South Chungcheong Province to host international carbon neutrality conference

South Chungcheong Province will host an international conference on local government action and proactive corporate responses to carbon neutrality.

The province announced Wednesday that it will co-host the 10th South Chungcheong Province Carbon Neutrality International Conference with Cheonan and international nonprofit Climate Group at Sono Belle in Cheonan on Oct. 21-22.

The conference is expected to draw about 500 participants, including South Chungcheong Province Governor Park Soo-hyun, National Climate Crisis Response Committee Chairman Lee Chang-hoon, Cheonan Mayor Jang Gi-su, representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Seoul, the head of the Qinghai Province Ecology and Environment Bureau of China, Krzysztof Jóźwik — president of Lodz University of Technology in Poland — and officials from international organizations, central and local governments, businesses, civic groups and residents.

The province plans to use the gathering to explore ways to get ahead of international climate regulations and identify areas of cooperation to strengthen the global competitiveness of businesses in the region.

A promotional exhibition featuring 20 climate-tech companies from the province will showcase a range of technologies, including streetlight manufacturing using renewable energy and electrolytic hydrogen production.

"We will use this conference as an opportunity to lead the energy transition together with the international community, businesses and residents," a provincial official said. "We will produce tangible results that proactively address international climate regulations and enhance the competitiveness of companies in the province."

South Chungcheong Province has held the conference annually since 2017, addressing coal phase-out from 2017 to 2020, carbon neutrality from 2021 to 2023, and industrial structural transformation from 2024 to 2025.