By Kang Shin-who
Staff Reporter
Scholars, business leaders and civic activists will join hands to establish a non-government organization to tackle global warming. The Korea Green Foundation (KGF), the first non-governmental environmental foundation, announced it will convene an inaugural general meeting to open the center on Feb. 22.
The KGF said it is working on finalizing the list of 36 founding members of the center, tentatively named the Global Warming Center.
Among the members are Choi Yeol, KGF president; Shin Il-ryung, former president of Ewha Womans University; Cho Dong-sung, professor of Seoul National University; and Kim Sung-hoon, president of Sangji University.
Representing the business field, Sohn Kyung-shik of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Lee Woong-yeol Kolon Group Chairman will also be among the founding members.
Wild life conservationist Jane Goodall and other renowned foreign scholars and environmentalists will also be members. Goodall is an English U.N. Messenger of Peace, a primatologist, ethologist and anthropologist.
With the center, KGF will map out details for long-term plans to cope with global warming. During its opening ceremony, KGF will discuss the role of Korea in the global campaign against environmental damage. Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General, will also deliver a videotaped message to the opening ceremony.