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Minister optimistic about achieving economic growth, conserving nature
By Kim Se-jeong
Yoon Seong-kyu Environment Minister
By Kim Se-jeong
SEOGWIPO ― Minister of Environment Yoon Seong-kyu said Wednesday that nature conservation and economic growth are possible together and can be fostered through dialogue such as the World Leaders’ Conservation Forum currently taking place on Jeju Island.
In his welcoming speech, Yoon said nature conservation has long been considered a constraint on economic development, and the two have been regarded as contradictory concepts.
“But when we connect nature conservation and economic growth and engage them with each other, they become one strong and powerful mechanism that will lead us toward a better future for all. This is the mechanism we are building today, here at the World Leaders’ Conservation Forum,” he said.
Yoon said world leaders and environment experts participating in the forum will find a path that leads people to peace, coexistence and sustainable development. “I firmly believe that this forum will not only give us a source of hope and inspiration for a better future for all, but also motivation to take action and to turn hope into reality.”
The three-day forum has drawn 43 experts and leaders from around the world to discuss the importance of nature conservation and to brainstorm ways to create a better balance between nature and humans.
Participants of the forum included Alan Weisman, an author; Inger Andersen, director general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); Christopher Briggs, secretary general of the Ramsar Convention; Munqeth Mehyar, president of Ecopeace Middle East; Jeong Yeon-man, vice minister of environment; and Masahiko Horie, Japanese ambassador for global environmental affairs.
Andersen from the IUCN thanked Korea for hosting the forum and showing leadership. “Korea is the leading light in sustainable development,” she said. Korea also hosted the World Conservation Congress (WCC) in 2012, one of the IUCN’s biggest international events, in Jeju.
Jeju also earned credits for its green leadership. The island is known for its rich biodiversity and has been a great benefactor of its green policies. Almost 600,000 islanders live off tourism and that made sustainable development a priority for the island’s leaders. “Sharing between people and nature will be the main pillar for the future,” Jeju Special Self-Governing Province Governor Won Hee-ryong said.