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May 23, 2023 | From City of New Orleans
Mayor LaToya Cantrell Attends 2023 World Climate Industry Expo in South Korea
Mayor LaToya Cantrell traveled to Busan, South Korea to attend and participate in the World Climate Industry Expo from May 25-27, 2023. The theme for the event was “Rising Above the Climate Crisis Towards Sustainable Prosperity.”
As the only U.S. Mayor to attend and participate in the event, Mayor Cantrell seized the opportunity to showcase the climate and sustainability action plans of New Orleans on a global stage. Being a low-lying coastal city, the Mayor acknowledged that New Orleans is already experiencing the impacts of the changing climate. She believes that collective thought processes will allow all leaders in attendance to see how other countries are approaching the same issue and share best practices. Mayor Cantrell is determined to continue advocating for New Orleans both domestically and internationally to implement the best, most reliable, and beneficial projects to achieve the goal of net-zero or carbon-neutrality by 2050.
Thursday, May 25: Panel Discussions
Mayor Cantrell participated in a panel discussion titled, “Rising Seas and Shifting Shores: The Conundrum of Coastal Living,” along with other global figures. New York Times Correspondent Victoria Kim of Seoul, South Korea, moderated the session, which discussed the impacts of living in a coastal area and the need to create modern methods to combat changes associated with coastal living. The panel also discussed how coastal communities can adapt to the challenges presented by the changing climate.
Friday, May 26: City Mayor’s Roundtable Discussion
Mayor Cantrell participated in a City Mayor’s Roundtable discussion titled, “Setting and Achieving Goals for Smart Cities to Achieve Carbon Neutrality.” Other Mayors and City Representatives from municipalities across the world shared their groundbreaking ideas and solutions to discover best practices for carbon-neutrality. They all had a common understanding that it is crucial to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bring their cities to carbon-neutrality to address the current climate crisis.
Business Leaders Roundtable
Mayor Cantrell also attended a Business Leaders Roundtable, where she heard from global business leaders and high-ranking government officials to discuss the role of corporations in achieving a sustainable future.
The World Climate Industry Expo creates a unique opportunity to showcase the latest technologies and policies in the global climate environment and energy fields to cope with the climate crisis. It is intentionally integrated with the Energy Industry Exhibition and the Carbon Neutral Exhibition in the Seoul metropolitan area and the International Environmental Energy Industry Exhibition (ENTECH) held in Busan.
After the trip, Mayor Cantrell returned to New Orleans on Sunday, May 28.
