The Korea Environment Institute (KEI) participated in the 18th Policy Consultation Forum of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth (SINGG), held from October 25 to 27 in Seoul. The theme of the forum was “Accelerating Collaborative Efforts for Climate Action in Asia and the Pacific.” 

SINGG is the first multilateral environmental cooperation project proposed by South Korea and was adopted at the Fifth Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development in Asia and the Pacific in 2005, which was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Korea, Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco), and the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). Since its inception, the forum has been dedicated to exploring and promoting sustainable development paths customized to the region, drawing from Korea’s experiences in economic growth and environmental conservation. 

The 18th SINGG Forum consisted of three sessions, each featuring 4-5 speakers. Session 1 focused on discussing national climate action initiatives in Asia and the Pacific, as well as new business projects and policy cases aimed at achieving carbon neutrality. Session 2 centered on best practices related to adaptation and resilience improvement. Session 3 focused on financial support programs for climate initiatives and green growth.

Dr. Young-il Song, Chief Research Fellow at the KEI Korea Adaptation Center for Climate Change (KACCC), participated on Day 2 and delivered a presentation on the introduction and operation cases of the climate change impact assessment system. Dr. Sungjin Kim, Head of the Global Cooperation Team at the KEI, presented on Korea’s green ODA strategy for the Asia-Pacific region during Session 3-1.

Dr. Young-il Song, Chief Research Fellow at KEI KACCC.

Dr. Sungjin Kim, Head of the Global Cooperation Team at KEI.

During this year’s forum, various regional approaches to climate action were discussed, and best practices, including illustrative policy cases, were shared. Furthermore, since the forum was held in person for the first time after the outbreak of COVID-19, the significance of green recovery and carbon-neutral strategies for addressing the economic downturn cased by the pandemic was highlighted in relation to climate change response. Efforts to enhance cooperation in accelerating the reduction of greenhouse gases in the Asia-Pacific region were also discussed.

(From left to right) Hyungsup Lee, Director of the Ministry of Environment; Woo-Kyun Lee, Director of the OJEong Resilience Institute at Korea University; Chang Hoon Lee, President of the KEI; Armida Salsiah Alisjanbana, Executive Secretary of the UNESCAP; Sang-jun Lim, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Environment; Byung-ok Ahn, CEO of the K-eco; and Sangmin Nam, Director of the UNESCAP.