Korea hosted a policy forum with countries from across the Asia Pacific, giving them a chance to share their environmental policies and experiences related to climate change. The Ministry of Environment held the 10th Policy Consultation Forum of the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth from Aug. 26 to 28. The theme for the meeting was “Enhancing Climate Resilience for Sustainable Development.”

The forum was attended by government officials from 19 countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including Korea, China, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines. Attendees at the forum included representatives from international organizations, such as Kilaparti Ramakarishna, head of the subregional office for East and North-East Asia at UN ESCAP, Director of the Global Green Growth Institute Imran Habib Ahmad, and other experts and scholars from the environment sector.   



Forum participants listened to presentations and case studies about climate change in the Asia Pacific and related policies, lowering carbon emissions and sustainable development, as well as Korea’s emission trading scheme. They engaged in a Q&A session at each of the sessions.

In this year’s forum, representatives from Indonesia, Cambodia and the Philippines announced the outcomes of their projects regarding the management of asbestos, water quality measurement, and the assessment of leachate contamination from waste and underground water.

Launched by Korea in 2005, the Seoul Initiative Network on Green Growth is a multilateral environment cooperation project. It aims to discover and share solutions to achieve sustainable development tailored for Asia-Pacific countries. The main programs of the Seoul Initiative include an annual policy consultation forum and workshops that target government officials from the Asia Pacific, as well as pilot projects in which member-countries select applicable technologies and policies.

By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Ministry of Environment
arete@korea.kr