1. The 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) concluded at around 7 a.m., November 18 (Germany time) after two weeks of negotiations in Bonn, Germany, from November 6 to 17.

o COP23 was attended by about 25,000 people, including representatives from 197 Parties to the UNFCCC, climate change research institutes, industry and civic groups. A delegation of the Republic of Korea to the meeting, led by Minister of Environment Kim Eun-kyung, consisted of officials from relevant government agencies and experts.

[Significance of the 23rd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 23)]

2. COP23 was a stepping-stone to lay the foundation for negotiations to develop guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement by the end of 2018.

o As Fiji, a Small Island Developing State, holds the Presidency this year, the meeting is seen as having served as an opportunity to engage in robust discussions and achieve results regarding “adaptation” to the threats posed by climate change.

o There was progress in discussions on the Adaptation Fund, one of key financial resources to help developing countries adapt to climate change, and documents on loss, damage, women and indigenous people were also adopted.

[Key achievements from COP23]

3. At the meeting, participants agreed on an informal note on each agenda based on the results of the discussions for two weeks to develop guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement by the end of 2018, and adopted it as an annex to the Decision titled “Fiji Momentum for Implementation.”

o It is considered that a document containing each country’s positions to provide a basis for negotiations has been prepared, while there remain differences in opinion between developed and developing countries.

4. Fiji, which holds the Presidency, will review mitigation efforts around the world through the Talanoa Dialogue, and go ahead with a series of technical and political procedures that can contribute to each country’s mitigation efforts in 2018.

[Remarks by Key Participants and Countries]

5. Leaders of countries around the world who attended the high-level segment of COP23 repeatedly stressed that the historic Paris Agreement is irreversible, and talked about their countries’ policies for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy transition to respond to climate change.

o French President Macron especially pledged that Europe, mainly France, will make up the deficit of financial resources for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) incurred due to the US decision not to join, and announced his country’s decision to close all coal-fired thermal power plants by 2021.

o UN Secretary-General Guterres urged countries to be more enthusiastic in five key areas for action -- mitigation, adaptation, resources, partnership and leadership -- for the international community to achieve the 2°C target.

[Activities of the Minister of Environment and the ROK Delegation]

6. In preparation for COP23, the ROK delegation submitted five joint national proposals and one independent national proposal to the UNFCCC secretariat after consulting in advance on key issues with the Environmental Integrity Group (EIG), a negotiation group where the ROK belongs. Based on them, the ROK delegation actively participated in the negotiations to develop detailed guidelines for the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

7. In her keynote address at the high-level segment on November 16, Minister of Environment Kim Eun-kyung said that under the principle of people-centered administration of state affairs, the ROK is seeking to implement policies for a low-carbon society. The Minister also explained the ROK government’s policies for transition to environmentally-friendly energy, and its emissions trading system, and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to implement the Paris Agreement.

8. On November 16, Minister of Environment Kim attended a foreign ministerial meeting of the Environmental Integrity Group and a ceremony to welcome Georgia into the Group. In the meeting, the Minister exchanged views on the achievements from COP23 and the EIG member states’ policies to respond to climate change.

9. On the sidelines of COP23, Minister Kim met with China’s Special Representative for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua, and agreed to strengthen environmental cooperation between the two countries, considering what the response to climate change and the reduction of fine dust can achieve together.

o Minister Kim delivered congratulatory remarks at a side event on carbon pricing, co-hosted by the OECD and the Ministry of Environment at the ROK’s promotion center on November 15. The Minister also met separately with the Chairman of the IPCC and the Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC, and agreed to further enhance cooperation with international organizations dealing with climate change.

10. Furthermore, it has been decided at COP23 that the ROK will serve as a member of the Standing Committee on Finance (SCF) in 2018, and serve another term as a member of the Technology Executive Committee (TEC).

11. During COP23, the ROK government set up its promotion center and promoted major climate change policies and technologies, including an eco-friendly energy town, and the national climate change adaptation plan, as well as efforts to develop climate technologies and related cooperation. The ROK government also held twenty side events organized by the central and provincial governments and NGOs, providing an opportunity to engage in in-depth discussions on a range of climate change-related issues.

o In particular, the government, together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), held an event to help Korean experts expand their global networks. About 6,000 people visited the ROK’s promotion center during COP23, as a photo zone to promote the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and an event to hand out traditional artifacts were popular with meeting participants.


* unofficial translation