Commemorative Speech for the 10th Anniversary of
the Establishment of the GCF Headquarters Office in Incheon
It is a great pleasure to welcome everyone who has come to Incheon,
an innovative and environmental city that is leading our future.
My name is Yoo Jeong-bok, and I am the Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City, South Korea.
[10 years of friendship between Incheon and GCF]
This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the GCF office,
the world's largest climate fund, in Incheon, South Korea.
I am very pleased to attend this meaningful event today.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Choo Kyung-ho,
Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs
and Mafalda Duarte, Executive Director of the GCF for joining us at this event.
There is a proverb in Korea that says rivers and mountains change their shapes after 10 years.
It means that the period of ten years is not so short, and a lot of things can be done in ten years.
The past 10 years have been a precious time for the GCF,
as it has become the most successful example of
how the international community can respond to and understand
the severity of the climate crisis that threatens our livelihoods and survival.
[Responding to the climate crisis has become a top priority for the international community.]
As we all know, the Earth's climate has been warning us for a long time.
Responding to the climate crisis has become a top priority for the international community.
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
the average temperature of the Earth's sea surface recently reached 21.1°C,
breaking the highest record since satellite observations began.
Since the GCF's headquarters was established in Incheon in 2013,
Incheon has been transformed into a city
that protects the climate and environment, and practices carbon neutrality.
In 2018, the city was also a special place
where the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) adopted
and approved the "Special Report on Global Average Temperature of 1.5 degrees Celsius".
[We declared the '2045 Carbon Neutral Vision'
and are promoting our implementation roadmap for it].
Last year, we declared the "2045 Carbon Neutral Vision"
and are promoting our implementation roadmap.
We are also promoting a climate-smart city model,
including building a climate adaptation vulnerability assessment database,
publishing a climate disaster response manual,
expanding disaster preparedness infrastructure, and promoting urban resilience.
Last August, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
hosted an Adaptation Week event in Songdo,
the largest international event on climate adaptation,
which was attended by more than 1,000 climate leaders from 74 countries around the world.
During the event, Incheon City's carbon neutrality and climate adaptation policies were announced.
We received a warm response from the international community through a business agreement
to share the carbon neutrality leading cases of various local governments,
the “Korean Local Governments Declaration on Climate Adaptation” ceremony,
and the International Forum on Low Carbon Cities.”
[We seek concrete measures for climate adaptation and international cooperation around the world.]
Incheon City once again calls on all countries and cities around the world to make universal efforts.
We must implement the goal of carbon neutrality more strictly
and prepare concrete climate adaptation plans and cooperation measures,
including national climate crisis adaptation plans,
technology development, financial resources, and implementation means.
Just as the GCF has grown from its Incheon office
to become the world's largest climate fund over the past 10 years,
we hope that today's ceremony commemorating
the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the GCF headquarters
will be a major turning point for us in realizing our hope for global carbon neutrality.
[We will work together with the international community to protect the global environment.]
We would like to thank all related officials,
including Korean government officials and GCF executives and staff,
for their efforts to ensure the successful establishment and growth of the GCF.
In particular, we would like to express our gratitude to the citizens of Incheon City,
who have welcomed GCF as a member of society and shown their deep interest and affection.
I would like to extend my greetings to all the ambassadors to Korea,
academia and international organizations who have come to grace this event today.
In the future, Incheon City will serve
as an active local government that takes action to solve climate problems.
We will implement various protective measures
such as vulnerability assessment for climate adaptation,
publication of a climate response manual,
and expansion of disaster preparedness infrastructure.
We will also actively cooperate with
the international community to protect our environment.
Thank you very much.
