World ¡°leaders will need to articulate a vision for how the global economy will make the transition to zero carbon. That vision can, in turn, guide the actions of people and businesses around the world,¡± Bill Gates wrote in his book How to Avoid a Climate Disaster.

Emphasizing the great role public-private partnerships will have in tackling climate issues, the billionaire philanthropist claimed governments must heavily contribute to stir trickle-down effects on businesses and individuals to do their part, in response.

Consolidating public-private partnerships as is what the world needs most, is also a primary goal world leaders will hope to achieve when they come together for the upcoming P4G Summit to be hosted virtually in Seoul in May.

Further Collaboration

On May 30-31, the P4G Summit will bring together governments, businesses and civil society organizations to tackle climate change and challenges related to sustainability of essential resources (food, agriculture, water and energy).

P4G, a public-private initiative launched in 2018, aims to develop concrete public-private partnerships to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as well as the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. SDGs is a global agenda set in 2015 by the U.N. General Assembly to achieve the following goals by 2030: end poverty and hunger; realize the human rights of all; achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls; and ensure lasting protection of the planet and natural resources.

P4G partners aim to build and sustain strong public-private collaboration achieve, which is deemed a prerequisite for combating any global challenge. The upcoming P4G Seoul Summit will offer a global platform for P4G partners to further consolidate public-private collaboration for combating the worsening climate crisis together. Doers leading public-private partnerships will share their experiences and goals to opt for better solutions and breakthroughs to avoid a climate disaster.

Building on the past efforts to address the climate crisis, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, heads of state and leaders of businesses and civil societies will find ways toward innovative partnerships for a greener world.

Since 2018, the P4G Summit has endeavored toward global initiatives consisting of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Focus on ¡®Net-Zero¡¯ Target

The P4G Seoul Summit set ¡°Green Recovery and 2050 Carbon Neutrality¡± as the theme of the two-day meetings. The theme aligns with the Korean government¡¯s goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Last year, the government declared plans to reduce carbon footprint by accelerating moves to scale back its reliance on fossil fuels and build a low-carbon economic structure.

The government will leverage the summit to take the initiative to meet the net-zero emission target and free the world from climate risks. ¡°The P4G Summit in May can act as a venue to unify the international community¡¯s resolve to achieve carbon neutrality,¡± said President Moon Jae-in in January. ¡°As host country, Korea will spare no effort to spearhead international cooperation and ensure substantial discussions take place on how to overcome the climate crisis.¡±

The government hopes that hosting the P4G Summit in success will reflect its sincere dedication to fulfill its role as a leader in climate responses to overcome crises and achieve green transition.

Act Before It¡¯s Too Late

A climate disaster of the kind Gates had warned of has already approached. The Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5¡ÆC, published in 2018 by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warned that global warming of more than 1.5¡ÆC above pre-industrial levels would put many lives at risk due to rising sea levels, extreme weather and other changes. To avoid this disaster, governments, businesses and individuals around the world must do their part before it¡¯s too late. In this sense, the upcoming P4G Seoul Summit will hopefully mark a step forward to fight against climate change.