By Kim Young Shin

Korea has reaffirmed its support for the Paris Climate Agreement and has introduced its efforts to counter climate change, at the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the U.N. Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held from Nov. 6 to 17.

“Korea aims to achieve a low-carbon society, based on a human-centered governmental management philosophy,” said Minister of Environment Kim Eunkyung, Korea's chief delegate at the high-level summit on Nov. 15. She also introduced Korea’s eco-friendly energy transition policies and its emissions trading platform.

The 25,000 leaders representing 197 nations, research institutes, companies and NGOs agreed to hold talks starting in January 2018 to check the fulfillment of the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement deals with mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. It was adopted in 2015 to take over the Kyoto Protocol, which was due to expire in 2020. Whereas the predecessor implemented the objective of reducing greenhouse gases only in rich countries, the new agreement also includes developing economies.

ysk1111@korea.kr