The President said that the four rivers restoration project is a representative "Green New Deal" project that promotes the protection of living creatures and economic growth at the same time, at the Business for Environment Summit (B4E) held at COEX, southern Seoul, on Apr. 22.

Korean rivers, like those of other countries, suffered massive damage from rapid industrialization, he said, and the four rivers restoration project will bring the rivers (Han, Geum, Nakdong and Yeongsan Rivers) back to life.

The renovation will help lessen the problem of water shortages and enhance the productivity of water resources, he stressed.

While pointing out that climate change is the biggest challenge ever faced by humankind, the President said different and new measures should be put in place to manage the problem.

The President emphasized more than anything else the importance of a global partnership for the sustainable environment-friendly growth of the world. Nobody in the world is free from responsibility for the environmental crisis, Lee said to the summit''s participants.

Meanwhile, the B4E summit, co-hosted by Korea''s Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Knowledge Economy and Presidential Committee on Green Growth and the United Nations Environment Program, the United Nations Global Compact and the World Wide Fund for Nature was attended by about 1,000 business leaders, government officials and NGO officials, making it the largest environment summit of its kind following the 15th UN Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen in 2009.

The participants at the meeting stressed environmental protection and relevant corporate social responsibility.

The business leaders attending the summit in particular discussed plans to raise energy efficiency, develop and implement green growth strategies, manage water resources and innovate clean technology along with heads of states and international organizations.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the summit said that what we need now is green growth. He went on to say that climate change, desertification and less and less biodiversity are themselves posing threats to achieving the Millennium Development Goals. He asked businesspeople worldwide to take the lead in efforts to counter the problems.

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, highlighted that global business and economic leaders should employ new approaches when handling environmental problems. The worn-out economic model of the 20th century will not be useful when bringing about efficient and low-carbon economic development that is needed by the world population, which is forecast to surpass 9 billion by 2050, he said.