South Korea's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), a policy for evaluating emissions of greenhouse gases by businesses introduced in 2010, was found to be effective as it was able to reduce 11.47 million tons of greenhouse gases for the past two years (2010-2011).

The Ministry of Environment said this represents 4.7 percent of the country's goal to 244 million tons reduce greenhouse gases by 2020. The reduction for the first two years of implementation the reduced amount is 35.4 percent of the BAU, 32.39 million tons, the expected amount of emission when any separate reduction plan is not devised.

The EIA policy requires businesses to establish plans to reduce greenhouse gases through land use and resource recycling. Initially, it covered 5 business industries – energy, city, industrial estate, road and tourism complex, but this will be expanded to all 18 businesses starting this year.

Strategic Environmental Assessment is also planned to establish the low carbon green development from the basic plan establishment phase, according to a report in the government website.