The Ministry of Environment (Minister Han Wha-jin) announced that Minister Han Wha-jin will attend the "2023 Climate Ambition Summit" to be held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York on September 20 (local time) to discuss international cooperation for the transition to a carbon-neutral society.

The "2023 Climate Ambition Summit," led by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, is being held during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (September 5th to 26th) to enhance the greenhouse gas reduction ambitions of countries and promote climate action in order to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement.

Secretary-General Guterres referred to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report to underscore the pressing nature of the climate crisis and urged the development of agendas* to expedite global climate action. He called upon countries and stakeholders to commit to these agendas.

* ① Enhanced action by member countries (Ambition), ② Reliable actions by businesses, cities, regions, and financial institutions (Credibility), ③ Cooperation in compliance by all stakeholders (Implementation)

The forthcoming meeting will witness extensive engagement from various stakeholders, encompassing UN member state governments, international organizations, civil society, and businesses. It is anticipated that they will unveil concrete and innovative pledges to accomplish the objectives of the Paris Agreement and promote climate justice.

During this meeting, Minister Han Wha-jin will engage in a high-level dialogue centered on "Accelerating Decarbonization through Cooperation and Implementation." The Minister is expected to present domestic policies and underscore the collaborative endeavors of the international community.

Moreover, there are intentions to continuously bolster policy support, incentivizing carbon reduction by companies and promoting the shift to clean energy through the operation of Korea's greenhouse gas emissions trading system.

In addition, we are reiterating our commitment to increase financial and technological support for climate-vulnerable nations. This includes decisions regarding a second contribution to Korea's Green Climate Fund and a new contribution to the Adaptation Fund. We urge the international community to collaborate with us in this endeavor.

On the morning of September 21 (local time), Minister Han Wha-jin will join a working breakfast event addressing the threat of rising sea levels alongside Kim Hyo-eun, the Climate Change Ambassador of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the event, they will affirm their dedication to actively participating as leaders in responding to the rising sea level threat, demonstrating their understanding of the gravity of the climate crisis confronting Pacific Island Countries.

Following the breakfast event, Minister Han Wha-jin will also attend a ministerial-level meeting for the Global Stocktake (GST), hosted by the Chair of the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, on the same day in the morning (local time).

The Global Stocktake (GST), conducted under Article 14 of the Paris Agreement, is an evaluation mechanism for assessing efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement's objectives. The first results of this process are scheduled to be produced at the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which will take place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, in November this year. This meeting is designed to share progress made so far before the high-level meetings planned for COP28, seeking ways to generate strong outcomes that can lead to concrete actions by all stakeholders.

* Global Stocktake (GST) Procedure and Schedule: ① Information Collection and Preparation(November 2021 - June 2023) → ② Technical Assessment (June 2022 - June 2023) → ③ Review of Results (November 2023)

In addition, there are plans for a bilateral meeting between Sultan Al Jaber, the President-Designate of COP28, to share expectations and outcomes of this year's COP and discuss cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Han Wha-jin of the Ministry of Environment stated, "The efforts made so far are insufficient to achieve the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement." She added, "To achieve an innovative transition to a carbon-neutral society from the existing fossil fuel-based system, I will actively participate in international efforts."

Contact: Park So-hyun, Deputy Director

Climate Change International Cooperation Team / +82-(0)44-201-6606