90% of gov’t vehicles were low-emission in 2022

Central and local governments and state-run agencies in Korea are speeding up their green initiatives, with the number of government-owned clean-emission vehicles in 2022 hitting a record high.

According to the Ministry of Environment on Thursday, in 2022, of the 8,072 vehicles purchased or rented by governmental bodies and agencies, almost 80 percent were emission-free vehicles — those powered by fuel cells, electricity or hybrid technology. When considering vehicles operating on liquefied natural gas and gasoline that met the national standards for low emissions, over 90 percent of all vehicles fell under the broader low-emission vehicle category.

The survey, jointly conducted by the ministries of environment and trade-industry-energy, showed an increase of 881 hydrogen and electric vehicles compared to the previous year.

Initiated in 2021, the annual survey offers a glimpse into how the 769 governmental organizations are conforming to the country’s updated Clean Air Conservation Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Act on Promotion of Development and Distribution of Environment-Friendly Motor Vehicles.

Both laws mandate that starting from 2021, all governmental entities and relevant organizations should ensure that their vehicle fleet is fully composed of low-emission vehicles with at least 80 percent emission-free.

The legislation forced national authorities and agencies to purchase or rent more environmentally-friendly vehicles, if necessary, to meet the new standards. The Clean Air Conservation Act stipulates a maximum fine of 3 million won ($2,300) for those who fail to comply with these requirements.

The survey revealed the effectiveness of these laws. In 2022, 92 percent of all organizations complied with the environmental standards, representing an increase of 8.3 percentage points and 102 organizations from the previous year.