3 days ago
World Environment Day in Jeju focuses on plastic waste solutions
SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- Around 10,000 people gathered Thursday to highlight the urgency of plastic pollution and seek solutions to plastic waste during the World Environment Day 2025 event in Seogwipo, Jeju Island.
This year's World Environment Day, attended by government ministers, international organizations and civil society groups, took place in South Korea for the first time since 1997 under the theme 'Beat Plastic Solution.' Korea was selected to host the event during a high-level meeting between the Ministry of Environment and the United Nations Environment Program in September 2023.
Running Wednesday to Thursday, the event welcomed government representatives from 19 countries, as well as leading representatives from international organizations such as the UNEP, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the International Transport Forum.
The two-day event concluded with a commemoration ceremony on Thursday, featuring congratulatory speeches delivered by Vice Environment Minister Lee Byung-hwa and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who delivered his message via video.
'The current Anthropocene is characterized as the 'Plastic Age.' This is because plastic has deeply rooted itself in our industrial structure and everyday life,' said Lee.
'We are both victims and perpetrators of plastic pollution. Therefore, we must also be the ones to solve this problem. Before plastic pollution ends us, we must act to end plastic pollution.'
During the commemoration ceremony, the Environment Ministry also announced an international circular economy cooperation plan, called the Action for Circular Economy Initiative.
Under this initiative, South Korea plans to identify countries struggling with plastic pollution and limited waste management capacity, then conduct in-depth analyses and implement tailored solutions. The Environment Ministry aims to implement this initiative from 2026 to 2029, with 1.5 billion won ($1.1 million) allocated in terms of its budget.
During a press briefing held with local press earlier in the day, UNEP Executive Director Inger Andersen urged South Korea and other member states of the Paris Agreement — an international treaty aimed at addressing climate change — to 'act as quickly as possible to combat global warming through policies focused on green transition.'
Green transition refers to the shift from a fossil fuel-based, environmentally harmful economy to one that is sustainable through renewable energy, eco-friendly technologies and circular economy practices.
'You cannot argue with science. No matter what anyone says, climate change is real and it's happening. As a lot of climate change-related problems are already happening around the world, taking action to combat such problems is crucial,' said Andersen.
'Member states of the Paris Agreement, including South Korea, must take quick action to address climate issues. That way, problems that currently linger in the economic, growth, employment and sustainability sectors can be solved. Transitioning to green energy will be costly, but will eventually be good for everyone.'
