Busan launches Climate Clock, calls for environmental protection

The Busan Metropolitan City Government on Wednesday installed a "Climate Clock" at the south gate of Busan Citizens Park in Busanjin-gu, as part of the port city's efforts to raise awareness on environmental protection.

Climate Clock is the name of a New York-based climate action group and also the name of the group's project involving scientists, artists and climate activists from around the world that aims to spread awareness on the seriousness of the global climate crisis.

Busan is the first Korean city government to obtain a formal license to install a Climate Clock. The city government has cooperated with Herald Corp. – the official partner of the Climate Clock – to acquire the license. Herald Corp. is the publisher of The Korea Herald.

The Climate Clock calculates and displays the time remaining until the average temperature of the planet rises by 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to the temperature before the Industrial Revolution. The time is calculated based on global carbon dioxide emissions.

If the average temperature rises by 1.5 C, glaciers will melt and sea levels will rise, causing persistent heat waves, water shortages, floods and forest fires that threaten the survival of humanity and the ecosystem.

According to the Climate Clock project, Earth may have about seven years left to see its temperature rise by 1.5 C. The time remaining will be revised from time to time to reflect data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change under the United Nations and information from the Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change.

"We installed the Climate Clock to inform people of the seriousness of the climate crisis and to ponder upon solutions together, such as low-carbon living strategies," said Lee Geun-hee, head of Busan's Environmental Policy Office.

Lee also stressed that the installation of the Climate Clock is in line with the theme of the World Expo 2030, which the city has been actively bidding to host.

The meaning of the Climate Clock "has connection with the World Expo 2030 Busan, which aims to find solutions to the problems faced by the entirety of humanity. We expect the Climate Clock to help enhance people's understanding of the events that Busan and the government want to host," he said.