The Ministry of Environment (Minister Kim Wansup) announced that the ‘2024 G20 Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate’ was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on October 3, 2024 (local time). 

The meeting hosted by Brazil was attended by high-level officials from the G20 member countries and invited countries*, as well as major international organizations** in the fields of environment, climate, and international development.

* (Member countries) Brazil (Chair), South Korea, United States, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada, Italy, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Mexico, Indonesia, Turkiye, Australia, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, European Union (EU), African Union (AU)

(Invited countries) Angola, Denmark, Egypt, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Peru

** United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), etc.

The South Korean delegation, composed of officials from the Ministry of Environment and the Presidential Commission on Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth 2050 (Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth Commission), led by the Deputy Secretary-General Joo Dae-young, attended the ministerial meeting to present South Korea’s efforts to open a sustainable future focusing on marine ecosystems, Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES)*, waste management, and the circular economy, and to propose directions for cooperation at the G20 level. 

* Payment for Ecosystem Services: A system in which the government or local authorities enter into contracts with local residents (landowners, etc.) for conservation activities of protected areas and high-quality ecosystems, providing appropriate compensation for these activities.

The South Korean delegation emphasized the importance of promoting PES to help residents appreciate the value of natural assets and take the lead in ecosystem protection, in order to foster sustainable development that harmonizes human and nature coexistence. 

The delegation also shared South Korea’s best practices of providing appropriate compensation to residents participating in ecosystem conservation activities to enhance community interest in ecosystem protection efforts.

Moreover, they emphasized that amid the increasing importance of climate adaptation due to frequent weather anomalies worldwide, it is crucial to efficiently utilize existing climate funds to enhance the climate resilience of vulnerable countries. 

They further expressed the importance of implementing a circular economy as a means of addressing the climate crisis and achieving sustainable development, highlighting the need for a management system covering the entire cycle from production to distribution and consumption, as well as the significance of technological innovation to drive the transition to a circular economy. As part of these efforts, they introduced South Korea’s current initiative of ‘comprehensive plastic-free measures’ and the regulatory sandbox system to encourage technological innovations related to the circular economy. 

In particular, at this G20 Ministerial Meeting, the South Korean delegation requested the attention and cooperation of member countries for the draft agreement on plastic through statements made during the meeting and bilateral discussions with key G20 member countries such as Norway, Canada, and Indonesia, ahead of the ‘5th Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution’ (INC-5) to be held in Busan this November. 

At this G20 Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate, a ministerial declaration was produced for the first time in three years since 2021. The declaration reflects the spirit of the Rio Conventions, reaffirms the role of the G20 countries in addressing global environmental and climate change issues, and emphasizes the need to strengthen efforts at the G20 level. 

Specifically, in the marine sector, the declaration urged for the prompt ratification and implementation of the ‘Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Biodiversity in Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ)*.’ In the PES sector, they called for the establishment of sustainable funding mechanisms to expand the promotion of PES. In the climate adaptation sector, they emphasized the importance of mainstreaming adaptation policies in economic and financial policies within member countries and expanding adaptation funding. In the waste management and circular economy sector, they called for enhanced efforts to implement a circular economy throughout all processes and urged the G20 countries to play a role in addressing plastic pollution issues, while agreeing to cooperate to finalize the plastic agreement by the end of 2024. 

* Biological diversity Beyond areas of National Jurisdiction: International agreement for the conservation of biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction 

The ministerial declaration will be utilized as an outcome of the G20 summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on November 18-19, and it can influence major international conferences and negotiations in the fields of environment and climate, such as the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

Meanwhile, coinciding with the G20 Ministerial Meeting on Environment and Climate, the Brazilian Cultural Center in Korea, in collaboration with the Department of Culture of Rio de Janeiro, the Parque Lage School of Visual Arts, and the Ministry of Environment of Korea, has planned a major exhibition depicting endangered species of both countries in a traditional Korean folk art style. This exhibition will be held from October 1 to November 11 at the Parque Lage School of Visual Arts in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com