Ministry of Environment and Hwaseong City to Host 'Korea Sustainable Development Conference' Online on 14-15

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The Ministry of Environment, in collaboration with Hwaseong City, will hold the '2020 Korea Sustainable Development Conference' for two days starting from the 14th at the Dongtan Complex Cultural Center in Hwaseong City, Gyeonggi Province.

Marking its 22nd edition since 1999, this conference is an event where all stakeholders including the government, businesses, and citizens participate to promote sustainable development and spread the establishment and implementation of sustainable development goals tailored to regional circumstances.

In the past, it was a large-scale event attended by about 10,000 people including central and local governments, local civic activists, and residents. However, this year, to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), it will be held entirely online.

This year's conference is held under the theme "A Planet in Crisis, Korea is the Hope." It includes keynote speeches by figures from local governments, civic groups, and the medical community, as well as policy roundtables and thematic discussions.

Keynote speakers include Seo Cheol-mo, Mayor of Hwaseong, Jung Mi-jung, Chairperson of the Asia-Pacific Disaster Management Korea Association, and Lim Seung-kwan, Director of Anseong Hospital of Gyeonggi Provincial Medical Center, who will share responses from various sectors to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and messages of hope.

At the policy roundtable, Kim Hong-jang, Mayor of Dangjin, Kim Seung-su, Mayor of Jeonju, and Park Yeon-hee, Director of the ICLEI Korea Office (ICLEI, a global local government cooperation organization supported by the UN), will discuss "Strategies for Utilizing the Green New Deal as a Means to Create Sustainable Cities."

During the opening ceremony, institutions awarded the 2020 Sustainable Development Awards, which contributed to spreading sustainable development and activating cooperative governance, will be introduced. The awardees were selected through a two-month application and review process in four categories: individuals, public-private cooperation, businesses, and local governments.

The Presidential Award was given to "Suwon City and Suwon Sustainable Development Council" for the project titled "Suwon's Shared Refrigerator with Community Participation and Citizen Involvement." The Prime Minister's Award was given to the "Zero Plastic Jeonbuk Gaekridan-gil Pilot Project" led by Jeollabuk-do and the Jeollabuk-do Sustainable Development Council.

Additionally, eight other recipients including individuals, organizations, and local governments received the Minister of Environment Award.

Minister of Environment Cho Myung-rae stated, "I hope that discussions on the Green New Deal and the implementation of sustainable development goals will be actively conducted through this conference," adding, "Since this year’s event is held online, I expect more local citizens, activists, and local governments to share new ideas and opinions."

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