Kim Dong-yeon "Regret Environmental Policy Rollback by Ministry of Environment... Gyeonggi-do to Strengthen Climate Policy Further"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is speaking at the Gyeonggi Province Rural Climate Crisis Response Seminar on the 24th.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon stated, "It is regrettable that government environmental policies, which should be sustained, are retreating, such as the Ministry of Environment reversing its ban on the use of disposable cups and straws back to allowing their use," and added, "Gyeonggi Province will push forward climate policies more strongly."

Governor Kim attended the 'Rural Climate Crisis Response Seminar' hosted by the Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee at the Gyeonggi Provincial Office on the 24th, saying, "I recently met with former U.S. Vice President Al Gore and Washington Governor Jay Inslee and presented two agendas," explaining, "One was the issue of rapid changes in climate change policies that should be continuously implemented due to changes in the central government administration, and the other was the problem between those who quickly adapt and respond to the climate crisis and those who do not."

He continued, "Seeing the Ministry of Environment reverse its policy banning disposable cups and straws back to allowing their use, I said, 'Is the Ministry of Environment actually the Ministry of Environmental Destruction?'" and pointed out, "This is an example of a central government changing policies that should be sustained alongside humanity."

He added, "Since January 1 of this year, Gyeonggi Province has banned the introduction of disposable cups into the provincial office, and starting last week, we also prohibited the use of disposable containers for employees' late-night meals," emphasizing, "We will continue to implement climate response policies more vigorously as we have done so far. That is the role of local governments."

He also said, "Unlike large corporations that quickly adapt and respond to climate change, small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners find it difficult to adapt and even do not know how to cope," and noted, "Industries such as agriculture and fisheries are facing difficulties due to the digital divide (gap in access to information technology), and I believe special attention and support are necessary. I ask for active support in this matter."

The Carbon Neutral Green Growth Committee, the deliberative and decision-making body for Gyeonggi Province's carbon neutrality policy, consists of 40 members, including 15 ex officio members, 2 provincial assembly members, and 23 private appointees. Along with the General Planning Committee, it is divided into four subcommittees: Public Innovation and Regulatory Rationalization, Energy Transition and Corporate RE100, Citizen Practice Governance, and Green Economy Industrial Innovation. Governor Kim Dong-yeon and Jeon Ui-chan, Chair Professor of the Climate Energy Convergence Department at Sejong University, serve as co-chairs.

Earlier, Gyeonggi Province announced the 'Switch the Gyeonggi' project in September, a climate crisis response strategy aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030.

Meanwhile, following Gyeonggi Province's presentation at the seminar, there was an introduction and panel discussion on global trends in agrivoltaics (a form of solar power generation installed over farmland where crops such as rice, potatoes, and green tea are cultivated underneath), methods of communicating with residents regarding negative misconceptions, and the process of generating profits, including examples from France and Japan.