SEOUL – June 20, 2014 – Lars Løkke Rasmussen announced today that he will be stepping down from his position as Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute before the opening of the new parliamentary year in the Danish Parliament in early October. Mr. Rasmussen was elected Chair in October 2012 by the GGGI Assembly. Prior to that, he was appointed Chair of the GGGI Board when it was still a Korea non-governmental organization.
Under Mr. Rasmussen’s leadership, GGGI became an international organization and nearly doubled in size in terms of its operations and full-time staff members. In addition, during his tenure, GGGI became an observer at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, received UN General Assembly observer status, and secured Official Development Assistance status from the Development Assistance Committee of the OECD.
“I am very pleased with how far we have come. The development of transforming GGGI to an international organization has been far more extensive and challenging than expected, but with the appointment of Mr. Yvo de Boer as Director-General, the work that I was appointed to do is broadly completed,” said Mr. Rasmussen.
“Much has been said and written about GGGI, but I leave a stronger and more robust organization that is stronger financially and has the potential to play a vital role in building momentum in the global coordinated approach to tackling climate change,” he added.
The Council is the executive organ of the organization and is responsible for directing its activities, under guidance from the Assembly. This includes nominating a Director-General for appointment by the Assembly, approving GGGI’s strategy and annual work program and budget as well as reviewing the organization’s overall results. The Chair of the Council is elected by the Assembly.
“Lars Løkke Rasmussen’s dedication to GGGI and green growth helped the organization tremendously during these years of growth and transition,” said Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the Assembly. “I am pleased to have been able to work with him to help shape the direction of GGGI.”
GGGI was initially founded as a Korean non-profit organization in 2010. Since its establishment as an international organization in 2012, the Korean foundation has dissolved, and GGGI is now a full-fledged treaty-based intergovernmental organization with 22 Member states with operations in 20 countries.
“Mr. Rasmussen guided GGGI through a crucial and defining period in its history. During his time as Chairman of GGGI’s Council, the organization underwent an important development, including scaling up its operational capability, strengthening its management. I believe GGGI now has the potential to play a key role in the field of green growth globally,” says Mr. Yvo de Boer, Director-General of GGGI.
Mr. Rasmussen’s successor will formally be announced and elected at the next Assembly meeting in November 2014, but will possibly already be presented on the occasion of the UN SG’s High Level Meeting on Climate Change in New York City in September.
About GGGI
Based in Seoul, GGGI is an intergovernmental organization founded to support and promote a new model of economic growth known as “green growth.” The organization partners with countries to help them build economies that grow strongly and are more efficient and sustainable in the use of natural resources, less carbon intensive, and more resilient to climate change. GGGI’s experts are already working with governments around the world, building their capacity and working collaboratively on green growth policies that can impact the lives of millions.
To learn more, see www.gggi.org and visit us on Facebook and Twitter.