Mexico and South Korea meet to discuss climate change

In a recent meeting between South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan and his Mexican counterpart, Patricia Espinosa, cooperation at the UN Climate Conference in Cancun, Mexico was discussed. Foreign Secretary Patricia Espinosa attended the meeting in Seoul in her capacity as chairperson for the climate change talks in December.

They talked about follow up measures after a recent summit between the two countries and about their cooperation in environmentally sustainable economic growth. The meeting intends to be a chance to discuss possible progress at the Conference of Parties in December in the hope that it will help the talks to run more smoothly.

The two ministers endeavour towards creating replacement legislation for the Kyoto Protocol, due to expire in 2012, after failure to do so at Copenhagen last year. Their cooperative outlook is positive and will be constructive this December in Cancun where global leaders will try and construct a new climate deal.

The two leaders also discussed a free trade agreement between their countries as part of a campaign to build upon their partnership and strengthen their relationship. Companies from both countries have already reached numerous understandings in order to improve cooperation in energy, construction and trade.

Last years conference ended with a non-committal agreement placing voluntary limits on carbon emissions and calling for financial assistance to developing countries. It is hoped that a more binding agreement can be reached at this year's conference; this meeting between these two diplomats is a good sign that communication and cooperation between countries is strong and that a positive outcome in Mexico is attainable

Author: Rachael Bristow | Climate Action

Image: World Economic Forum | Flickr