Ban Ki-moon to lead green growth movement

By Yi Whan-woo

Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will hold his first press conference on March 27 after being elected to lead the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) in February.

It will be at 11:30 a.m. at The Westin Chosun in downtown Seoul.

The GGGI, a Seoul-based organization on sustainable economic growth, said last week Ban will talk about his plans as GGGI president and chairman.

He will also talk about the importance of fulfilling the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.

The U.N. oversaw the creation of the SDGs and NDCs at the end of Ban's second five-year term which concluded in December 2016.

GGGI Director-General Frank Rijsberman and Ban will deliver a speech before they join a question-and-answer session with reporters.

Ban said he will “contribute to promoting green growth and sustainable development around the world” while doing his “best to fulfill the expectations of the international community in this regard.”

Rijsberman said Ban's U.N. career ushered in important targets that were “necessary for achieving a more sustainable and inclusive future.”

“His vision and leadership will help GGGI deliver an even greater impact in our mission of supporting member governments to achieve the ambitions set out under the SDGs and the Paris Agreement,” Rijsberman said.

The GGGI was founded in 2012. Led by Korea, it has 27 members, including Australia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Mexico, Norway, Papua New Guinea, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Vietnam.

It is aimed at helping developing countries transition to a model of environmentally sustainable economic growth.

Previous GGGI chairmen include former Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and Danish Prime Minister Lars Loekke Rasmussen.

Ban replaced Gemedo Dalle of Ethiopia.

Ban's two-year term began immediately after he was elected. The chairmanship is renewable for another two-year term.