Hundreds of top officials from more than 100 local governments across the globe gathered Wednesday on South Korea's southern resort island of Jeju to address a wide range of environmental issues.
The World Local Governments Summit opened a two-day meeting with a ceremony, attended by around 500 local government leaders and environment experts.
The summit was held as part of the 2012 IUCN World Conservation Congress, which is set to kick off on Thursday for a 10-day run.
"Green innovation calls for a greater government role but also local governments must step up to make voluntary efforts," Yang Soo-gil, a chief of South Korea's Presidential Committee on Green Growth, said in a keynote speech at the ceremony.
Green growth has been one of President Lee Myung-bak's trademark policies and aims to lessen Korea's dependence on fossil fuels and to promote the development of alternative energy sources.
Following the ceremony, a handful of well-known officials and experts discussed issues under a theme of "Green economy and the role of local governments."
Gwangju Mayor Kang Wun-tae introduced an environment policy of the Gwangju metropolitan government, such as facilitating carbon trading in an effort to get the city to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
A group of officials and a panel of experts also discussed subjects such as finding a solution to a sustainable environment policy. They include Jeju Governor Woo Keun-min; Paul Giacobbi, the governor of Corsica, France; and Geoffrey Lipman, an assistant secretary-general of the UNWTO.
In the afternoon, leaders of local governments also shared their thoughts of pragmatic solutions to most pressing environment and development challenges, such as maintaining a sustainable ecosystem and finding measures against rapid climate changes. Forum attendees include Abraham Kahlil B Mitra, the governor of Palawan; and James Chan Khay Syn, the mayor of the Kuching South City Council in Malaysia. (Yonhap)