Mayor Wonsoon Park, Seoul citizens announce ‘Promise of Seoul’; world mayors show support

On Day 3 of the ICLEI World Congress, Seoul Mayor Wonsoon Park and representatives of Seoul civil society and business announced the Promise of Seoul, a covenant for the megacity to take significant action against climate change.

Described as the Korean version of the Kyoto Protocol, the Promise of Seoul consists of 36 tasks across 10 components of the urban system, from energy to urban planning. The document also includes a resolution approved by 10 million Seoul residents.

At the announcement ceremony, Mayor Park was joined by mayors and local government representatives in attendance at the World Congress, who expressed their support for the Promise of Seoul and wished the city success in achieving its goals.

“The Promise of Seoul inspires me and I am very sure that our mayors will want to replicate it in their cities and regions, within the context of our own strengths, limitations, and challenges,” said Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif, Municipal President of Seberang Perai, Malaysia, and Southeast Asia representative to the ICLEI Global Executive Committee.

Mayor Park thanked the mayors for their solidarity and vowed to “continue our efforts to fight against global warming.”

The Promise of Seoul may be summarized in the following 11 statements:

• Seoul will reduce its CO2 emissions by 25% by 2020 and by 40% by 2030 from the 2005 level, thereby creating a low-carbon, high energy-efficient city.
• Seoul will ensure energy welfare by sharing energy with underprivileged communities that are vulnerable to climate change.
• Seoul will set an example in countering climate change by adopting an integarated and comprehensive management system for greenhouse gas and air pollutants.
• Seoul will create a city resilient to climate change.
• Seoul will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by saving water and utilizing collected rainwater.
• Seoul will strengthen its adaptive capacity to climate change by creating an eco-city with a rich and harmonious biodoversity.
• Seoul will cut energy consumption by expanding urban agriculture to be practiced widely in citizen’s daily lives.
• Seoul willensure the health of the city by employing preventive measures against infectious diseases and heat waves while improving its capacity to respond to climate change.
• Seoul will ensure safety by building the capacity to respond to and prevent climate chainge disasters.
• Seoul will stay at the forefront in pursuing cooperation at home and abroad as well as establishing an implementaion system to effective tackle climate change.