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Strengthening Partnership on Climate Action, Forest Restoration and Peace

SEOUL, Republic of Korea; May 3, 2021 – The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), in partnership with the Norwegian Embassy in Seoul, the Norwegian Agency for the Development Cooperation, Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, the Environment Forest and Climate Change Commission, and the Korea Forest Service, organized an event on “Strengthening Partnership on Climate Action, Forest Restoration and Peace” at the GGGI Seoul HQ.

The event brought together representatives from the Republic of Korea, Norway, and GGGI to share the experiences, lessons learned, and future plans and explore opportunities for synergies. The event was part of the Campaign for Blue Skies and Net Zero 2050 that seeks to share experiences with the Republic of Korea to support implementation of its commitment to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050 and its Green New Deal, including through its official development assistance (ODA).

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

GGGI Director-General, Dr. Frank Rijsberman, delivered his opening remarks sharing that “This event is meant to explore different approaches to managing forest and sustainable landscapes and keep in mind that forest have a key role not only in reducing climate change but also helping people adapt to climate change and fight poverty.”

H.E. Frode Solberg, the Norwegian Ambassador to Korea, said in his remarks that we must work together to raise our ambitions for forest protection. “We need even stronger engagement, stronger commitment and long-term financial mechanisms from the international community.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bård Vegar Solhjell, Director-General of Norad, in a video message, shared that “We have noticed that countries have a common interest on forestry, in many different programs and many different regions of the world” and congratulated the Republic of Korea for submitting its revised NDC and stepping up efforts to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050.

H.E. Minister Dr. Byeong-Am Choi introduced the Peace Forest Initiative which the Republic of Korea took lead on launching and upcoming international summits including 2021 P4G Seoul Summit and emphasized close partnerships between KFS, Norway, and GGGI sharing that “It is truly meaningful that we are here together to find way how Korea and Norway’s climate change initiatives can cooperate.”