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Busan Metropolitan City Launches Full-Scale White Roof Installation Support Project to Protect Heat-Vulnerable Residents through Public-Private Cooperation

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Busan Metropolitan City announced that it will fully implement the White Roof Installation Support Project at a total of 36 sites this year to advance its “2050 Carbon Neutrality” initiative and improve the residential environment of people vulnerable to extreme heat, with construction beginning this month.

The White Roof (Cool Roof) Installation Support Project involves applying highly efficient, heat-reflective specialty coatings with excellent sunlight-reflecting properties to the rooftops of homes occupied by vulnerable residents and facilities jointly used by local communities.

By reducing heat buildup on rooftops and lowering indoor temperatures by approximately 4–5°C, this construction method is highly effective in reducing summer cooling energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions while mitigating the urban heat island effect.

Since the project was first launched in 2019, it has been implemented consistently each year. By 2025, work had been completed at a cumulative total of 168 sites covering 9,865 square meters, establishing the project as a representative low-carbon green-building model whose benefits are directly felt by residents.

In particular, the 2026 project has maximized budget savings and administrative efficiency by establishing a public-private cooperation framework in which the Busan Metropolitan City Architects Association is responsible for professional construction work, NOROO Paint Co., Ltd. provides the full supply of highly efficient heat-reflective specialty paint, and BNK Busan Bank contributes the funding and ancillary expenses required to carry out the project. Administrative support from the Korean Red Cross and performance verification work by Korea Productivity Center Certification have also supported the project’s implementation.

In conjunction with the full-scale launch of the project, officials including the head of Busan Metropolitan City’s Architecture Policy Division and architects from the Busan Metropolitan City Architects Association visited a senior citizens’ center in Dongnae-gu on the morning of September 7. They participated directly in on-site painting and volunteer activities, putting the spirit of public-private cooperation into practice.

Busan Metropolitan City plans to complete all 36 sites scheduled for 2026 without disruption and further expand the scale of the project in 2027 to promote the wider adoption of green buildings.

Applications for the 2027 project will be accepted at the end of this year through the architecture departments of each district and county. Busan Metropolitan City will continue to broaden public participation in carbon-neutral initiatives by encouraging voluntary involvement by residents and participation by private companies.

Kim Hyo-suk, Director General of the Housing and Architecture Bureau, said, “This year’s project is the result of public-private cooperation combining the professional construction expertise of the Busan Metropolitan City Architects Association, the high-quality material support provided by NOROO Paint Co., Ltd., and the financial contribution of BNK Busan Bank. We will continue to bring the public and private sectors together to improve the residential environment of people vulnerable to extreme heat, realize sustainable energy welfare, and do our utmost to build Busan as a carbon-neutral city whose benefits residents can genuinely experience.”