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Good morning to our viewers across the globe, you're watching Arirang's 'The World Now'. I'm Kim Jae-hee.
The French government has decided to ban heated terraces for cafes and bars, in an effort to shift to a greener economy.
The nation's Ecology Minister announced the plan on Monday, saying the government would target the "completely unjustified overconsumption" of resources.
"We will also ban outdoor heating in public spaces and restaurant terraces, and require the closing of doors of all heated or air-conditioned buildings that are open to the public. We cannot fully heat terraces in the middle of winter when it's 0 degrees (Celsius) for the mere pleasure of drinking one's coffee outdoors while staying warm."
Restaurants in France began adopting heated terraces after a ban on indoor smoking went into effect.
Reports have found three out of four restaurants and cafes in Paris have a heated terrace.
But environmental activists were against the idea, citing the wasteful use of electricity and natural gas.
One French environmental group says one terrace with five gas heaters running throughout the winter emits the same amount of Carbon Dioxide a car would emit, if it drove around the world three times.
The French government plans to wait until after the end of winter to inforce the ban, to give restaurants that have been hit hard by COVID-19 some time to adapt.
But some cafe and restaurant owners in Paris are expressing concerns the ban will hit winter turnovers and decrease their revenue.
Government officials are expected to confer with business owners on how to impose the ban.