Seoul City Attends U20 Mayors' Meeting... Introduces Carbon Neutrality Policy

Baek Ji-a, Seoul City International Relations Ambassador, Attends Online as Seoul City Representative
Introduces Seoul City's Carbon Neutral Policy, Urges Intercity Cooperation to Address Climate Crisis

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Baek Ji-a, Seoul's Ambassador for International Relations, will attend the U20 (Urban 20) Mayors' Meeting held in Rome, Italy on the 3rd as a representative of Seoul.

At this U20 Mayors' Meeting, discussions will focus on the three main agendas of the U20 joint declaration aiming for "fair carbon neutrality" ? People, Planet, and Prosperity ? as well as environmentally friendly, just, and local government-centered (Green, Just, Local) practical measures addressing global issues. Additionally, the U20 chair cities (Rome and Milan) will deliver the joint declaration to the chair country (Italy) to urge its inclusion as a G20 agenda item.

Ambassador Baek will participate as Seoul's representative in the inter-city dialogue session of this meeting to introduce Seoul's carbon neutrality policies. Seoul has submitted its "Climate Action Plan" to C40, which was approved, aiming to achieve a "carbon-neutral city" by zeroing net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Specific initiatives underway include green remodeling of aging public buildings and pilot projects for building greenhouse gas total quantity control.

Furthermore, Ambassador Baek emphasizes fair environmental welfare, including "consideration for energy-poor households" and "climate change adaptation support for vulnerable groups," and calls for inter-city cooperation to realize a "fair carbon-neutral society."

U20 is an international organization composed of cities belonging to G20 countries, officially launched in December 2017 in Paris to seek solutions to global urban issues. Since holding its inaugural general meeting in Buenos Aires in 2018, it has convened annual mayors' meetings. The G20 host country’s city is designated as the U20 secretariat, and this year, the Italian cities of Rome and Milan, the G20 host cities, serve as joint secretariats.

U20 has focused on seeking inter-city solutions to ongoing global issues such as "climate change response, social integration, and sustainable growth." This year’s U20 meeting also prioritizes two challenges: "pandemic response" and "climate change response," recognizing the important role of cities and discussing solutions through U20 Sherpa meetings.

Next year, U20 will be held in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, the G20 chair country.

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