Kim Dong-yeon to Give Lecture at Next Year's Davos Forum... Proposed by IEA Secretary-General

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is attending and discussing at the Accelerating Net Zero Manufacturing Innovation Strategy session.

Kim Dong-yeon, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, who is attending the World Economic Forum (Davos Forum) to strengthen international exchanges and attract investment, participated in sessions related to the climate crisis on the third day of the forum and exchanged opinions with global corporate leaders and government representatives.

On the 17th (local time), Governor Kim attended two consecutive sessions: one titled "Accelerating Net Zero: Manufacturing Innovation Strategies" held at Muench Kirk Park Village, one of the Davos Forum venues, and another titled "Accelerating Responsible Renewable Energy" held at the Waldhaus Hotel.

Both sessions applied the Chatham House Rule, meaning only the discussion content was disclosed, while the identities of speakers and attendees were kept confidential.

In these two sessions, Governor Kim emphasized the role of local governments in the era of climate change and the necessity of addressing the gaps between companies, people, and countries caused by differences in climate change response capabilities.

In the first session, he stated, "To reduce carbon emissions, consistency in environmental policies is necessary, but in many countries including Korea, environmental policies change whenever the central government changes," and stressed the importance of local governments, which are most closely connected to residents' daily lives, implementing consistent, community-based carbon policies.

He continued, "Just like the digital divide, climate change also creates a climate divide between companies, people, and countries depending on their response capabilities," emphasizing, "When the environment is damaged, the greatest harm falls on small and medium-sized enterprises and vulnerable groups. Measures such as education and support for these groups must be prepared, and norms should be established through legislation."

In the second session, Governor Kim again highlighted the role of local governments in supporting vulnerable groups who have not been able to properly respond to climate change.

He argued, "Fair utilization of renewable energy and measures for those who suffer damages are necessary," and added, "Policies by local governments to increase and properly utilize renewable energy while easing unnecessary regulations and considering vulnerable groups and SMEs are important."

He then introduced Gyeonggi Province's RE100 policies aimed at achieving these goals.

The sessions were attended by CEOs of over 50 leading global eco-friendly transition companies and environmental technology firms such as Unilever, AstraZeneca, and Siemens, as well as ministers from European and African countries.

Alongside participating in the sessions, Governor Kim continued diplomatic activities to expand international exchanges.

At the Davos Congress Center, he met with Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), and said, "We look forward to close cooperation between the IEA and Gyeonggi Province," proposing, "Since local governments play a significant role in responding to climate change, I suggest holding an IEA local government meeting." He also invited Birol to visit Gyeonggi Province during his visit to Korea in April.

In response, Executive Director Birol said, "Energy transition is a great opportunity for technologically capable Korean companies to leap forward and generate profits. I highly appreciate Gyeonggi Province's energy policies related to this," and expressed gratitude for Governor Kim's excellent proposal regarding the Climate Summit, stating, "We will actively consider it, and I would like to visit Gyeonggi Province during my April visit to Korea."

He added, "As Chair of the World Economic Forum Energy Advisory Board, I would like to invite Governor Kim Dong-yeon as a speaker at next year's forum."

Meanwhile, a special event for Governor Kim at this year's Davos Forum attracted attention.

Governor Kim announced via a live broadcast on social media, "Something interesting happened. The World Economic Forum created a session inviting me to meet with unicorn companies (giant startups). This is the session's information page," sharing the news of the session.

He said, "I will act as the moderator and talk with unicorn companies, and so far, eight unicorn company CEOs have applied," expressing his excitement, "I plan to discuss with global unicorn companies how to make South Korea a startup paradise, which should be very fun."

He added, "I will have an open discussion with unicorn companies about the plan to create 660,000 square meters (200,000 pyeong) of startup space across more than 20 regional hubs centered on Pangyo Techno Valley," and concluded, "I will propose that they trust Gyeonggi Province and work together."