Realizing Carbon Neutrality
Advisory Meeting Held to Establish a Framework
The National Institute of Forest Science (President Park Hyun) of the Korea Forest Service held an advisory meeting on June 24 together with timber experts and local government officials to explore ways to utilize local timber in order to achieve carbon neutrality.
The National Institute of Forest Science is conducting research on the wood construction of cities to expand the use of timber, a carbon-neutral material. It is also exploring ways to utilize domestic timber, such as identifying urban facilities that can be replaced with wood and developing a model for timber-specialized streets. In addition, the Institute is working to establish the systems needed to expand the use of domestic timber by analyzing timber-use cases in advanced countries at home and abroad, as well as the policies used to promote timber use.
Dr. Eom Chang-deuk of the National Institute of Forest Science gave a presentation on “Systems for Promoting Timber Use Overseas,” and, in connection with the enactment of an “Ordinance for Promoting the Use of Local Timber” being prepared together with the Korea Forest Service, discussion was held on the institutional aspects currently needed in the domestic context.
Dr. Eom Chang-deuk introduced various overseas laws, systems, and campaigns for promoting timber use, and among them, presented on Japan’s ordinance for promoting the use of local timber, which offers the most relevant reference for Korea.
Officials from Chuncheon City Hall and Daegu Metropolitan City Hall, along with timber experts, who attended to provide advice from the timber production and consumption fields, proposed measures to lay the groundwork for the use of local timber, as well as the provision of various incentives for using timber.
Kim Myung-gil, head of the Wood Industry Research Division at the National Institute of Forest Science, said, “If we enact the ‘Ordinance for Promoting the Use of Local Timber’ by carefully incorporating the opinions proposed at the advisory meeting, it could be of great help in promoting timber use within the region and revitalizing the local economy.”