P4G : Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030

2021 is a critical year in climatic environment since it marks the beginning of the implementation of the Paris Agreement to respond to climate change.

The international community has been closely negotiating to offer solutions to various global environmental issues resulting from climate change including the rise of the sea levels, ecological collapse, and abnormal weather conditions, and finally adopted the Paris Agreement in 2015.

Resonating the promise of the Paris Agreement that all countries - environmental leaders and followers alike - should respond to climate change in unison, countries have either submitted the updated 2030 NDCs or the 2050 LEDS by the end of last year. This milestone prompted all countries to take off the grand journey towards low-carbon and eco-friendly economy that reduces greenhouse gases.

The dedication of the Korean government to join in on the international effort to respond to climate crisis was highlighted by the declaration of the Green New Deal initiative and the 2050 carbon neutrality goal last year. Adding substance to this vision, Korea is proud to announce that Seoul will host the P4G Summit scheduled from May 30 to May 31 this year. The 2021 P4G Seoul Summit will be Korea’s first multilateral summit on environment, which makes it all the more meaningful.

P4G is a global initiative launched in 2017 to accelerate the response to climate change and implementation of the SDGs, the most pressing issues of our time. 12 middle powers of all continents including Korea, international organizations, and businesses currently participate.

P4G’s uniqueness is rooted in the new form of public-private cooperation (partnership) in which not only the government but also the private sector and the civil society jointly take part in climate action. This adds a complementary role to the conventional climate regime currently focused on governments and the UN system.