Park Seung-won, the mayor of Gwangmyeong, emphasized on October 11 that "citizen participation and practical actions in daily life are crucial for carbon neutrality."
Mayor Park made this statement during the "3rd Gwangmyeong Climate Meeting Pre-Discussion" held on October 8, which was attended by 50 participants, including climate volunteers, citizens, and public officials.
He is focusing on discovering local carbon neutrality practices and promoting policies to address the climate crisis based on citizen involvement.
This discussion was organized to share local climate issues and allow citizens to propose their own carbon neutrality practices ahead of the "3rd Gwangmyeong Climate Meeting (Town Hall COP)" scheduled for October 23.
On that day, Son Bong-hee, Deputy Director of ICLEI Korea, delivered a lecture on "Gwangmyeong's Carbon Neutral Policy Strategy with Citizen Participation," explaining the city's achievements in carbon neutrality implementation for 2026 and the roles of local governments and citizens.
Participants were divided into five groups to discuss ways to implement carbon neutrality in their communities.
They proposed policy ideas centered around six areas: buildings, transportation, agriculture, waste, carbon sinks, and citizen participation, agreeing that citizens should be involved in the policy-making and implementation processes.
The citizen feedback collected during this discussion will be reviewed and presented by citizen representatives at the main session of the 3rd Gwangmyeong Climate Meeting, which will take place at 10 a.m. on the 23rd.
Mayor Park plans to review citizen proposals for inclusion in carbon neutrality policies and to expand opportunities for citizen participation.
Jin-nam Noh, the carbon neutrality director, stated, "To achieve a 40% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030, the efforts of the administration and the practical actions of citizens in their daily lives are essential. We will actively incorporate the voices of citizens from this discussion into our carbon neutrality policies."
Mayor Park reiterated, "We will create a sustainable carbon-neutral city of Gwangmyeong by reflecting the voices of citizens in our policies."
Meanwhile, Mayor Park aims to discuss climate policies with citizens and expand the foundation for community-centered carbon neutrality practices.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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