Ministry in
its development of a greenhouse gas emissions
reduction strategy."
- Mr. Tae-Bong Jeon,
Director General,
Air Quality Management Bureau, Ministry of Environment
The main goals for Phase 2 of South Korea's IES
program are to analyze emission reduction
potential for both carbon dioxide (CO2) and local
air pollutants, as well as the implementation cost
of specific measures from SAQMP. Additional air
quality policy measures that are not currently part
of the SAQMP will be analyzed for their co-benefit
potential. The study will conclude with a relative
ranking of the policy measures according to their
co-benefit potential and other key criteria. Finally,
this information will be disseminated to
stakeholders, experts, and policymakers.
Results of the Project
The IES program has led to the integration of an
air pollution inventory and analysis of emission
reductions in an annually produced document.
The National Institute of Environmental Research
(see ) regularly inventories several
air pollutants by emissions source, including point
sources, area sources, and mobile sources. KEI
examined mitigation measures that could reduce
emissions from those respective sources (see Table
1) and estimated the resulting emission reductions.
Together, all of the mitigation measures could
annually reduce almost 172,000 tons of nitrogen
oxides (NOX), more than 53,000 tons of sulfur
oxides (SOX), 9,500 tons of particulate matter
smaller than 10 microns in diameter (PM10), and
more than 261,000 tons of volatile organic
compounds (VOCs) (see Figure 1).
Additionally, the IES analysis projects future CO2
emission reductions from the same measures. For
example, by promoting increased cogeneration and
solar energy in residences, the IES analysis
estimated that by 2014, nearly 2,155,000 households
will cumulatively reduce CO2 emissions by
approximately 1,151,866 tons. In future work, the
team will analyze individual emission reduction
measures and estimate their resulting health
benefits within the context of the SAQMP.
On April 7, 2005, a Ministerial Decree created the
Task Force on GHG Reductions (Task Force),
which—among other responsibilities—was charged
with developing medium- and long-term strategies
for GHG emission reductions and calculating
national GHG emissions. Most notably, the Task
Force was also charged with creating integrated
policies for reducing emissions of GHGs and local
air pollutants. The Prime Minister was the chair of
the GHG Reduction Committee which oversaw the
Task Force. At the end of its term, the Task Force
issued an important final report and suggested
several GHG mitigation strategies including:
establishment of a GHG management system;
integration of existing environmental polices and
GHG mitigation measures; and the assessment of
climate change impacts and adaptation.
For More Information
Visit the IES Web site at
.
You may also e-mail .
I ntegrated
|^ nvironmental
trategies
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA 430-F-06-004
June 2006
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