This document summarizes the speech given by the Mayor of Gwangju, South Korea on the city's urban environmental policies and initiatives to address climate change. It outlines that cities are major contributors to global warming and climate change. It then provides details on three of Gwangju's key policies: 1) A carbon bank system that incentivizes citizens to reduce energy use; 2) Implementing comprehensive land use policies focused on sustainable development; and 3) Fostering a green industry sector. The mayor concludes by proposing strengthened cooperation between cities worldwide, a standardized evaluation index for green cities, and a new financial mechanism like Urban CDM to incentivize carbon reduction in cities globally.

1. Rio+20 Speech
“Cities Can Save the Earth” : The City of
Gwangju and Its Urban Environment Policy
Kang, Un-Tae
Mayor, Gwangju Metropolitan City, Rep. of Korea
Co-Chairperson, UEA Members Alliance 1

2. Climate Change andand Cities
Climate Change Cities
- The pace of climate change: faster than what we expected
- Time to need Decision for Our Common Future
The 5th IPCC report : 2050 Climate Estimation
- Precipitation : 30% Increase
- Temperature : 2.3 ℃ Increase
- Sea level : 34cm Increase in elevation
2050 Climate estimation of Korea
- Summer : four -> five months
- Winter : three -> two months
- Abnormal climate : scorching heat, heavy rainfall
※ Cities are major causes of global warming and
climate change. Cities have a responsibility to
address global warming 2

3. Introduction to Gwangju
South Korea’s 5th largest city, with population of
1.5 million
3

4. The Driving Force of Korean Democracy
- Gwangju’s May 1980 Democratic Movement Archives:
listed on the UNESCO Memory of the World in May, 2011
The city of Culture and Art
- Home of Gwangju Biennale and Gwangju Design Biennale, global art festivals
The city of cutting-edge science industry
4

5. Create an environment-friendly green city
Carbon Bank System
- Citizens are the key decision makers on carbon reduction
 Each citizen, the main actor of GHG reduction
- Grant carbon points to households with lesser energy (electricity, gas, and water)
use compared to previous two years use
- Participation: 44% of 540,000 households in Gwangju  100% by 2015
Carbon Reduction Effects
- GHG Reduction: 26 thousand tons reduced in 2011
- Equivalent to planting 9.18 million pine trees 5

6. Further direction
The range expanded to:
- Increase in the use of public transport and bicycle
- Food waste reduction
- Environmental protection work
- Food mileage campaign, etc
Securing Additional Administration Funds
- Green Fundraising : Participation from central government, cities, and
companies
The icon of citizens’ green-life practices
6

7. Implementing Policy on Land Use
comprehensively
Policy Directions
- A synergistic organization of each field - urban planning, transportation, forestry,
housing, promotion of industry
- Urban planning focused on control of commuting distance, cost of traffic
congestion, and excessive energy use from a long-term perspective
- More focus on city rehabilitation, instead of sprawl to city outskirts
Examples of Gwangju
- Re-development of old flats into housing for 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade
※ Unprecedented case in the history of international sports
- Urban improvement project in 22 residential sectors
- Completion of Asian Culture Complex [600 million US$ budget] at the previous
government facility
7

8. Fostering and Spreading Green Industry
Directions
 Virtuous cycle between the environment and economy
- Fostering Green Industry: Investment in environment
· Drive for job creation and economic growth
- Creating public demand toward “Greenness”
Examples of Gwangju
- LED Products made locally replace existing public and private
light fixtures. Public100% and Private 60% replacement by 2020
※ 134 LED-related companies in Gwangju
- The major production facility of KIA Motors, a global automobile
producer
· All public buses: natural gas replacement in 2011
· Electric vehicles encouraged: 300 units by 2014
8

9. Proposal to enhance urban environment
1st Strengthening Exchange and Cooperation on Environmental
Policies among Worldwide Cities
Purpose
- To share problem-solving ability through mutual exchange among cities
- To establish resourceful circulation in all cities throughout the world
Examples of Gwangju [Technology Export]
- Conclusion of an environmental technology exchange agreements (waste
disposal, etc)
ᆞᆞ Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), with Rwanda (Angola)
with
- Installation of a waste-using power generating facility
ᆞᆞ be installed in Luanda, Angola, September 2012
to
9

10. 2nd Developing Standardized Urban Environment Evaluation Index
Purpose of Enactment
- to provide a guideline for urban environment Evaluation and green cities
- to foster worldwide cities to become low-carbon green cities
※ Co-development with UNEP from 2011 to 2013
Characteristics of the index
- Commonly applied to cities of both developed and developing countries
- Considering the current status of a city and outcome of current policies
- An index that can be certified and standardized internationally
Future Plan
- Awarding “International Low Carbon Green City” from 2014
ᆞᆞ
Apply index to the world cities
ᆞᆞ
Select cities of excellence
ᆞᆞ
Organization in collaboration with UNEP 10

11. 3rd An urgent need to introduce a new financial incentive to cities
for carbon reduction such as Urban CDM
The Existing CDM Urban CDM
- limited in technology and - Make wide-ranged access available in Urban
Planning, Land-use, and Green Governance
scale approaches (single
- UN Green Climate Fund supported for GHG
project-based) reduction annually compared to BAU
- At the 2011 Gwangju Summit of UEA, 120 cities and international
organizations have agreed on the international application of Urban CDM
○ UN Green Climate Fund
- 100billion US$ to be created every year by 2020
- It should be prepared sooner to reduce carbon emission
11

12. Conclusion
○ Cities, the cause and the victim of climate change
○ Peril of the Earth: Challenges and Opportunities
- Cities actively commit themselves to solve the
environmental
problems
- Work together for the common good
12

13. Thank you for your attention