'Suwon Environmental Policy Forum' Launches Full-Scale Activities

The 'Suwon Environmental Policy Forum,' a research organization of the Suwon City Council, held its founding ceremony on the 12th and began full-scale activities.

The Environmental Policy Forum held its founding ceremony on the afternoon of that day at 3 p.m. in the medium-sized conference room on the 2nd floor of the annex of Suwon City Hall, with approximately 40 attendees including Suwon Mayor Kim Yong-seo and Council Member Kim Myung-uk of the forum, along with five others, and committed to taking the lead in research and development of measures to reduce greenhouse gas (carbon gas) emissions in response to global climate change.

Council Member Kim Myung-uk stated in his opening remarks, "According to the IPCC (2007) report, observations of the atmosphere, polar regions, and oceans show that global warming is in progress, and the main culprit is human activity," and explained the purpose of the forum's establishment, saying, "We organized the Environmental Policy Forum to actively address climate change as an international issue."

Going forward, the Environmental Policy Forum will research the Energy Basic Ordinance for climate change countermeasures in preparation for international agreements on greenhouse gas reduction to be implemented from 2013 onwards, and plans to research and implement greenhouse gas reduction action plans that all citizens can practice.

Following the founding ceremony on that day, a forum was also held with participation from experts in various fields including academia, industry, and NGOs to explore strategies for Suwon's climate change response.

Deputy Director An Jun-kwan of the Energy and Climate Division of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movement delivered the keynote presentation, and engaged in lively discussions as panelists were Professor Woo Wan-ki (Department of Environmental Health, Jangan University), Deputy Director Park Seong-mun (Energy Sharing and Peace Policy Division), Director Park Yun-seok (Suwon Environmental Policy Division), Executive Director Kim Chung-kwan (Suwon Environmental Movement Center), and Council Member Kim Myung-uk (Suwon City Council).

Meanwhile, the Suwon Environmental Policy Forum research organization, established in August, includes the participation of Council Members Kim Myung-uk, Shim Sang-ho, Park Myung-ja, Baek Jeong-seon, Moon Byung-geun, and Yun Gyeong-seon.