Mayor Lee Yong-seop Announces 3 Major Strategies and 8 Core Tasks at 'Citizen Report Meeting'

"Large-Scale Job Creation and Regional Economic Revitalization through AI-Based Green Industry Development"

Gwangju Community of Civil Society Declares 'Climate Crisis Emergency'... Public-Private Cooperation

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 19th that it held the ‘Gwangju-type AI-Green New Deal 2nd Citizen Report Meeting.’

At the event, Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, announced three major strategies and eight core tasks to realize a ‘2045 Carbon Neutral Energy Self-Reliant City.’

Mayor Lee said, “With the COVID-19 pandemic confirming the correlation between infectious diseases and climate change, awareness and consensus on transitioning to a low-carbon society are spreading more rapidly,” adding, “Gwangju will effectively reduce fine dust and greenhouse gases based on cutting-edge artificial intelligence to ▲protect urban safety and citizens’ health, ▲create large-scale jobs and revitalize the local economy through fostering green industries, and ▲realize a just and prosperous Gwangju by resolving social inequality.”

The goal of the Gwangju-type AI-Green New Deal is to realize a just carbon-neutral energy self-reliant city by 2045.

Mayor Lee presented three major strategies to achieve this goal: ▲a ‘Green Transition City’ where all citizens produce and use green energy, ▲a ‘Climate Safe City’ where everyone is safe from climate disasters, and ▲a ‘Green Industry City,’ a future-oriented environmental convergence industry hub, along with eight core tasks related to these plans.

On this day, the Gwangju community, comprising 103 civic groups, companies, and administrative agencies, jointly declared a ‘Climate Crisis Emergency’ and pledged to transition to a carbon-neutral (net zero CO2 emissions) society in solidarity with Gwangju City.

First, to realize the ‘Green Transition City,’ Gwangju City will promote ▲the spread of citizen-led renewable energy, ▲establish a green energy production, consumption, and supply system within the city, and ▲build an AI-linked energy cloud.

To realize the ‘Climate Safe City,’ the city will promote ▲strengthening climate-safe green infrastructure, ▲AI-based smart environmental management, and ▲establishing clean water environment infrastructure.

To realize the ‘Green Industry City,’ the city plans to ▲foster environmental convergence industries through the creation of a clean air and air industry cluster and ▲expand climate environment job creation and citizen participation.

By 2022, the city plans to establish a clean air industry cluster that provides demonstration infrastructure difficult for individual companies to secure, along with comprehensive support for research and development, commercialization, and overseas expansion, aiming to leap forward as a hub city for the air industry.

By 2027, the city aims to complete the establishment of an advanced environmental convergence industry cluster centered on the clean air and air industries, attract 300 environmental companies, establish itself as a mecca of advanced green industries, and enhance global competitiveness alongside job creation.

Gwangju City expects to invest a total budget of 33.5045 trillion KRW by 2045 to promote the ‘AI-Green New Deal.’

By 2025, a total of 7.8073 trillion KRW, including national and city funds, will be invested, and after 2025, the city plans to secure various funding sources such as fund formation and attracting private capital.

Gwangju City will form the ‘2045 Carbon Neutral City Citizens Committee (tentative name),’ co-chaired by the mayor and private experts, to set policy directions for greenhouse gas reduction.

A ‘Working Promotion Team,’ led by the vice mayor, will be institutionalized to secure the driving force and execution power of the AI-Green New Deal through setting sectoral reduction targets, pre-consultation, and monitoring and evaluation of implementation status, promoting a Green New Deal created through citizens’ ideas and participation.

Additionally, Gwangju City plans to introduce an ‘Energy Impact Assessment System’ to enable thorough two-way management of energy demand and supply for budget projects above a certain scale, such as in construction and building.

Mayor Lee said, “If we drastically reduce greenhouse gases and fine dust, we will realize a safe Gwangju free from various disasters and the threat of fine dust,” adding, “We will create a city where people and companies come by guaranteeing citizens’ income and jobs by making advanced eco-friendly green industries a growth engine.”

He continued, “Jobs created through the AI-Green New Deal will prioritize low-income groups, and the village-level distributed energy supply, where citizens directly participate and share profits, will provide opportunities for marginalized groups to easily and affordably use energy, supporting the realization of a just society.”

He emphasized, “Our Gwangju will leap forward as the safest, cleanest, and most livable global green city through realizing a carbon-neutral energy self-reliant city, while leading the 4th Industrial Revolution by applying our strength in the AI industry to various fields such as energy, welfare, and safety.”

On this day, Gwangju City, five autonomous districts, Gwangju City Council, Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education, Gwangju Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Gwangju Climate Crisis Emergency Action (with participation from 103 organizations) announced the ‘Gwangju Community Climate Crisis Emergency Joint Declaration.’

They said, “While COVID-19 threatened citizens’ health and brought an economic crisis, the climate crisis is a risk several times stronger and more destructive,” adding, “With a heavy and grave sense of responsibility, we declare a ‘Climate Crisis Emergency’ and announce the transition to an energy self-reliant city Gwangju and carbon-neutral city Gwangju by 2045.”

Specific action plans include ▲policy shifts and expansion of citizen practice for decarbonized living, ▲activation of related education and guarantee of environmental learning rights, ▲enactment and revision of ordinances for the successful promotion of the Gwangju-type AI-Green New Deal, ▲request for national funding from the government, and ▲formation of a public-private joint promotion organization.

Meanwhile, the Gwangju Innovation Promotion Committee recommended to Gwangju City on the 7th through the 13th municipal innovation recommendation document that the city “lead the response to the climate crisis and achieve a ‘2050 Carbon Neutral City.’”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.