The Ministry of Environment (Minister Kim Wansup) announced that, in celebration of World Environment Day, it held the 1st Regular General Assembly of the Green Transition Initiative (GTI) on June 4 at the Shilla Jeju (located in Seogwipo, Jeju), and officially established an operational foundation for practical environmental cooperation for green transition in developing countries.

The GTI is a multilateral development cooperation platform launched under the leadership of Korea. It aims to identify large-scale national climate and environmental projects, support partner countries in their green transition, and promote the overseas expansion of Korea’s green technologies as a strategic international cooperation body.

Since its launch in March 2023, the GTI has held working-level meetings with member countries to discuss operational directions and solutions to major environmental issues. Based on the outcomes of these discussions, pilot projects were implemented in 2024 targeting environmental problem-solving in Bangladesh and the Philippines. 

To address the severe air pollution problem in Bangladesh, a roadmap was established that includes analysis of emission sources, air pollutant emission facilities, and the introduction of management systems. In the Philippines, there was a shared hope to tackle marine pollution caused by approximately 3 million tons of plastic waste generated annually. In response, the GTI developed a cooperative framework involving the private sector, including the establishment of collection and recycling systems and the production of recycled plastics. Through this process, tangible outcomes* were achieved, such as Korean companies’ technologies leading to actual overseas project contracts.

* Philippines Manila Plastic Waste Recycling Infrastructure Project: The implementing company, EMSUS Co., Ltd., secured a contract for the basic design of a resource circulation facility (January 2025, USD 800,000).

To systematize and expand these cooperation outcomes, the Ministry of Environment, through working-level consultations with member countries and institutions, has drafted an operational strategy and operational regulations for the GTI. These drafts are expected to be officially adopted at the 1st Regular General Assembly, attended by member countries and institutions. 

* (Member countries) Bangladesh, Laos, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan

(Member institutions) Asia Water Council (AWC), Global Water Partnership (GWP), Green Climate Fund (GCF), Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), World Bank (WB), Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM)

In addition, the outcomes of the 2024 pilot projects will be shared, and the direction of future cooperation projects will also be discussed.

Regarding the Bangladesh pilot project, Minister Syeda Rizwana Hasan of Bangladesh stated, “Through the GTI, we were able to explore concrete solutions to one of Bangladesh’s most urgent environmental issues, air pollution.” She added, “We hope the GTI will continue to serve as a platform for practical and sustainable change.”

The GTI will continue to receive requests from member countries to address environmental issues and plans to launch new projects accordingly. Next year, based on the experience gained from pilot projects, it aims to further refine its project direction and expand into environmental cooperation projects through financial linkages with international organizations. 

At this General Assembly, the role of interim chair, which had been held by AWC Chairman Yun Seogdae, until a formal operating structure was established, is expected to be officially succeeded through consensus among member countries and institutions. Minister Kim Wansup is a strong candidate to be elected as the inaugural official chair. With this, the GTI is expected to establish a full-fledged implementation framework.

Minister Kim Wansup stated, “This General Assembly is highly significant in that it goes beyond mere policy exchange to establish a practical foundation for joint international projects aimed at addressing the climate crisis and environmental issues.” He added, “We will spare no effort in supporting the resolution of environmental challenges faced by member countries while ensuring that Korea’s green technologies make meaningful contributions and gain wider adoption in the international community.”

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