The Republic of Korea has seen a marked increase in the instances of Green Public Procurement thanks to the enactment of legislation to promote the purchase of eco-friendly products. In 2004, prior to the act, GPP accounted for 255 billion KRW. Today, the total stands at 1,727 billion KRW, a 6.8 fold increase.

GPP accounts for five to six and a half percent of total purchases carried out by public organisations, and the number of manufacturers and certified products to choose from has risen greatly. In 2003, there were 753 green manufacturers; by 2012 the number had increased to 9,140. Similarly, the number of green certified products jumped from 306 in 2003 to 2,841 in 2012.

The act has seen entire industries shift to greener methods of manufacturing. Over the last eight years, the increase in GPP has resulted in a reduction of 3.71 million tons of CO2, and the creation of 14,335 new jobs. In 2012 alone, 491,000 tonnes of CO2 were saved. The economic benefit to South Korea in 2012 was valued at 7.4 billion KRW.

For more information, click here.