Press Releases
“Hoping this clock stops...” National Assembly Secretariat installs Climate Clock
- Jul 04, 2024
- 112
“Hoping this clock stops...”
National Assembly Secretariat installs Climate Clock
- Records the time until the average global temperature rises by 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels
- Enhances understanding of the climate crisis and contributes to the spread of carbon neutral practices
- Secretary General Baek Jae-hyun hopes it will spark efforts by parliaments worldwide to address the climate crisis
The Republic of Korea’s National Assembly Secretariat (Secretary General Back Jae-hyun) held a ceremony on Earth Day, April 22, to unveil a Climate Clock set up near the National Assembly hydrogen charging station.
The Climate Clock will serve as a symbol to promote a more intuitive understanding of the climate crisis. It shows the “time remaining until the global average temperature rises by 1.5°C compared with pre-industrial levels (1850-1900),” which is considered the threshold for preventing a climate catastrophe. As of April 22, the remaining time was estimated at five years and three months.
The National Assembly, as a legislative and budget review body that handles climate issues and as a venue frequented by government officials, civil servants, and citizens, is an ideal location to clearly convey messages about the climate crisis. Adding to the Climate Clock’s symbolism is its proximity to the hydrogen charging station, an eco-friendly energy infrastructure.
The Climate Clock at the National Assembly is expected to expand understanding of and interest in the climate crisis and contribute to the spread of carbon neutrality practices.
The Climate Clock was proposed by National Assembly Secretary General Baek Jae-hyun at the Spring 2024 Session of the Association of Secretaries General of Parliaments (ASGP) last March. At the time, Secretary General Baek suggested an active parliamentary response to the climate crisis, such as ▲ operation of a permanent Climate Crisis Committee; and ▲ installation of a Climate Clock at every parliament worldwide.
Attendees at the unveiling ceremony included Secretary General Baek; Chairperson of the Special Committee on the Climate Crisis Kim Jung-ho; Vice Chairperson of the Special Committee on the Climate Crisis Lim Lee-ja; Deputy Secretary-General for Legislative Affairs Kwon Young-jin, and Deputy Secretary-General for Administrative Affairs Park Jang-ho. They traveled to the event on the hydrogen-powered National Assembly bus.
“I hope the installation of the Climate Clock at the National Assembly sparks efforts by parliaments worldwide to address the climate crisis,” Secretary General Baek said. “I look forward to active legislative activities in response to the climate crisis by the newly inaugurated 22nd National Assembly.”
Kim Jung-ho, Chairperson of the Special Committee on the Climate Crisis, pledged: “The National Assembly will spearhead policies aimed at overcoming the climate crisis by making the Special Committee permanent and seeking the granting of legislative and budget review authority.”
Vice Chairperson of the Special Committee Lim Lee-ja remarked, “The National Assembly's Climate Clock will play a role in protecting future generations,” and vowed, “We, the 22nd National Assembly, will do our best as well through legislative activities to overcome the climate crisis.”
Following the unveiling ceremony, Secretary General Baek visited the National Assembly’s hydrogen charging station and planted a 2.5-meter-tall, 15-year-old pine tree (Pinus bungeana) near the rear of the National Assembly Members’ Office Building. It was dubbed the “National Assembly Carbon Neutrality Practice Tree.”
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