Yoon: "Korea Will Serve as a 'Green Ladder' for Climate-Vulnerable Countries"

At the G20 Summit, "Development of a Carbon-Free Energy Certification System"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the 3rd session of the 19th G20 Summit, "Sustainable Development and Energy Transition," held at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on the 19th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 19th (local time) at the G20 Summit held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, that "the Republic of Korea will actively serve as a 'green ladder' for countries vulnerable to climate change."

During Session 3 of the G20 Summit, President Yoon said, "The transition to clean energy is an essential task to achieve the 2050 carbon neutrality goal, but the burden for this is increasing on emerging economies and developing countries."

He added, "Last year at the United Nations General Assembly, we proposed the 'Carbon-Free Energy (CFE) Initiative,' and this October, the government launched the 'CFE Global Task Force' together with partner countries at the Clean Energy Ministers' Meeting. Moving forward, the Republic of Korea plans to develop a carbon-free energy certification system and further expand the 'CFE Initiative.'"

President Yoon also introduced that the Republic of Korea has been implementing an additional $300 million support for the 'Green Climate Fund,' pledged at last year's G20 Summit in New Delhi, starting this year, and announced a new contribution of $7 million to the 'Loss and Damage Response Fund' supporting climate change damage at the Korea-Africa Summit in June this year.

He mentioned, "We also plan to lead efforts to invest private sector capabilities and resources in sustainable development," and said, "We will work to accelerate clean energy generation by mitigating risks associated with renewable energy investments to promote private green investments and by introducing market mechanisms such as opening a clean hydrogen power generation bidding market."

He emphasized the necessity of simultaneously making efforts to reduce plastic pollution for sustainable development.

President Yoon stated, "The government will support the successful conclusion of the '5th Intergovernmental Negotiation on the Draft International Plastic Treaty,' which will commence in Busan on the 25th," and added, "As a digital leader, the Republic of Korea will actively promote 'digital carbon neutrality' together with the G20."

Furthermore, he stressed the importance of 'digital carbon neutrality' efforts through improving the efficiency of the digital industry and reducing power consumption of digital infrastructure, especially in the context of rapidly increasing demand for digital advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), which leads to massive energy consumption.

President Yoon concluded, "The various measures discussed by the G20 leaders today will be important assets for the successful hosting of the 2025 APEC Summit in Gyeongju, Republic of Korea," and added, "The Republic of Korea will continue to play a responsible role in opening a sustainable tomorrow for all humanity."