The Seoul Metropolitan Government hosted the appointment ceremony for the 14th cohort of the Citizens’ Committee for Green Seoul on 5 April 2023.

 

Group photos of participants (Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government)

 

The event kicked off with an introductory video of the committee, showcasing its long standing history as the South Korea’s first public-private partnership committee established since 1995, in an era marked by power decentralization and increased local autonomy. It is the most representative body of multi-stakeholder eco-governance in Seoul city, consisting of 100 experts to represent various fields from national media companies, renowned research institutions,  private corporations, to youth and  civil organizations.

 

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-Hoon, co-chair of the Citizens Committee for Green Seoul and member of the ICLEI Global Executive Committee, gave a welcoming speech (Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government)

 

Mayor Oh Se-Hoon of Seoul Metropolitan Government, the co-chair of the Citizens Committee for Green Seoul, and a member of the ICLEI Global Executive Committee, welcomed and awarded the letters of appointment to the new citizen co-chair and corporate co-chair who will serve for the next two years, emphasizing the crucial role of civil participation and building consensus among the different sectors in enabling and accelerating the shift towards a more sustainable society.

 

“It is my wish that the Citizens Committee for Green Seoul will accurately reflect and deliver the needs and desires of citizens in responding to climate change.”

Se-Hoon Oh, Mayor of Seoul

 

Gino Van Begin, Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, greets the committee (Source: Seoul Metropolitan Government)

 

In a video address, Gino Van Begin, Secretary General of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, extended his congratulations and commended the committee’s dedication and successful efforts in implementing an integrative decision-making process, underscoring the importance of multilevel governance and multi stakeholder participation to develop innovative solutions that can address the climate crisis. In response, the three co-chairs expressed their resolve and ambitions to strengthen the linkage between the city’s climate and environmental policies as well as carry out daily climate crisis response practices.

“As an important and longstanding Member of ICLEI, and host city to ICLEI’s East Asia Secretariat, Seoul has proven its global leadership by driving sustainable development actions, and inspiring others from all over the world through its innovative solutions and strategies,” Gino stated, as he further expressed ICLEI’s active and continued support for Seoul’s initiatives to serve as a model for local governments worldwide.

The event closed with an eco-friendly digital performance, displaying the names of the members and their pledges to adhere to the committee’s shared vision and goal.

Written by Kayla Choi <kayla.choi@iclei.org>