PM pledges Korea will take lead in climate crisis response

Korea will be at the forefront of efforts to combat climate change, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Wednesday as she opened an international conference on climate crisis.

“There is a saying that this summer has been the hottest one yet, but it will be the coolest summer we will ever experience,” Han said in an opening address at the Global Cooperation Conference on Climate Crisis Response. “Climate crisis is no longer a warning for the future but has become a disaster that threatens our lives today.”

She outlined measures that Korea has taken against climate change, including the Korea Green Transformation (K-GX) strategy, which seeks sustainable growth and climate crisis response at the same time, and a series of efforts to help industries transition away from carbon emissions.

“It has been more than 10 years since the Paris Agreement. It is time to produce specific outcomes,” Han said, referring to the agreement adopted in 2015 with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

“If each nation’s climate policy is going to lead to tangible outcomes, global joint responses are a must,” she said. “The Republic of Korea will be at the forefront of efforts to deal with the climate crisis, while seeking a transition to clean energy and sharing its experiences with the international community.”