South Chungcheong Province announced that it will hold a lights-off event on April 22nd at 8 PM for 10 minutes in commemoration of the 55th Earth Day, with the participation of public institutions and the public. This event, centered around the provincial government building and major public institutions and landmarks within the province, is organized to encourage citizens' practice of carbon neutrality.

In addition to the lights-off event, South Chungcheong Province will operate a Climate Change Week until April 25th, conducting various campaigns to raise public awareness of the severity of the climate crisis and promote a transition to a carbon-neutral society. Under the theme "Let's Take Climate Action! Let's Go Live Adaptively!", the week will feature diverse activities such as a campaign to eliminate single-use products, "no leftovers" days in the employee cafeteria, discounts for using tumblers, environmental cleanup volunteer activities, and a campaign to reduce digital carbon footprints.

Furthermore, cities and counties are also raising awareness of climate change issues through online and offline promotional activities, including Gongju City's climate change action signature campaign, Boryeong City's exhibition on the severity of climate change, Dangjin City's Earth Day commemorative life festival, and Taean County's Earth Day event.

Kim Young-myung, Director of the Environment and Forestry Bureau, stated, "The climate crisis is a significant issue that we must all address together," and urged, "We ask for your active participation in the various campaigns and practical activities held during Climate Change Week, including the lights-off event on the 22nd."

Earth Day and Earth Hour:

Earth Day, observed annually on April 22nd, is a commemorative day that began in 1970 to raise awareness of the seriousness of environmental pollution. Meanwhile, Earth Hour is a global campaign organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), held on the last Saturday of March at 8:30 PM for one hour, during which lights are turned off to increase awareness of climate change issues. Major cities around the world, including Seoul, participate in Earth Hour, joining the campaign through various means such as landmark light-offs and candlelit dinners.

South Korea's Efforts to Address Climate Change:

The Republic of Korea has set a goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 2018 through its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC). To achieve this, the government has established a Basic Plan for Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth and is pursuing various policies such as expanding renewable energy, introducing new energy sources like hydrogen and ammonia, and developing carbon capture, utilization, and storage technologies. Additionally, it is minimizing damage from climate change through climate change adaptation measures.

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