EIT Climate KIC joins roundtable as Republic of Korea moves Green Deal forward

On 24 June, Climate KIC attended the 7th Green Round Table, an event hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea, the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management. The event opened with remarks by the Republic of Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, H.E. Kang Kyung-wha, on the Korean Green New Deal and a green recovery from COVID-19. Climate KIC’s Chief Strategy Officer, Dr Tom Mitchell, shared experiences of delivering climate action under the European Green Deal, highlighting innovation’s critical role in systems change.

As governments take action to manage the economic and social impacts of COVID-19, discussions on how to make the recovery greener are high on the agenda. The Republic of Korea recently announced a new policy package, the Korean New Deal, which encompasses a Green New Deal aimed at creating new green jobs and businesses while securing more green investments. The 7th Green Round Table convened experts from the private and public sectors to discuss South Korea’s Green New Deal and its potential to drive a post COVID-19 recovery. 

“The choices we make now about how we recover from COVID-19 will go far in determining whether the fight against catastrophic climate change is winnable,” said Mitchell. “The Republic of Korea and the European Union, with their freshly minted Green New Deals, can send a signal of ambition to others. And in cooperating and sharing insights on green innovation between countries, we can speed up the positive changes we desperately need while jumpstarting our economies. EIT Climate-KIC, as a global climate innovation agency and community, is ready to be part of the solution.” 

Mitchell presented during the session, “Sharing Country Experiences and Lessons from Korea: How can we achieve a successful Green New Deal?” and was a panelist during the session, “Economic Recovery and Climate Response in Post COVID-19: Why the Green New Deal Matters.” 

Mitchell explained how the EU Strategy for the Green Deal has changed due to COVID-19 and how Climate KIC’s strategy, Transformation, in Time, supports Europe’s green recovery. The presentation included examples of just transition with a focus on the European coal industry, diverse experiences from cities on their journey to becoming carbon neutral, as well as examples of transitions to a circular economy.  

The event’s opening session featured opening remarks from H.E. Kang Kyung-wha, Minister of Foreign Affairs, as well as congratulatory remarks by H.E. Ban Ki-moon GGGI President & Chair and Eighth UN Secretary-General; H.E. Kim Jung-wook Chairman, Presidential Committee on Green Growth; and H.E. Kim Sung-whan, Member of the National Assembly.

Learn more about the 7th Green Round Table.