Why Did Two Districts of Seoul Hold an International Symposium on 'Carbon Neutrality'?

Mapo-gu, November 5th International Symposium Opposing Waste Incineration... Nowon-gu, October 31st, 3 PM, Bicycle-Friendly City Proclamation and International Symposium at Nowon-gu Office 6th Floor Small Auditorium

Seoul’s Mapo-gu and Nowon-gu districts have attracted attention by hosting an international symposium inviting overseas experts to discuss environmental issues.

In particular, these two autonomous districts are holding an international symposium focused on global environmental issues, with waste disposal and carbon neutrality through bicycles being the main topics, to present solutions.

Mapo-gu to hold international forum against waste incineration jointly with Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives on November 5, 2-6 PM

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) will hold an international forum opposing waste incineration jointly with the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) on November 5 from 2 PM to 6 PM at the 12th-floor auditorium of Mapo-gu Office.

The Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) is a network of over 1,000 organizations across 92 countries worldwide addressing waste and environmental issues, supporting zero waste policies in various countries.

This forum was planned to discuss waste incineration policy issues from an international perspective, focusing on the case of the additional incinerator construction in Mapo, and to communicate the environmental and health impacts of waste incineration to residents.

Currently, in South Korea, direct landfill at the metropolitan landfill site will be banned starting January 1, 2026, but among the 28 incinerators planned for construction or expansion in the metropolitan area, none are expected to be completed by that date. Conflicts continue as local residents oppose the projects and social consensus has not been reached.

In contrast, major cities in Europe and elsewhere treat ‘zero waste’?which fundamentally prevents waste generation rather than relying on landfill or incineration?as a key agenda in urban planning.

Accordingly, Mapo-gu plans to analyze waste-to-energy (WTE) policies adopted by major countries, focusing on overseas cases, to demonstrate that building additional incinerators is not a fundamental solution to waste management and to seek new alternatives.

The forum will feature Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, Dr. Paul Connett, a world-renowned resource circulation activist and Professor Emeritus at St. Lawrence University, Shin Woo-yong, Secretary General of the Korean Federation for Environmental Movements (KFEM), Sung Eun-kyung, representative of the Mapo Incinerator Cancellation Struggle Headquarters, and Janek Vahk, Pollution Reduction Policy Officer of Zero Waste Europe.

Before the discussion, from 2 PM, Dr. Paul Connett will give a lecture on the dangers of waste incineration and fluoridation, and waste treatment methods using resource circulation to help residents understand. From 4 PM, a panel discussion on the legitimacy of opposing incinerators and practical alternatives will take place. Environmental activists from various countries will join the discussion online via the Zoom platform as well as on-site participants.

During the discussion, Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, will introduce the waste reduction policies and vision promoted by Mapo-gu and engage in a dialogue focused on opposing incinerators and resource circulation with the panelists.

The entire forum will be broadcast live online through Mapo-gu’s official YouTube channel ‘my MAPO.’ Mayor Park Gang-su said, “I hope that in-depth discussions with global environmental experts will lead to practical alternatives and solutions regarding the construction of additional incinerators. Mapo-gu is actively implementing policies to block the construction of additional incinerators, so I ask for the residents’ keen interest and participation.”

Nowon-gu declares itself a bicycle-friendly city and holds international symposium

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) held a ‘Bicycle-Friendly City Declaration Ceremony and International Symposium’ on October 31 at 3 PM in the small auditorium on the 6th floor of Nowon-gu Office.

The ‘Bicycle-Friendly City Declaration Ceremony’ and ‘International Symposium’ were organized to improve the environment for bicycle use and encourage active participation from residents.

The event was attended by about 180 people, including Mayor Oh Seung-rok, city council members, members of the Bicycle Federation, and local residents, and proceeded in the order of congratulatory speeches, declaration ceremony, and international symposium.

At the declaration ceremony, the district introduced its ‘Top 10 Visions’ to advance as a bicycle-friendly city, and Han I-ho, president of the Nowon-gu Bicycle Federation, added significance to the event by presenting shared bicycles made from refurbished bikes.

In the first part of the international symposium, Chris Bruntlett, International Cooperation Officer of the Netherlands Bicycle-Friendly Association, and Han Seung-hoon, a researcher participating in the ‘Paris 15-Minute City Project,’ introduced related policies from the Netherlands and France and proposed ways to apply them to Nowon-gu.

The second part, conducted in a discussion format, was chaired by Professor Yoon Je-yong of Seoul National University, who led a discussion on ‘Plans for Creating a Bicycle-Friendly City in Nowon-gu’ based on domestic and international cases.

Panelists included Kim Jin-tae, director of the Bicycle Culture Social Cooperative, Jung Hyun-mi, policy chairperson of the Forest and Sharing Bicycle Citizens Forum, and Park Yong-shin, head of Nowon-gu’s Carbon Neutral Promotion Team. Residents also participated freely to share their opinions. Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Bicycles are a key means to practice carbon neutrality in the transportation sector. Building on the declaration ceremony and forum, we will do our best to activate bicycle use and prepare realistic alternatives to achieve carbon neutrality.”