[INTERVIEW] P4G Seoul Summit to highlight Korea's commitment, efforts toward climate change

Yoo Yeon-chul, executive director of the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit Preparatory Office, poses at his office in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

By Kang Seung-woo

Calls for accelerated action concerning the climate crisis, fueled by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, have been growing steadily. Korea's hosting of an international summit on the environment later this month is expected to serve as an opportunity to show the nation's commitment to and efforts toward containing climate change in accordance with those of the international community, according to the executive director of the event.

The 2021 P4G Seoul Summit is the first-ever multilateral environmental summit to be hosted by the Korean government. It is scheduled to take place on May 30 and 31, and is themed, "Inclusive Green Recovery towards Carbon Neutrality." The upcoming event was originally planned for June 2020, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

P4G, which stands for "Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030," is an international initiative to accelerate the response to climate change and the implementation of the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Launched in 2017, it is comprised of 12 countries: Bangladesh, Chile, Colombia, Denmark, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Vietnam and Korea.

"The upcoming summit is the first multilateral summit on the environment to be hosted by Korea, adding more significance to the occasion," Yoo Yeon-chul, executive director of the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit Preparatory Office, said in an interview with The Korea Times.

"The summit will further unite our global resolve for carbon neutrality, and strengthen climate action to build back better and greener in the post-COVID world."

President Moon Jae-in delivers a keynote speech during the inaugural P4G Summit at the DR Concert Hall in Copenhagen, Denmark, in this Oct. 20, 2018 photo. Yonhap

The Seoul summit carries extra weight, as it will take place at a very important inflection point in terms of the international community's actions on climate challenges, he added.

"2021 is the first year when the international community begins to take action for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, despite the lingering COVID-19 pandemic," Yoo said.

The Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 by the U.N. to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels, making efforts to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

"Also, followed by a number of important climate summits held this year, it will serve as a stepping stone to the COP26, to be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, in November," he added.

In April, U.S. President Joe Biden hosted the Leaders Summit on Climate, which involved 40 world leaders, including President Moon Jae-in, who, during the event, set a higher goal for the nation in terms of cutting carbon emissions. The COP26 is the 26th U.N. Climate Change Conference, scheduled to run from Nov. 1 to 12.

In order to further highlight the significance of the Seoul summit, the government has come up with several action plans under its theme, which Yoo believes will help Koreans become "more aware of environment-related issues and guide them toward climate action."

"First, we would like to bring together the commitment of the international community to pursue 'green recovery' in an 'inclusive' manner, while secondly, we hope to gather the solidarity of the participating countries on pursuing carbon neutrality," the executive director said.

"More importantly, Korea will make sure that due efforts are made to contribute to tackling climate change and achieving the SDGs. This will include making ambitious commitments on a domestic policy level, as well as expanding our assistance to developing countries in their efforts to achieve global goals.

"Finally, through our short-term Green New Deal policy and long-term carbon neutrality goal, we are sending a message to the market and businesses that Korea's climate-related objectives are clear, predictable and reliable."

The two-day summit will adopt the Seoul Declaration, in which the government will flesh out differentiated goals and strategies in five sectors ― water, food and agriculture, energy, cities and the circular economy.

"We would like to reaffirm the global challenges ahead of us and our commitments for an inclusive green recovery toward carbon neutrality," Yoo said.

The summit "will also address areas and actions we need to pursue together, such as public-private partnerships and sustainable development," he added.

A logo of the P4G Seoul Summit. Including an image from Joseon-era painter Jeong Seon's "Clearing after Rain on Mount Inwang," the logo represents Korea's dynamism and the close cooperation of the P4G partners. / Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Public-private partnerships

Against the backdrop of climate change, there have been a large number of international conferences on the environment or climate.

However, Yoo, who doubles as the nation's ambassador for climate change, said that the P4G summit stands out among other multilateral forums, as it focuses on accelerating public-private partnerships for sustainable growth.

