South Korea expands carbon neutrality point system to incentivize green habits

The South Korean government operates the Carbon Neutrality Point System to reward citizens for reducing carbon emissions in their daily lives. Participants earn points for activities such as lowering electricity and water consumption, reducing vehicle mileage, or practicing green habits like using tumblers and requesting electronic receipts.

The program began in 2009 as a carbon point system for energy use before expanding to include vehicles in 2020 and green lifestyle practices in 2022.

Participation surged as the government integrated these categories into a single system in 2023. The number of participants in the green lifestyle category grew from 260,000 in 2022 to over 2 million by the end of 2025. The government increased the incentive budget to 18.1 billion won for 2026. Local governments distribute these rewards twice a year based on reduction performance through various methods including cash, green card points, traditional market vouchers, and trash bags.

Analysis shows the system reduces an average of 1.12 million tons of greenhouse gas annually, an amount comparable to planting 170 million pine trees.