Green Growth as a New Paradigm for Sustainable Development

Keynote Speach at the Retreat for Permanent Representativeson the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

By Soogil Young, Ph.D.
Chairman, Presidential Committee on Green Growth, Republic of Korea

Dr. Werner Puschra, Mr. ShaZukang, Permanent Representatives and Senior Diplomats to UN, and Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is a great honor for me to have been invited to give a keynote speech at this retreat of great significance dedicated to the discussion of key issues for the Rio+20 Summit. I thank Dr. Puschra, Executive Director of FES New York, and Mr. ShaZukang, UN Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, for this honor.

I understand that “a green economy within the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication” is a central theme to be discussed at this retreat as it will be at the Rio+20 Summit next year. Against this background, I have chosen to speak tonightabout Korea’s green growth policies which were formally launched by President Lee Myung-bak 3 years ago, as well as their implications for sustainable development. The gist of my speech tonight is shown by title I have
chosen for this speech, “green growth as a new paradigm for sustainable development and climate change cooperation: A Korean perspective”.

*Please find attached the full text of Dr.Young’s remarks