Minister Han Jeoung Ae of Environment took part in a virtual meeting with President Alok Sharma of COP26, who was in the UK and discussed climate cooperation between the two countries for realizing carbon neutrality at the Han River Flood Control Office, located in Seocho-gu, Seoul, Korea, in the afternoon of February the 23rd.

The UK has taken on the Presidency of COP26, set to take place in Glasgow, Scotland this coming November, 2021.  

During the virtual meeting, minister Han made a pledge to President Sharma that she would call on more countries to engage in carbon neutrality at the P4G* Summit, a multi-lateral environmental summit, held in Seoul, Korea, in the coming May of this year, contributing to the success of COP 26. 

* Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 (P4G)

Moreover, she said that the current administration would make its utmost effort to elevate the "nationally determined contributions (NDC) for 2030," submitted to the UN in late 2020, and take the lead in preparing carbon neutrality under the condition of social consensus within its remaining term. 

President Sharma mentioned that he held high expectations for Korea to play a proactive role in achieving carbon neutrality and the green recovery while congratulating her on being invited to the G7* Climate and Environment Ministers' Meeting, held in the UK in the middle of May this year. 

* The Group of Seven (G7) consists of seven member states, the US, Japan, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Canada

This year, the G7 countries and three guest countries, including Australia, India, and the Republic of Korea, will attend the Climate and Environment Ministers' Meetings and touch on agendas, including i) a net-zero G7 by 2050; ii) supporting the transition to a low carbon economy; and iii) driving action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss. 

As this year is the first time for Korea to be invited to the Climate and Environment Ministers' Meetings, it is expected to be an opportunity for leveling up cooperation with G7 countries for climate change response and nature conservation. 

Both Minister Han and President Sharma assured that the two countries would consistently cooperate with each other in the upcoming international conferences to overcome the climate crisis, including the P4G Summit in May, the G7 Climate and Environment Ministers' Meetings in July, and COP26 in November.