PyeongChang Olympics saved 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide

A PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games fundraising campaign to lower emissions saved 21,000 tons of carbon dioxide, according to a South Korean climate change company.

The campaign, from Jan. 1 until Feb. 25, raised over 20.6 million won ($19,500), the Climate Change Center said Tuesday.

The center used the money to buy permits from the China General Nuclear Power Plant to offset carbon emissions.

The permits were originally for the Daan Laifu Wind Farm Phase IV Project in China.

The center then notified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that it would voluntarily cancel 21,000 CERs (certified emission reduction certificates) for carbon offsets for the Winter Olympics held Feb. 9-25.

Center communication head Beetsnara Han said: “We sought companies that would make a deal with us that we purchase their permits, and eventually signed with the Chinese company.”

The UNFCCC delivered the voluntary cancellation certificate to the center on March 3.