The Kookmin University Graduate School of Carbon Sink Specialization (project director Professor Changbae Lee) presented a paper entitled “Achieving NDCs through Global Forest Cooperation Based on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement” at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP 29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan on Wednesday, November 13. REDD+ and tropical carbon sinks' as the theme of a side event at the 29th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) (COP 29) held in Baku, Azerbaijan on Wednesday, November 13.

This event, held at the Korean Pavilion at the UNFCCC COP 29, was co-hosted by Kookmin University's Graduate School of Carbon Sink Specialization and the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR-ICRAF), and was attended by experts from the public and private sectors and academia, including the Green Climate Fund (GCF) from international organizations, the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) from international research institutes, the Korea Forestry Promotion Institute and the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology of the Solomon Islands from public institutions, and the American company CYCLOPS from industry. For the event, Nam Song-hee, Director of International Forest Cooperation at the Korea Forest Service, attended and delivered a welcoming speech.

At Kookmin University's Graduate School of Carbon Sink Specialization, Park Ye-ji, a master's student in the Department of Climate Technology Convergence at Kookmin University, presented an educational case and plan for fostering global climate talent, following the current research on the implementation of the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) and the research on the promotion of tropical carbon sinks, under the theme of “Korea's academic efforts to achieve national NDC targets and promote tropical carbon sinks through REDD+.” The Korea Forestry Promotion Institute presented on “Policy Support for Private Sector Participation in REDD+,” and the International Center for Forest Research (CIFOR-ICARF) presented on “The Importance of Tropical Carbon Sinks under Climate Change.”

In the panel discussion that followed, Dr. Lee Yong-ju, a doctoral student at the Department of Climate Technology Convergence at the University of Seoul, participated as a panelist, and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) discussed the importance of advancing MRV technology for REDD+ and the Green Climate Fund (GCF) discussed the importance of international funds for results-based payments. CYCLOPS Inc, which represented the industry, discussed the role of the private sector in promoting REDD+ projects, and finally, the Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management, and Meteorology of the Solomon Islands discussed the role of tropical island regions in implementing REDD+.

Professor Lim Chul-hee of the Department of Forest and Environmental Systems at Kookmin University, who organized and hosted the event, said, “The role of tropical carbon sinks in developing countries that can implement REDD+ and REDD+ projects is very important in achieving the 2030 National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Target (NDC).” Professor Lee Chang-bae of the Department of Forest and Environmental Systems, who is the head of the project, said, “We will actively promote the revitalization of the REDD+ project and the cultivation of talent who will contribute to the country's response to climate change through the Carbon Sink Specialization Graduate School.”

The Kookmin University Carbon Sink Specialization Graduate School plans to strengthen its cooperation system with the organizations that jointly promoted the event on this day to enhance its ability to respond to climate change across all sectors and contribute to the training of experts in carbon sinks and climate change negotiations. In particular, the side event on this day highlighted the role and activities of Kookmin University in training talent to achieve the 2030 NDC and respond to climate change, and was of great significance in that it provided a forum for communication and cooperation between public, private, and academic practitioners of various nationalities.

Meanwhile, the Kookmin University Graduate School of Carbon Sink Specialization is an institution that has established a systematic education program to respond to climate change and carbon neutrality, focusing on forests, and has been successfully operating since 2023 with the support of the Korea Forest Service.