Mayor Yeom Tae-young of Suwon Attending ICLEI Forum: "Restoring Climate Resilience is a Task for Local Governments to Solve"

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Seo Dong-young] Mayor Yeom Tae-young of Suwon emphasized on the 14th at the online forum of the '2020 Brave Cities Global Summit' hosted by ICLEI World Secretariat that "restoring urban climate resilience and strengthening the adaptive capacity of vulnerable populations to climate crisis is an important task that local governments must address."

The 2020 Brave Cities Global Summit, which began on the 7th, is being held as an online forum (simultaneous global access format) until October 28th under the theme of "Bold Cities' Response to Climate Change and COVID-19 Response in the Era of Climate Crisis." It consists of three sessions: 'KNOW' (expert-centered), 'ACT' (local government leader-centered presentations), and 'LEAD' (Q&A-style; discussions).

Mayor Yeom participated in the 'Carbon Neutral Local Government Panel Session' held on the topic of 'Climate Neutral Policies and Will of Local Governments' as a representative of Korean local governments.

Mayor Yeom was invited as a representative of Korean local governments to this global summit in recognition of his active efforts in promoting climate action, including playing a leading role in the proclamation of 'Climate Crisis Emergency Declaration of Korean Basic Local Governments' (June 2020) and the establishment of the 'Carbon Neutral Local Government Coalition' (July).

Mayor Yeom emphasized the role of local governments, saying "Climate neutrality does not merely mean carbon neutrality (Net-Zero) but also aligns with the values of environmental justice."

He continued, "In April of this year, Suwon established the 'Suwon Carbon Neutral Basic Strategy' based on accumulated carbon emission analysis data," and explained that "we have prepared a concrete scenario for achieving carbon neutrality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% through energy transition and conservation by 2050, and offsetting 20% through carbon sink creation."

'Carbon neutrality' means creating a situation where the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed equals the amount of carbon dioxide emissions generated in a region, making the actual carbon dioxide emission amount 'zero.' This means bringing the total carbon dioxide amount to a neutral state.

Since 2011, Suwon has voluntarily set 'greenhouse gas reduction targets' and has been monitoring greenhouse gas emissions annually, checking them, and monitoring reduction achievements.

The 'Carbon Neutral Basic Strategy' established this year consists of three major strategies: ▲establishment of a hydrogen fuel ecosystem ▲phased implementation of carbon neutrality models from buildings→neighborhoods→cities ▲integrated urban policies for sustainable development.

Mayor Yeom stated, "As the inaugural representative of the Carbon Neutral Local Government Coalition, I will discover local government-led specialized projects and spread successful models," and added "based on regional energy policies and energy decentralization, I will actively work to achieve carbon neutrality."

He further added, "Suwon will stand at the center of climate action and continue to cooperate with ICLEI."

Meanwhile, ICLEI is the world's largest local government network that cooperates internationally on environmental issues and works toward a sustainable future. More than 1,220 basic municipal governments, metropolitan governments, and megacities from 84 countries across the world are members.