Advancing Green Purchasing in South Korean Municipalities

The South Korean Ministry of Environment, Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute, Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Public Procurement Service are working collaboratively to promote green purchasing policies across all levels of South Korean government. A primary reason for this action is that green purchasing policies have the potential to significantly reduce carbon impacts across the globe, while helping South Korea achieve its specific carbon emissions goals. However, at the local level, many municipal governments have struggled to implement green purchasing policies. Consequently, green purchasing has not reached its potential to help municipalities mitigate their environmental impacts. Researchers in the Institute of Governmental Studies at Korea University and Arizona State University’s (ASU’s) Sustainable Purchasing Research Initiative have sought to address these issues. Our three broad objectives are to: 1) Determine the facilitators and barriers to adoption and implementation of green purchasing policies in South Korean municipalities 2) Recommend actions for advancing green purchasing practices more effectively 3) Encourage South Korean municipalities that lack green purchasing policies to adopt and implement them within their jurisdictions. To accomplish these objectives, we conducted a national survey of people in finance, procurement, public works, city planning, environmental compliance, waste management and sustainability-related positions in South Korean municipalities. The survey generated 243 individual responses from 85 municipalities with 25,000 residents or more