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서울C40세계도시기후 정상회의 개회사<영문>

  • 작성자 : 김진옥
  • 등록일 : 2009.05.19
  • 조회수 : 3030
President Bill Clinton,
Mayor David Miller of Toronto and Chair of C40,
Mayor Oh Se-hoon of Seoul,
Dr. Anna Tibaijuka, Executive-Director of UN-HABITAT,
Distinguished mayors of participating cities,
Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am very pleased to speak to you on this special occasion of the Third C40 Large Cities Climate Summit here in Seoul. I would first like to thank Chairman Miller and Mayor Oh Se-hoon for their kind invitation.

President Clinton,

I would also like to extend my warmest welcome to the distinguished mayors and representatives of the world's leading cities who came a long way to attend this important meeting.

I am particularly pleased that Seoul is the first Asian city to host the C40 Climate Summit following London and New York. As you are well aware, the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group was established with 18 members in London in 2005. Within only four years, its membership has more than doubled and gained international recognition. Renamed as C40 in 2006, the Group has now 40 members of the world's largest cities and 16 affiliate cities.

I believe that the rapid enlargement of the C40 could be attributed to two main factors. First, I would like to point out that major cities' policy-makers have become increasingly aware of urgent challenges posed by climate change. There is also growing public awareness of adverse effects of climate change on their lives in the city.

Secondly, it is also noteworthy that the C40 was fortunate to have two trailblazing leaders: the former Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, though he is absent here today, and former U.S. President Bill Clinton who is here with us today.

Three years ago, Mayor Livingstone and President Clinton made a ground-breaking decision to create a partnership between the Clinton Climate Initiative and the Large Cities Climate Leadership Group. Launching of the new partnership has greatly contributed to bringing the world's leading cities together and encouraging them to join the global efforts to fight against climate change.

I would like to take this opportunity to pay my tribute to the leaders who came up with the vision of the C40 partnership and pioneering mayors who put the vision into action by pledging to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency in cities across the world.

Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,

Indeed, cities should be at the forefront in our fight against climate change and have to be well prepared for the challenges posed by climate fluctuations.

As some of you may know, personally, I have been heavily involved in the global issue of climate change and water. Before I was called back to Korea to serve as Prime Minister last year, I served as Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Climate Change. I also served on the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation and chaired UN High-level Expert Panel on Water and Disaster.

In my capacity as the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General on Climate Change, I had the opportunity to travel to many of the cities that are represented here today and to personally witness the great potential roles cities can play in the fight against climate change. I became more keenly aware of the many contingencies that cities need to prepare against, such as extreme heat waves, water shortages, typhoons, hurricanes, and rising sea levels.

While some cities, as early-movers on this issue, have already taken bold measures to deal with the challenges of climate change there are still many cities struggling from lack of investment on projects and programs dealing with climate change. At the same time, there are also many other cities that have yet to incorporate climate resilience and adaptation measures into their agenda.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Almost half of the world population now lives in the cities. The ratio of global urbanization is projected to reach 60% by 2030 and 70% by 2050. Cities currently consume around 75% of the world's energy production and account for 80% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Out of all major emission sources, buildings and vehicles alone account for 21% of global GHG emissions.

These numbers are expected to grow as continued development and industrialization keep driving people into the cities, oftentimes causing rampant urbanization. The percentage of people living in the cities of developing countries will increase from the current 45% to 67% by 2050, while in the developed world, 75% of people are already living in the cities and the ratio is projected to increase to 86% by 2050.

These data demonstrate that the role of the cities is crucial in our fight against climate change. Cities consume an enormous amount of energy and produce an even bigger share of GHG emissions. Continued urbanization, particularly in developing countries, will further add to the current volume of energy consumption and carbon emissions.

In order to reduce carbon emissions and slow down the global warming process, it would be meaningful for developing countries to benefit from the experiences of developed countries and adopt a "greener" approach in architecting new cities by incorporating green technology in designing the towns and promoting low-carbon lifestyle for their inhabitants.

In this context, I believe the C40 Climate Summit is a valuable forum where mayors can share experiences and learn from each other.

Presentations on successful policies and best practices such as retrofitting buildings to make them more energy-efficient and promoting use of renewable energy sources, and discussions on new technologies, such as Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) or intelligent transportation systems can provide useful information and resources for cities of developing countries in their step towards building a green city. Improving the insulation of buildings, and lessening traffic congestions, for example, are simple measures that bring significant results in the efforts towards mitigating carbon emissions.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

In the face of global challenge of climate change and environmental crisis, cities need to adopt a new approach in urban planning and incorporate "low-carbon" measures that enable economic growth, prevent environmental degradation and at the same time enhance the quality of life.

On August 15th last year, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea, President Lee Myung-bak announced "Low-carbon, Green growth" as Korea's new national vision. With the conviction that climate actions can be the main engine of a sustainable and green economic growth, the Korean Government is focusing on turning the climate crisis into an opportunity for continued growth.

By shifting from a quantity-oriented, fossil-fuel dependent growth paradigm to one that is quality-oriented and fully utilizes renewable energy sources, the Korean Government aims to transform the way we operate our economy, and improve our urban structure and energy infrastructure to make them consistent with green policies.

This new national vision is also at the center of our efforts towards economic recovery. Based on the understanding that a strong economy and a clean environment are not mutually exclusive goals, the Korean Government has firmly embraced "low carbon" as the centerpiece of its Green New Deal stimulus package which announced in January, is being carried out.

We have established a Presidential Committee on Green Growth and currently are in the process of enacting a Framework Law on Green Growth, which will provide both institutional and legal bases for aligning all national as well as local rules and regulations with the new paradigm of "Low-carbon, Green growth." We are also in the process of formulating the 5-year Green Growth Plan with a 10-year rolling plan; it is perhaps the first attempt of its kind in the world.

The Korean Government is reaching out to the cities and local districts, as many important actions are necessarily taken at the local level. Cities and local districts will be encouraged and empowered to lead the green revolution in Korea.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The year 2009 marks a critical juncture in our fight against climate change. In December this year in Copenhagen, the international community will gather to work out a new, Post-2012 climate regime. The 15th Conference of Parties of the UNFCC in Copenhagen will be a very crucial meeting for the future of humanity. Representatives from the countries all around the world are now busy negotiating the details of a new climate architecture to be raised in Copenhagen.

It is high time that we, the human civilization, accepted our responsibility for our own survival.

I sincerely hope that the C40 meeting here in Seoul will make valuable contributions towards the success of the climate negotiations in Copenhagen to be held later this year. We have a strong momentum for climate action and it augurs well for the success of our collective response to climate change.

The very fact that we are all here in this room, ready to take part in overcoming the global climate crisis is proof of our strong will and determination to take effective and collective action.

I am confident that distinguished participants present here today will seize this critical momentum and continue to exert their 'low-carbon leadership.'

I once again appreciate all of you taking the time to come all the way to Seoul. I wish you all the best and an enjoyable stay in Korea, discovering economic, cultural and urban dynamism of Seoul, the Soul of Asia.

Thank you.