Korean President Lee Myung-bak unveiled his plans to establish an international research institute this year in line with an effort to enhance studies of environment-related technologies. In addition, he seeks to present the "Global Green Technology Award" to help promote the development of green technologies. His latest remarks were made during the opening ceremony of the first Global Green Growth Summit held at the Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, central Seoul on Monday June 20.

The Korean government, in collaboration with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) held a two-day summit under the theme, "Building Planet-Responsible Civilization." This was to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the OECD, the 15^th anniversary of Korea's accession to the OECD, and the 1^st anniversary of the Global Green Growth Institute. The Global Green Growth Institute is a foundation that was enthusiastically welcomed at the early stage by the international community as a non-profit institute dedicated to the promotion of the green growth strategy as a new growth paradigm for the future.

Among the participants during the summit were nearly 100 high-level speakers from 25 countries, including OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria and GGGI Board Chair Han Seung-soo, Lord Nicholas Stern, Professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science, SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son, Noeleen Heyzer, Executive Secretary of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, and Danish Minister for Climate and Energy and Minister for Gender Equality Lykke Friis.

The establishment of the Green Technology Center is intended to push forward under President Lee's green growth campaign. The technology center will focus on conducting research into the integration of energy, water and other related environment technologies and will work together with the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI). Furthermore, the tech center will play an important role in training personnel and providing technological know-how to less advanced countries. GGGI was established on June 16, 2010 at the initiative of the Korean government, led by President Lee Myung-bak. Headquartered in Korea, GGGI is multi-stakeholder and works with governments, researchers and businesses. The Institute opened its first regional office in Copenhagen in May 2011. GGGI has also received financial support and encouragement from Australia, Denmark, Japan and the UAE.

President Lee said that Global Green Technology Award will be handed out to those organizations that take the initiative to lead the development of green technologies. He vowed to continuously increase what he called "green ODA" (official development assistance) to developing countries. Furthermore, he pledged to increase the country's financial assistance to developing nations to help them prepare for the "green growth" era.

Private business leaders delivered keynote speeches during the opening ceremony of the Global Green Growth Summit. Chairman and CEO of Suntech, China, Zhengrong Shi said that "There is a need to introduce a new paradigm based on green growth, which requires policy support." SoftBank Corporation Chairman Son urged the need for a shift in energy policy and advised Korea to spare time on developing eco-friendly technologies such as solar energy.

President Lee has been promoting green growth and it has become one of his trademark policies. He believes that the strategy will provide Korea with new growth engines for its economy.

The Global Green Growth Institute is a new organization that helps developing countries achieve a new "green growth" paradigm -- economic growth with environmental sustainability. Headquartered in Korea, GGGI is multi-stakeholder and works with governments, researchers and businesses. The Institute is designed to be an open, global laboratory to support experimentation and collective learning by countries seeking to leapfrog the resource-intensive and environmentally unsustainable model of industrial development pioneered by advanced economies in an earlier era. The Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) was founded on the belief that economic growth and environmental sustainability are not merely compatible objectives; their integration is essential for the future of humankind. The Institute is dedicated to pioneering and diffusing a new paradigm of economic growth: green growth. Green growth integrates key aspects of economic performance, such as poverty reduction, job creation and social inclusion, with those of environmental performance, such as mitigation of climate change and biodiversity loss and security of access to clean water and energy. GGGI seeks to enable a stronger and more environmentally sustainable pattern of economic growth around the world by:   Supporting developing and emerging countries in the design and implementation of green growth economic development plans at the national or provincial level. Facilitating public-private cooperation to strengthen the enabling environment for resource-efficient investment, innovation and diffusion of best practice in the private sector. Pursuing research to advance the theory and practice of green growth, drawing particularly from the experience of the governments and industries with which we work.   1. History This non-profit organization was officially launched on 16 of June 2010 at the East Asia Climate Forum. 2. GGGI's Partner Countries GGGI opened its first regional office in Copenhagen in May 2011. GGGI has also received financial support and encouragement from Australia, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates and Japan. During 2010, GGGI launched work in its first three countries:  Brazil, Ethiopia and Indonesia. Work will continue in these countries during 2011 and begin in Kazakhstan, the United Arab Emirates, and Cambodia. 3. Leadership The Board of Directors is the supreme governing body of GGGI and oversees the integrity of its work. GGGI is fortunate to have a world-class board that provides unparalleled expertise, connections and leadership.

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