"P4G, unlike other international bodies, brings governments, businesses and civil society all together in one place. This means we can take an integrated approach through public-private partnerships to address climate change and achieve the SDGs," he said.

According to him, most other international bodies are comprised of either governments only, businesses only or civic groups only, but P4G is an inclusive multilateral platform encompassing various stakeholders, prompting concerted efforts to respond to climate change, which cannot be solved by the efforts of a single actor.

"Also, P4G is led by like-minded countries which focus on supporting developing countries in their climate change responses, thereby playing a bridging role between developed and developing countries," Yoo said.

"Thus, P4G bridges government assistance and business investment. That is, the governments support the early stages of projects, and businesses actively invest in later stages, ultimately leading to sustainable business models."

The Seoul summit will be the second of its kind after the 2018 inaugural event in Copenhagen, Denmark. The executive director said that there will be a couple of things that will distinguish the upcoming event from the first event, although their purposes will remain the same.

"First, one week ahead of the summit, there will be P4G Green Future Week from May 24 to 29, encompassing a total of 10 Green Future Sessions, aimed at raising public awareness on carbon neutrality and gathering our global resolve to build back better and greener in the post-COVID world," Yoo said.

Yoo Yeon-chul, executive director of the 2021 P4G Seoul Summit Preparatory Office, poses with another logo of the summit that depicts the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals' five areas ― food and agriculture, water, energy, cities and the circular economy ― at his office in Seoul, Thursday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul

According to him, the 10 sessions reflect the policy interests of Korea in connection to the ongoing global dialogue on the green recovery: carbon neutrality, the green new deal, civil society, oceans, biodiversity, business forum, green technology, forests, green finance, and future generations.

He also said, "Another major difference is that the summit will take a virtual format. Although this was an inevitable decision due to the looming COVID-19 pandemic, it has a positive side in that more heads of states and leaders of international organizations can participate. Also, an on-site conference produces massive greenhouse gas emissions resulting from airplane transport and other logistical procedures. A virtual summit has an eco-friendly upside, as it reduces unnecessary emissions."

In Korea, the P4G summit is a relatively unfamiliar event, due to its short history. As part of its efforts to raise public awareness, the preparatory office has initiated various communication activities, including social media activities and collaborations with businesses.

"The strategic priority is to ensure that our green message is spread to all corners of the Earth, while leaving no one behind," Yoo said, adding that his office also has been carrying out several promotional events for people to participate in.

For example, the P4G Photo Posting Campaign, launched April 17, is, among others, an event in which participants post photos of the P4G Countdown Clock Tower, which has been installed at Seoul Plaza in front of City Hall.

In addition, the preparatory office has also signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with 23 Korean and international companies, public institutions and non-governmental organizations ― including IKEA Korea, SK Telecom and Samsung Electronics ― under which they will play a leading role in efforts to tackle the climate crisis and achieve sustainable growth.

As the impact of climate change grows, the P4G Seoul Summit will not go down in history as just a one-off event regarding the climate crisis, as the government is already preparing post-summit actions, Yoo noted.

"We firmly recognize the pivotal importance of setting an ambitious NDC, as it will pave the way toward the greater vision of 2050 carbon neutrality. Specific details will be decided in careful consideration of the physical, socioeconomic, and environmental aspects, in order to respond to the expectations of the international community," he said.

NDC stands for "nationally determined contribution," which specifically delineates how each country will reduce national carbon emissions and meet the common climate goals within the global framework.

"Another important post-summit action is to make sure that the P4G initiative is continued and developed throughout the future," Yoo said.

According to Yoo, Korea has placed high value on "Troika" ― a tripartite system consisting of the past, current and next host countries ― to ensure P4G's continuity.

"Korea will serve as the P4G chair until the third P4G Summit. Throughout the chairmanship, Korea will strive to make sure that all stakeholders come together to respond to climate change and achieve the SDGs, based on the P4G spirit of leaving no one behind and promoting inclusiveness," he added.