The company announced on May 29 that it will utilize its 'Paperless' environmental fund and 'Green Card' fund to plant an additional 10 hectares of forest annually in the Bayanchandmani area of Mongolia through 2028.
The Paperless environmental fund was established in 2012 through a partnership between BC Card and the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute. It operates a system that eliminates the printing of card receipts. Currently, when participating merchants, such as BGF Retail and 7-Eleven, skip printing receipts, the savings from reduced value-added network (VAN) fees and receipt issuance costs are accumulated by BC Card to support the environmental fund.
From 2019 to last year, BC Card and the Korea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute used the Paperless environmental fund to plant over 60,000 trees in the Ugiin Urt area of Mongolia, creating a cumulative forest area of 60 hectares. They also supported the installation of irrigation facilities essential for the continued growth of the trees.
In addition, programs to assist local residents in achieving economic independence are being implemented. BC Card plans to continue providing agricultural training to local herders and support the expansion of local crop sales and job creation through a cooperative established in 2020 to help develop markets for local produce.
Kim Hee-jung, head of BC Card's Communication Division, stated, "The small efforts of our customers to refrain from printing receipts in their daily lives are blossoming into a vast eco-friendly forest that is preventing desertification in Mongolia and transforming the air quality in Northeast Asia. We will continue to engage in diverse ESG management activities utilizing the Paperless environmental fund to lead the protection of the global environmental ecosystem."
Meanwhile, the Mongolian government has been promoting a 'Billion Trees Campaign' since 2021 to combat desertification, and BC Card is supporting this initiative alongside NGOs and local governments.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.