[Asia Exclusive] From the Paris Agreement to Carbon Neutrality... Ban Ki-moon's "Lonely Struggle"

Interview with Ban Ki-moon, Chair of the National Climate and Environment Council
Met with US Presidents to Lead the 2015 Paris Agreement
Efforts for '2050 Carbon Neutrality'... Plans to Write Memoirs

Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the National Climate and Environment Council, is being interviewed on the 15th at the National Climate and Environment Council in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] "It is no exaggeration to say that I have fought a lonely battle."

Ban Ki-moon, Chairman of the National Climate and Environment Council, introduced himself this way in an interview with Asia Economy on the 15th. From his time as UN Secretary-General to his current role as head of the National Climate and Environment Council, he has been a leading voice in climate change response.

Reflecting on the 1990s during the Kim Young-sam administration when he served as a senior secretary at the Blue House, Ban said, "Even the president at that time did not pay attention to environmental issues," adding, "Only the Ministry of Environment struggled hard." He recalled, "When inter-ministerial meetings were held at the Blue House, some ministries snapped, 'We are busy making a living, why talk about the environment?'" and said, "There was severe discord among ministries over environmental issues."

The period from 2007 to 2016, when Ban served as UN Secretary-General, marks both the beginning and the end of the Paris Climate Agreement. The Paris Agreement, which replaced the Kyoto Protocol, is a historic accord in which all countries worldwide declared their commitment to addressing climate issues. However, the process was intense. The 15th UN Conference of the Parties held in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2009 ended in failure as countries could not narrow differences over greenhouse gas reduction obligations and funding. Ban recalled that time, saying, "It was the most devastating defeat in my 50 years of diplomatic service," and expressed with some intensity, "It was shattered and brutally broken."

Six years later, at the 2015 conference, 195 countries unanimously adopted the Paris Agreement. Ban plans to publish a memoir recounting the hard-fought experience leading up to this dramatic turnaround. He intends to reveal stories such as how he changed the mind of former U.S. President George W. Bush, who was indifferent to climate response, and the behind-the-scenes efforts that led to the government's recent declaration of '2050 Carbon Neutrality.'

Asia Economy DB=Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

His expression has recently brightened considerably. This is because climate and environmental issues have come to the forefront internationally, and Korea has joined the trend of the times by declaring carbon neutrality.

Next year, a series of international conferences related to climate response are scheduled to be held. In January, the Global Commission on Adaptation (GCA) summit will take place in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Launched in October 2018, the GCA consists of 23 member countries, including Korea, Germany, the United Kingdom, and China. As co-chair of this event, Ban will preside over the summit alongside Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. In May next year, the P4G (Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030) summit is scheduled to be held in Seoul. Following that, in November, the 26th Conference of the Parties will be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Ban said, "Next year's events will serve as an opportunity to strengthen the momentum of international efforts to respond to climate change," and predicted, "In particular, the P4G summit will be an important stepping stone toward Glasgow."