The Korea Herald

지나쌤

Seoul mayor to lead group on environmental talks

By Kim Young-won

Published : June 18, 2012 - 20:08

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Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon was elected as chair of the World Mayors Council on Climate Change at its meeting in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Sunday.

The council is an alliance of leaders of 70 metropolitan cities including Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City and Montreal aimed at addressing climate change and sustainable development. Park will serve for two years.

The city government also signed a memorandum of understanding with the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives to open the office for the WMCCC in October in Seoul.
Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon speaks at a WMCCC meeting in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Sunday. (Seoul Metropolitan Government) Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon speaks at a WMCCC meeting in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, on Sunday. (Seoul Metropolitan Government)

“I will work together with city leaders around the world to make cities better places for the present and future generations,” Park said in his acceptance speech at the WMCCC World Congress of the ICLEI.

The ICLEI is an international association of local governments and their associations committed to sustainable development.

Around 500 participants including representatives from cities, international organizations and NGOs participated in the meeting.

Park is on a 13-day trip to South America to visit four cities in Brazil, including Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and Buenos Aires in Argentina.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)