Since the Rio Conference in 1992, Korea has been pursuing various policies concerning sustainable development.
Post Kyoto Protocol 2012? Korea has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol and is not obliged to meet mandatory CO2 reductions by 2012. However, the challenge remains for Korea post 2012! Will Korea agree to mandatory reductions of GHG emissions post 2012? We truly hope so … to help save our planet and become a world leader.
585 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Korea emitted this amount of CO2e in 2005 making Korea one of the top 10 emitters in the world.
“Low Carbon, Green Growth” In 2008, President MB Lee declared Korea’s National Vision for “Low Carbon, Green Growth” to put sustainable development into concrete and operational policy initiatives. The Five Year Plan for Green Growth (2009~2013) earmarked KRW 107 trillion (approx. US$93 billion) – about 2% of GDP – for investment into the green sector.
The Presidential Committee on Green Growth was born http://www.greengrowth.go.kr/english/en_main/index.do to spearhead Korea’s green growth strategy in coordination with the other major Ministries: Ministry of Environment (MOE)http://eng.me.go.kr/main.do and Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) http://www.mke.go.kr/language/eng/.
UN Environment Program (UNEP) took notice and produced a report in April, 2010. “Overview of the Republic of Korea’s National Strategy for Green Growth”. For a full copy of that report, please click: UNEP_Report_Green_Growth 2010.4
“Green Start” Campaign. In an effort to promote “green” change in everyday life and in an effort to meet the GHG emission reductions announced in 2009, Korea is providing 80 guidelines for green lifestyle which citizens can follow in their every day lives: green driving, green campuses, green lifestyles at home, etc. Please refer to Korea’s statement at the UN Commission on Sustainable Development in May, 2010: Green Start in Korea 2010.5
