LG Electronics said on the 14th it will push to register a "carbon reduction project based on fuel switching using high-efficiency heat pump technology" with Gold Standard, an international carbon credit certification body. The company plans to expand the use of energy-efficient electric heat pumps to cut carbon emissions in the product use phase and have the effect recognized as carbon reduction credits.
A heat pump is equipment that allows outdoor heat sources such as air, water, and geothermal energy to be used for indoor heating. Compared with conventional heating systems that burn fossil fuels to produce heat, it can significantly reduce energy use and carbon dioxide emissions. The International Energy Agency (IEA) also presents heat pumps as a core technology for achieving carbon neutrality in the buildings institutional sector, where the share of heat energy use—such as for cooling, heating, and hot water—is high.
LG Electronics will secure carbon credits proportional to the energy saved by producing and selling high-efficiency heat pumps certified by global certification bodies. The company plans to monetize part of the credits through the voluntary carbon market (VCM) and create a virtuous cycle by reinvesting the revenue in greenhouse gas reduction projects.
LG Electronics has been working to secure carbon credits through high-efficiency appliances such as high-efficiency refrigerators since 2013. Since last year, the company has been securing carbon credits not only through high-efficiency appliances but also through heat pumps.
LG Electronics has set a goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 54.6% by 2030 compared with 2017 and is pushing to introduce high-efficiency equipment and expand renewable power. According to its sustainability report, direct and indirect greenhouse gases emitted from LG Electronics' domestic and overseas business sites in 2024 totaled 910,000 tons, a figure close to the 2030 target of 878,000 tons.
Meanwhile, on the 30th at LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Seoul, LG Electronics will hold a stakeholder consultation meeting to share key details and expected effects of the project and gather feedback for registering the carbon reduction project with Gold Standard. The company plans to explain the project background, applied technologies and reduction accounting methods, anticipated environmental and social impacts, and the Gold Standard certification process.