EDITORIAL from the Korea Herald on Jan. 30)

Honest look

Korea's ranking in the Environmental Performance Index plummeted this year, from
51st place in 2008 to 94th place among a total of 163 countries.

The EPI for 2010, which was released at the World Economic Forum meeting in
Davos, is produced every two years by a team of environmental experts at Yale
University and Columbia University.
Korea scored a total of 57 points out of 100 in an index that measured countries'
performance in 25 areas aggregated into 10 categories including environmental
health, air quality, water resource management, biodiversity and habitat,
forestry, fisheries, agriculture and climate change.
In the climate change category, Korea's ranking dropped from 81st place in 2008
to 147th place. Similarly, Korea's performance at reducing air pollution ranked
at the bottom at 159th place.
The dismal report is shocking. After all, the Lee Myung-bak administration has
been tooting the "low carbon, green growth" horn since its inauguration. The word
"green" is attached to virtually all government policies. Even the construction
of bicycle paths is packaged in the "New Green Deal." The project to clean up the
country's four major rivers is trumpeted as this administration's major green
initiative.
Given such aggressive promotion of green policies, it is baffling how the country
could have performed so badly in the latest measure of environmental performance
- dropping 43 places in the biennial ranking.
Even the Environment Ministry is taken aback by the results. Trying to explain
the apparent discrepancy between the government's promotion of green policies and
its actual performance, the ministry said that most of the data used to generate
the 2010 EPI date from the early and mid 2000s. The ministry also raised
questions about the way the EPI is produced, including data collection and
evaluation standards.
Nevertheless, if the EPI results were acceptable in the past, there is no reason
to dispute the latest findings. Rather than question the evaluation method, the
Environment Ministry should take an objective look at why the country's
environmental performance rating dropped so drastically. Perhaps there were
matters that were overlooked as the government rushed to promote green policies.
For example, the hastily conducted study on the four-river cleanup project's
impact on the environment is an issue that springs to mind.
The latest EPI should serve as a warning to the government that protecting the
environment is more than a churning-out of new policies. What is even more
important is the actual execution of policies and constant monitoring. As this
year's index shows, the country cannot rest on its laurels after a good
performance in one survey.
President Lee Myung-bak told the world that the Korean government will take a "me
first" approach in tackling the challenges of mitigating climate change. Green
growth is the government's often repeated mantra. If Korea is to be a world
leader in green growth, the government should begin by taking an honest look at
its performance.
(END)

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