Jeonnam Province Accelerates Efforts to Host UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties

[Muan=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Jeonnam Province is accelerating its bid to host the United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28) through strategies such as creating an east-west climate change response environmental belt in the southern central region of the South Coast and spreading the Carbon Hunter brand, which is being promoted to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.

On the 17th, Jeonnam Province announced that it held an interim report meeting for the commissioned project initiated to submit a proposal containing the COP28 South Coast Southern Central Region hosting strategy and event plan to the Ministry of Environment.

The commissioned project, which began in April, analyzes the environmental, social, and cultural backgrounds according to the requirements for hosting COP28 and aims to discover hosting strategies unique to the South Coast Southern Central Region and produce the proposal. It is scheduled to be completed around October.

At the interim report meeting, the focus was on strengthening the feasibility of hosting in the South Coast Southern Central Region, differentiating hosting strategies compared to other competing cities, creating the optimal COP venue, and forming and spreading public consensus.

Detailed strategies include ▲ East-West Climate Change Response Environmental Belt ▲ Carbon Neutrality Testbed K Climate Change Standardization ▲ Private-led Net Zero Town Creation ▲ Carbon Hunter Brand Expansion ▲ Infrastructure Development such as the Conference Venue ▲ Hybrid Event Plans.

Following President Moon Jae-in’s declaration to host COP28 Korea at the ‘P4G Seoul Green Future Summit’ in May, the province plans to proceed as swiftly and substantively as possible to submit the ‘COP28 South Coast Southern Central Region Hosting Proposal’ to the Ministry of Environment.

Song Sang-rak, Vice Governor of Jeonnam Province, said, “The South Coast Southern Central Region, with diverse climate environments such as Hallyeohaesang, Ramsar wetlands, and Jirisan National Park, is capable of discussing international climate change issues,” adding, “It is the optimal location to showcase carbon neutrality achievements through New Deal policies such as renewable energy and green hydrogen, as it houses the country’s largest petrochemical, steel, and thermal power industries.”

About 20 people attended the report meeting, including Vice Governor Song, Kang Jeong-hee, Chair of the Health, Welfare and Environment Committee of the Provincial Council, Assemblyman Min Byung-dae, Kang Moon-sung, Chair of the COP28 Hosting Special Committee, Ryu Jung-gu and Cho Se-yoon, Co-Advisors of the Hosting Committee, Lee Sang-hoon, Chair of the Operations Committee, Jeong Seok-man, Executive Director, and environmental experts, discussing various hosting strategies.