열린장관실

(Check against Delivery)

September 27, 2007
Washington, D.C.

Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Participants, Ladies and Gentlemen,


(Introduction)

 First of all, I would like to join the previous speakers in expressing my appreciation to the Government of the United States for its initiative to host this important meeting of major economies on energy security and climate change at this critical juncture.

 The year 2007 is indeed a critical year for renewing and consolidating global efforts against climate change. Since the release of the IPCC Report earlier this year, the seriousness of climate change and the urgency of response measures have been highlighted more than ever before. And, above all, the upcoming UN climate change conference in Bali this December is expected to be a turning point for establishing the post-2012 framework.

  Today's meeting, held on the initiative of President Bush, is significant in that all the major economies have an opportunity to get together and pool their wisdom to work out solutions to climate change, and to provide the way forward for the post-2012 framework.

(Future Climate Change Framework)

 Despite its ambitious start, the Kyoto Protocol has shown a number of limitations. In order for the future framework to be practical and effective, it should be comprehensive and flexible enough to ensure that as many countries as possible to take part in the global emission reduction efforts. In addition, the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in particular, "common but differentiated responsibilities" and "respective capabilities," should continue to be upheld in the post-2012 framework.

 More specifically, we believe that the post-2012 framework should include the following as its key elements: first, a balance between environmental and economic aspects of climate change; second, respect for different economic and social conditions of each country; third, a continued leading role by developed countries; fourth, assistance for the developing countries through technology cooperation; and finally, an emphasis on the importance of the roles of private sector and market mechanism.
 
(Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Korea)

 Having said that, let me now briefly share with you what is the current status of greenhouse gas emissions in Korea and how we are going to take up the challenges of climate change and energy security on a national basis.

 The total emissions of greenhouse gases in Korea registered about 90% increase from 311 million tons of carbon dioxide in 1990 to 591 million tons in 2004. Looking at each sector, the main contributors are the energy and industrial process sectors which account for 94.7% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Korea. 

 As Korea's industrial structure has been developed with a focus on energy-intensive industries, it is no easy task to come up with solutions. Nevertheless, since 1998, we have exerted our focused efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through a series of 3-year National Action Plans.

(National Strategy in the Energy and Industrial Sector)

 This past August, we adopted the "New National Strategy in the Energy and Industrial Sector to Confront Climate Change." It is a long-term strategy looking ahead as far as 2030, and deals with climate change and energy security in a holistic manner.

 Under this new initiative, we will pursue various energy policies including, among others, the expansion of renewable energy and nuclear power, voluntary agreements with large energy-consuming companies, and the improvement of energy efficiency through, inter alia, minimum energy efficiency standards. If the strategy is implemented as planned, the portion of renewable energy will increase from 2.27 % to 9 % by 2030 and energy intensity will be improved by more than 40 % compared to the current level.

  Another important element of the "New National Strategy" is creating a carbon market. We have already entered into "Renewable Portfolio Agreements" with power generation companies and are pursuing a variety of programs such as the government's purchase of emission credits and the establishment of private carbon funds.

(International Technology Cooperation)

 In combating climate change and enhancing energy security, technology has played and will play an important role.  Therefore, we have been making a considerable amount of investment in developing energy efficient technologies while participating in many forms of international technology cooperation such as the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP).

 We believe that international technology cooperation will greatly contribute to reducing the cost of research and development, facilitating technological advances and preventing the duplication of work in combating climate change.

(Commitment to Clean Development)

 The shared commitment to clean development by each and every member of the international community is crucial to moving toward a low-carbon economy or society. The clean development paradigm will enable us to overcome the challenges of climate change and provide opportunities for enhancing energy security, promoting technological innovation and strengthening international competitiveness.

Given the fact that Korea depends 97% of its energy consumption on imports, we feel the need to pursue clean development perhaps more than any other country in the world.

(Closing)

Mr. Chairman and Distinguished Participants,

 Climate Change is one of the gravest challenges in the history of humanity. It is time for us to demonstrate our strong will to tackle this enormous challenge and chart new pathways to effectively address it.

  Following the UN High Level Event on Climate Change, held in New York early this week at the initiative of Mr. Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Secretary-General, I am confident that the two days of discussions at this meeting will prove highly valuable in generating further momentum for international efforts to fight against climate change.

Thank you.