Busan Opens 9th and 10th Branches of 'Our Neighborhood ESG Center'

[Financial News] ESG hubs created by repurposing closed daycare centers and vacant administrative welfare centers are opening one after another.
Busan Metropolitan City Government announced that it will hold opening ceremonies for the Dong District and Yeonje District branches of the Our Neighborhood ESG Center on the 28th and 29th.
The 9th ESG branch, located in Dong District, is the fourth center created by repurposing a daycare center that closed amid declining birth rates and the rise of a super-aged society.
The 10th branch, in Yeonje District, has been renovated from a former administrative welfare center that stood vacant after the government office was relocated.
The city plans to carry out resource-circulation activities and environmental education and hands-on programs for children at both locations, while also implementing specialized programs at each center.
Plastic upcycling projects involving PET bottles and toys, along with environmental education and hands-on programs for children, will be conducted in the same manner as at existing Our Neighborhood ESG Centers.
The Dong District branch will host an invited exhibition by artist Jo Jae-im, themed 'Wind and Forest,' through June next year. The Yeonje District branch plans to focus on a coffee-ground recycling project that reprocesses coffee grounds into deodorants, key rings and other products.
The Our Neighborhood ESG Center aims to build sustainable local communities through resident-led resource-circulation activities, environmental education and hands-on programs, and the creation of spaces that bring different generations together.
Through the operation of the centers, the city has created about 6,100 jobs for older adults and collected 159 metric tons of plastic. It has also provided environmental education and hands-on programs to about 25,000 people.
Building on these achievements, the center development project won a Silver Award at the Green World Awards, a global environmental awards program, last year, followed by the Green Apple Environment Awards this year.
Hwang Sun-gil, director of the city's Social Welfare Bureau, said, "The Our Neighborhood ESG Center is a new model that connects environmental initiatives with jobs for older adults and brings different generations together. It will serve as a hub for making our neighborhoods warmer and happier communities."
[email protected] Kwon Byeong-seok Reporter