SEI and the Green Technology Center of Korea to cooperate on clean air

Today, SEI and the Green Technology Center of Korea have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The agreement is an overarching mechanism to foster cooperation on climate, clean air, and environmental policies.

“I pay my great respect to the Nobel Prize that has paved the way for research collaboration between Sweden and Korea. By signing this bilateral agreement with SEI, we are looking forward to further strengthen collaboration on science and air pollution research towards clean and safe air,” said Byung-Ki Cheong, President of GTC.

Executive Director Måns Nilsson and President Byung-Ki Cheong signs MoU between SEI and GTC. Photo: Ylva Rylander / SEI.

SEI Executive Director Måns Nilsson and Byung-Ki Cheong, President of the Green Technology Center of Korea (GTC), signed the agreement at a joint session of the Sweden-Korea R&D Network Day in Stockholm. The agreement was signed the same day as the President of the Republic of Korea, Moon Jae-in, arrived in Sweden for a State Visit at the invitation of His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf.

Air pollution is a high priority in Korea

Ban Ki-moon, former Secretary-General of the United Nations, has been appointed by the Korean President to head a committee on fine dust pollution. SEI has a 30-year long history of research on air pollution and the impacts of air pollution on health, crops and ecosystems – in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

“Thank you for being part of this agreement that can lead the world to find solutions to environmental challenges. SEI has a long history of air pollution research and tool development that could support Korea and Northeast Asia policy efforts on the fine dust air pollution challenge,” said SEI Executive Director Måns Nilsson at the signing ceremony.

60 years of diplomatic relations

The purpose of the MoU is to establish cooperative relationship in the fields of climate change, clean air, and environmental policies.

“Korea and Sweden can be the leaders who start the ripple effect towards a green economy beyond fossil fuels. This collaboration is also about advancing how we tell stories to the world, to motivate a higher level of climate ambition,“ said SEI Research Director Åsa Persson.

The Memorandum of Understanding agreement establishes:

A communication channel for climate technology and policy cooperation between Korea and Sweden
Joint research and researcher exchange
Joint seminars and workshops

“We are really looking forward to expanding our collaboration. This year we are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations between Sweden and Korea, and we hope this agreement will further strengthen our ties on science and innovation,” said SEI Executive Director Måns Nilsson.

Attendees of the signing ceremony at Piperska Muren in Stockholm today. Photo: Jaeryoung Song / Green Technology Center.

“Sweden and Korea put a high value in science collaboration, and the Swedish Research Council has given us a lot of inspiration in our approach to supporting innovation,” said President Jung-Hye Roe at the opening ceremony of the Sweden-Korea R&D Network Day.

Clean air in China, Korea, East Asia and Japan

The global community is actively seeking a turning point for dealing with climate change together and work towards clean air.

“I believe our future research results can also facilitate a dialogue with developing countries. They can serve as an asset in efforts to solve the environmental challenges and create enduring partnerships, “said Byung-Ki Cheong, President of GTC.

Air pollution has emerged as an area of shared interest between SEI and GTC of Korea. Opportunities for SEI and GTC to pursue policy-oriented research on this topic will be the subject of an SEI-GTC scoping study, proposed to be co-funded by GTC and SEI in Autumn 2019.

The next steps are to investigate potential mechanisms, through GTC and SEI research and tools, to support international collaboration on fine dust pollution which has implications for Korea and the entire Korean Peninsula region.