2nd International Forum on Low Carbon Cities

Remarks and keynote

• Opening remarks: Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Under Secretary General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of UN-ESCAP
• Welcome remarks: Mr. Yoo, Jeongbok, Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City
• Congratulatory remarks: Mr. Ban, Ki-moon, 8th Secretary General of the United Nations and Chairman of the Ban Ki-moon Foundation For a Better Future
• Congratulatory remarks: Mr. Yannick Glemarec, Executive Director of Green Climate Fund
• Congratulatory remarks: Mr. Heo, Shick, Chairman of the Incheon Metropolitan Council
• Keynote speech: Ms. Yoo, Young Sook, Chairperson of Climate Change Center and Former Minister of Environment of the Republic of Korea

Introduction of the Forum

• Mr. Ganbold Baasanjav, Head, UN-ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office

Incheon’s pledge to achieve carbon neutrality by 2045

Group photo

The session will have presentations from governments and cities on the policies and programmes in support of national commitments to the Paris Agreement and local government’s voluntary commitments; and discuss the roles of cities in climate governance.

Moderator: Mr. Kim, Yong-Gun, Director General, Climate and Air Quality Research Group, Korea Environment Institute

Panelists

• Ms. Monique Nardi, Programme Officer, UNFCCC
• Mr. Xu, Jun, Senior Engineer, Environment and Ecology Bureau, Chongqing, China
• Mr. Ganbold Tsog, Director of the Capital City Air and Environmental Pollution Agency, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
• Ms. Junko Akagi, Research Manager, Kitakyushu Urban Centre, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Japan
• Ms. Kim, Se-heon, Director, Environment and Climate Policy Division, Incheon, Republic of Korea 

Nature-based solutions (NbS) have already been widely applied globally, for enhancing urban resilience and developing cities with better ecosystem services. Nowadays, more and more benefits are identified, while contributing to upscaling the positive impacts of climate actions, and low-carbon strategies. This session gathers insights from city practitioners on various types of NbS activities taken at regional, city, and community levels.  

Moderator: Ms. Son, Bong-Hee, General Manager, ICLEI Korea Office

Panelists

• Mr. Suh, Seung Oh, Executive Director, Ramsar Regional Center – East Asia
• Mr. Zou, Tao, Director, Department of Sustainable City Planning, Beijing Tsinghua Tongheng Urban Planning & Design Institute, China  
• Ms. Tserendulam Shagdarsuren, Director General, Climate Change Department, Ministry of Environment and Tourism, Mongolia
• Ms. Sun, Yanyan, Senior Engineer, Centre for Wetland Conservation, Dongying City, China
• Ms. Maja Jovanovic, Secretariat for Environmental Protection, City of Belgrade, Serbia

The circular economy is a system solution framework that keeps resources in the economic system at the highest value possible. The session will listen to the local governments on their contributions to sustainable and circular societies at a city level.

Moderator: Ms. Kim, Sohee, Secretary General, Climate Change Center

Panelists

• Ms. Elaine Tan, Director, Centre for Liveable Cities, Singapore
• Ms. Kang, Jinsuk, Director of Gwangmyeong City Upcycling Center, Gwangmyeong City, Republic of Korea
• Ms. Shi, Yi, Shanghai Ecocycle Research Centre
• Mr. Boo, Gicheol, Director of Living Environment Division, Jeju city, Republic of Korea  

The session will offer a unique occasion to continue build and strength the partnership between financial institutions in the region with focus on: (i) establishing a common understanding of the gaps and available resources toward a low-carbon society among cities and city networks; and (b) sharing information and successful cases from cities/projects to strengthening partnership and peer-learning.

Moderator: Mr. Bapon Shm Fakhruddin, Green Climate Fund 

Panelists and discussants  

• Mr. Amgad Elmahdi, Water Sector Lead, Green Climate Fund
• Mr. Alessio Giardino, Senior Water Specialist, Sustainable Development and Climate Change Department, Asian Development Bank
• Mr. Kwon, Ogeuk, General Manager, K-Water
• Mr. Kim, Do-Kyoon, General Manager, K-Water 
• Mr. Byambasaikhan Bayanjargal, Vice Chairman, Business Council of Mongolia

The session will introduce the ongoing and planned initiatives/activities of international and regional institutes in support of low-carbon cities.

Moderator: Mr. Kim, SungEun, Economic Affairs Officer, UN-ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office  

Organizations 

• Climate Change Center
• Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy – Asia (GCoM Asia)
• Green Climate Fund (GCF)
• ICLEI East Asia Secretariat
• innovative Green Development Program (iGDP)
• CityNet
• United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC)
• World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO)
• Local Government Association for Climate and Energy Transition

This session will discuss the process of stakeholder engagement, with a focus on the private sector, youth, and inclusive initiatives. Speakers will present on their best practices and share success factors for citizen engagement. The path towards zero-carbon is one that must be inclusive and this session seeks to highlight the importance of inclusivity and leaving no one behind on the journey to zero-carbon cities.

Moderator: Mr. Paulie Mora, Senior Program Officer, CityNet 

Panelists

• Ms. Melissa Chin, Strategy and Analytics Manager, Think City
• Mr. Kang, Dong-ryul, Network Manager of SDSN Korea
• Ms. Andrea Valentine A. Villaroman, Climate Change Environmental Sustainability Department, Quezon City Government, the Philippines

The session will discuss the roles of regional cooperation in achieving low-carbon societies and seek ways to synergize the work of city networks.

Moderator: Mr. Cho, Kyeongdoo, Director General, Incheon Climate and Environment Research Center/ Incheon Institute

Panelists 

• Ms. Madelaine Arlene Alfelor Gazmen, Ambassador, United Cities and Local Governments Asia Pacific (UCLG ASPAC) and Former Mayor of Iriga City, the Philippines
• Ms. Asih Budiati, Team Leader, Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy – Asia (GCoM Asia)
• Ms. Sanjeevani D. Singh, Economic Affairs Officer, Environment and Development Division, UN-ESCAP  
• Ms. Alissa Raj, Deputy Regional Director for East, Southeast Asia & Oceania, C40 Cities

• Closing remarks – Mr. Ganbold Baasanjav, Head, UN-ESCAP East and North-East Asia Office

National Institute of Environmental Research and Sudokwon Landfill Site