“The USA should return to Paris Climate Agreement…It is a political and moral responsibility of the US.”
On December 20, Co-chair Ban Ki-moon attended and gave a keynote at the 6th Seoul Climate-Energy Conference 2019 held in Seoul, Korea.
The 6th Seoul Climate-Energy Conference, under the theme of “New Climate Regime and the New Normal,” placed heavy emphasis on global climate change discussions and international cooperation. This year’s conference endeavored to redefine what “normal” is as climate change that has been accelerated by unpredictability in global politics and pushes the globe close to the point of no-return.
Renowned experts from academia, business, industry and policy together reviewed the outcomes of COP 25, examined the tole of higher education in sustainable development, discussed big data as the newest source of clean energy, revisited the importance of the renewable-nuclear alliance, and investigated the prospects of engaging young generations in climate change discussions.
Co-chair Ban Ki-moon emphasized the importance of getting support from political leaders to mitigate climate change effects and promote sustainable development, and said,
“Every state should make choices for humanity rather than its own selfish national interests. It is the responsibility of sovereign states to engage in transnational cooperation and participate in global challenges.”
He also proposed a multilateral approach as a solution. Co-chair Ban said,
“Even a country with abundant resources like the US cannot solve such a multifaceted issue alone. We must act in unity to solve the problem.”
Co-chair Ban then presented an example of Bangladesh,
“In 1971, a fatal cyclone in Bangladesh resulted in more than 300,000 casualties. However, after devising appropriate policies to prevent future lose, the average number of yearly casualties due to cyclones dropped to less than 10. Likewise, if we implement proper measurements, we can adopt to climate change and prevent climate catastrophes.”
As he concluded his keynote, Co-chair Ban said,
“Former President John F. Kennedy once said that we choose to go to the moon, not because they are easy, but because they are hard. Because solving climate change is also hard, we must do it and do it together.”
© Yonhap News
an said, “It is crucial that we now cultivate the future for the young generation,” suggesting including the education on the environment in the school curriculum.
“I envy adults who used to eat flowers and snow and get wet in the rain in the past. Nowadays, we can’t feel such pleasure in nature. Please let us romp around in nature by restoring it like it was in the past.”
Salahaldeen Alazaizeh, who is a Business & Innovation Designer at مؤسسة فاي للعلوم 
Oyindamola Adegboye from Nigeria introduced “
The “Light to Read” project was initiated by Samuel Afadu who is the founder of 
Belinda Isimbi Uwase, Founder of the Girls Light Our World (GLOW), explained her project which supports young girls who have recently graduated or are still in high school in Rwanda. She said the group intends to provide a platform for female students to freely express themselves, learn new skills and contribute to their community through volunteering and taking actions.
