Ban Ki-moon meets with Pope Francis to talk about peace in Korea and climate change

April 12, 2019
On April 11th, 2019, BKMC Co-chair Ban Ki-moon visited the Vatican to have a private meeting with His Holiness Pope Francis. The two discussed on the topic of peace in the Korean peninsula and the globe as well as the issues surrounding climate change. Mentioning his firm advocacy for peace in the Korean peninsula, the Pope stressed the importance of the continuous conversation between two Koreas in settling peace on the peninsula. He also stressed that the environment is the matter directly related to the existence of mankind, and the humankind cannot survive without solving the climate issues. As the Pope delivered a speech at the UN General Assembly in 2015 and supported the UN with adopting the Paris Climate Agreement, Ban expressed his gratitude again for the Pope’s great attention to the global issues. Mentioning his new leadership role as the Head of the National Committee to fight against micro dust issues in Korea, Ban asked for the Pope’s continuous attention to the climate challenge and support for the necessary cooperation within the international community. News clip by Yonhap News Agency (Korean): https://bit.ly/2VPVupK 
Photos: The Vatican

Ban gives opening remarks at the Carbon Market Forum 2018

July 24, 2018
As the President and the Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the Centre’s Co-chairman Ban Ki-moon gave opening and welcoming remarks at the Carbon Market Forum 2018 held in Seoul, Korea on July 24th. The forum was hosted by Coalition for Our Common Future and Korea Environment Corporation in partnership with the GGGI and KAIST Sustainable Development Center. With a theme on Korea’s Carbon Market & COP 24 Strategy, Ban shared his expectation that Korea and the international community better cope with the climate change. During the forum, A.J. Meyer Professor Robert N. Stavins of Energy and Economic Development at Harvard Kennedy School gave a keynote. As he is also the Director of Harvard Environmental Economics Program and the Director of Harvard Project on Climate Agreements, Professor Stavins raised a question whether the Paris Agreement can be the solution and shared his insights on the key tasks of the COP 24. Presentations and panel discussions were followed on the topics of the greenhouse gas emission reduction, Korea’s strategy for COP 24, coal power plant and energy transition, micro climate action, etc.. Photo: E News Today

Co-chairman Ban Ki-moon Holds Talks with Sri Lanka on Sustainable Development

July 19, 2018
Secretary of the Ministry of Mahaweli Development and Environment of Sri Lanka, Anura Dissanayake met Co-chairman Ban Ki-moon at the Ban Ki-moon Center for Sustainable Development, Yonsei University in Seoul, Korea. Independent Consultant Chris Dharmakirti from the Ministry, Ambassador Manisha Gunasekera from the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Seoul, and Deputy Director General of GGGI, Ambassador Jenny Kim also participated in the meeting. The meeting entailed discussion on Sri Lanka’s commitment to sustainable development and to finance mobilization for climate resilient projects. The Sri Lankan government officials sought for cooperation with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) of which Co-chairman Ban is the President and Chair. Ban commended the Blue Green Development Strategy initiated by President Maithripala Sirisena of Sri Lanka. Source & Photo: Sri Lankan Embassy in Seoul http://www.slembassykorea.com/eng/bbs/board.php?bo_table=s1_2&wr_id=78

Ban Ki-moon Urged the Implementation of LDN at the First Global Land Neutrality Degradation Forum

July 9, 2018
Ban Ki-moon Centre’s Co-chairman Ban Ki-moon, who is also the Assembly President and Council Chair of the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), urged global efforts on Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) and support for the Peace Forest Initiative at the first Global LDN Forum. This two-day forum was co-hosted by the Korea Forest Service (KFS) and the UNCCD in Seoul, Korea, having the attendance of more than 200 participants from both the public and the private sector as well as international organizations, NGOs, and academia. LDN is defined as “a state whereby the amount and quality of land resources necessary to support ecosystem functions and services and enhance food security remain stable or increase within specified temporal and spatial scales and ecosystems” by the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). The gathered participants and the entities took the opportunity to discuss experiences and ideas on how the international community can cooperate and best practice the implementation of LDN.
Ban said, “With growing pressures on our lands, we – as both the caretakers and offenders of our planet – need to prevent future losses in social, natural and economic capital through the development and implementation of land degradation neutrality.”
During the forum, a high-level inter-Korean dialogue also took place, which was to call for cooperation for implementing the Peace Forest Initiative with North Korea.
“Just a short drive due north from here, there exists one of the gravest environmental situations,” said Ban. He shared his hope that “based on KFS’ successful experiences on the forestry sector, GGGI, UNCCD, and other international partners can play a key role in supporting the momentum.”
  Source: GGGI – http://gggi.org/gggis-assembly-president-and-council-chair-ban-ki-moon-urges-global-efforts-on-land-degradation-neutrality-and-supports-the-inter-korean-peace-forest-initiative/ UNCCD – https://www.unccd.int/actions/achieving-land-degradation-neutrality Photo: Korea Forest Service