Co-Chair Kim Sang-hyeop of the Carbon Neutrality Committee Appointed as GGGI Secretary-General

Kim Sang-hyeop, Chairman of the Carbon Neutrality Committee

The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) announced on the 22nd that, through a resolution at the General Assembly, it has appointed Kim Sang-hyup, Co-Chair of the Private Sector of the Presidential 2050 Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Committee (Vice President in charge of Sustainable Development at KAIST), as the new Secretary-General. Chairman Kim is the first Korean to be appointed as Secretary-General of GGGI, with a term of four years starting from January 1, 2025.

To select the new Secretary-General, GGGI formed a special committee composed of the Chairpersons of the Board and General Assembly, representatives from six countries, and private directors. After a selection process including document screening, presentations, and interviews among over 80 global applicants, Chairman Kim was finally selected as the candidate for Secretary-General and approved by the Board and General Assembly.

As of August 2024, GGGI is an international organization with 48 member countries participating, operating projects in 51 countries, supporting developing countries in green growth and carbon neutrality policy development, green finance and resource mobilization, and strengthening public-private partnerships. In addition to South Korea, major countries such as Norway, New Zealand, Denmark, Luxembourg, the UAE, and Qatar provide financial support, and GGGI actively cooperates with private institutions such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Chairman Kim, as Co-Chair of the Private Sector of the Presidential 2050 Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Committee, led the establishment of the national strategy for carbon neutrality and green growth and the first national basic plan in April 2023. From 2008 to 2013, he held senior positions including Green Growth Planning Officer at the Presidential Office, contributing to the establishment and international organization status of GGGI in 2012, as well as attracting the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to South Korea. He also led the introduction of South Korea’s nationwide Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) in 2015.

Following his role as a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Agenda Council, he was recently appointed as a member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) Global Energy Committee. Based on his active international experience, he is expected to contribute to solidifying GGGI’s role and status as a key international organization supporting inclusive green growth and climate change response in the international community.

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