Climate Energy Summit Seoul 2025 : In the Era of Climate Crisis, Will AI Open a New World of Hope or Peril

Climate-Energy Summit Seoul 2025

In the Era of Climate Crisis,Will AI Open a New Worldof Hope or Peril?

26 June 2025, 14:00PM-18:00PM (KST, Hybrid)
International Conference Hall (B2F) Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Keynote Speaker: Somya Joshi; Head of Division Global Agendas, Climate & Systems · Chair of AI Taskforce, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI); The double edged sword of AI: How can it be leveraged for Climate?

The rapid development of AI is reshaping climate action, offering both transformative opportunities and complex risks. AI enhances climate forecasting, energy efficiency, and environmental monitoring, yet it also raises concerns over mis/disinformation, high energy consumption, and governance challenges.

According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2025, Mis/disinformation ranks as the most critical short-term risk(1st) And remains a major long-term threat(5th). As AI becomes more embedded in climate science and policy, ensuring reliable information and responsible AI use is crucial.

Under the theme "In the Era of Climate Crisis, Will AI Open a New World of Hope or Peril?", CESS 2025 explores three key themes: ① AI and Climate Mis/Disinformation: Investigating how AI can both spread and combat false climate narratives, raising concerns about the integrity of climate science and policy discussions. ② AI as a Climate Solution: Exploring AI’s potential to enhance energy efficiency, support climate change mitigation, and contribute positively to sustainability efforts. ③ AI, Digitalization, and Infrastructure Resilience: Examining the increasing dependence on digital infrastructure driven by AI and global digitalization, alongside the growing need for resilient and sustainable systems in the face of intensifying climate risks.

1. Name of Event
2. Climate-Energy Summit Seoul 2025 (CESS 2025)
1. Topic
2. In the Era of Climate Crisis, Will AI Open a New World of Hope or Peril?
1. Date
2. 26 June 2025, 14:00PM-18:00PM (KST, Hybrid)
1. Venue
2. International Conference Hall (B2F) Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry(39, Sejong-daero, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea)
1. Hosted by
2. CESS (Climate-Energy Summit Seoul) Conference Committee
1. Organized by
2. eToday and Climate Change Center
1. Supported by
2. Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Korea Meteorological Administration
1. Contact us
2. eToday +82 2 799 2698 / Clmate Change Center(CCC) +82 2 2088 8023

Speakers

Keynote

Somya Joshi

Head of Division Global Agendas, Climate & Systems · Chair of AI Taskforce, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

Docent(Associate Professor), Technology & Governance(Human Computer Interaction), Stockholm University, Sweden Visiting Professor, Hiroshima University, Japan Somya’s research has been situated between cognitive sciences and technology design, particularly in how data & systems translate into transparency and accountability in governance Has over fifteen years of experience bridging science and policy for sustainable development and challenging entrenched narratives of extractivism within technology disruption Has held leadership roles in science-policy frontiers with a strong focus on decarbonization, industry transition, climate governance and using futures thinking to bring about systemic change that is aligned with planetary limits After being awarded her doctoral degree from Manchester, UK in decision science, Somya was offered a post doctoral position at Cambridge University, UK, in Information Systems, applying a critical lens on the efficacy of Global Development Organizations, which allowed her to participate in international development cooperation and methods development related to multi-level governance, with particular focus on global goals Lead global voices in the field of Sustainable AI, delivering keynote talks at international fora, whilst also leading academic research, supervision and mentoring of PhD and post doctoral researchers Manage a dynamic division of experts in fields as diverse as energy and industry transition, international climate risk and adaptation, supply chain transparency and global goals – leading the leaders of the future

Session 1 / Moderator

SookJong Lee

Distinguished Professor, Department of Public Administration & Graduate School of Governance, Sungkyunkwan University

President Emeritus and Senior Fellow, East Asia Institute (EAI) Leads the Asia Democracy Research Network (ADRN) and the Indo-Pacific Democracy Forum (IPDF) Member, Steering Committee of the World Democracy Congress Contributed to the Summit for Democracy Civil Society Conferences in 2023 and 2024 Ph.D. in Sociology, Harvard University (U.S.) B.A. in Sociology, Yonsei University (ROK) Contributed to organizing major international conferences including the Summit for Democracy Civil Society Conferences of 2023 and 2024 Participated in collaborative research on democracy (populism, corruption, accountability, disinformation, etc.) and published numerous books and articles Served on various advisory committees of Republic of Korean Government and public institutions Strong interest in developing policy recommendations to enhance democratic resilience Emphasized the importance of a preventive approach through civic education and media literacy (̍Feb. 2024, EAI Mis·Disinformation Conference) Provided a comparative analysis of the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and US, and suggested policy for Korea Analyzed global regulatory trends about Mis·Disinformation and suggested appropriate policy approaches for Korean society via “Mis·Disinformation and Democracy” research series

Session 1 / Panelist

Novi Kurnia

Associate Professor, Department of Communication Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)

Co-founder and National Coordinator of Japelidi Member, Steering Committee of Siberkreasi Researcher, Centre for Digital Society (CfDS) UGM Associate Professor in the Department of Communication and a lead researcher at the Centre for Digital Society (CfDS), Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Indonesia. Her teaching, research, and publications focus on digital literacy, gender, and media Co-founder and National Coordinator of Japelidi (the Indonesian Digital Literacy Activists Network) and has served on the steering committee of Siberkreasi (the Indonesian National Digital Literacy Movement) since 2017 Published “Tackling Climate Crisis Misinformation in Indonesia”(2024), a collaborative project by CfDS UGM, ISIF Asia, and the APNIC Foundation (September. 2024, UNESCO Digital Learning Week) Presented on the role of AI in addressing climate-related Mis·Disinformation Emphasized the importance of cooperation between governments and civil society organizations to ensure the effective functioning of AI-based information filtering systems Focused on the proliferation of climate Mis·Disinformation and explored potential policy responses

Session 1 / Panelist

Daniel Castro

Vice President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF)

Director, Center for Data Innovation, ITIF Former IT Analyst, U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) Appointed to the Commerce Data Advisory Council (2015) M.S. in Information Security Technology and Management, Carnegie Mellon University B.S. in Foreign Service, Georgetown University Serves as Vice President at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) and Director of ITIF’s Center for Data Innovation Widely cited expert on information technology and internet policy, with expertise in privacy, security, intellectual property, and internet governance Former IT analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office, contributing to reports on information security at federal agencies Appointed to the Commerce Data Advisory Council by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker in 2015 Suggested the potential for AI technology to address climate change on “Rethinking Concerns About AI’s Energy Use” (2024)

Session 2 / Moderator

JinHyung Kim

Professor Emeritus, Department of Computer Science, KAIST

President, JEI University (2021-2022) Distinguished Chair Professor, School of Software, Chung-Ang University (2019-2021) Founding Director, Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (2016-2019) Founding President, Software Policy & Research Institute (2013-2016) President, Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (formerly KORDIC, 1995-1999) Visiting Scholar, IBM Watson Research Center (1990-1991) Senior Computer Scientist, Hughes Research Laboratories (1981-1985) Researcher, Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST, 1973-1976) Ph.D. in Computer Science (AI), UCLA (1983) M.S. in Systems Engineering, UCLA (1979) B.S. in Engineering, Seoul National University (1971) Author of 《The Best Class on AI from KAIST Professor JinHyung Kim》, 《AI and Social Change》, 《Best AI lessons for teens》, 《AI theory and practice》 Contributed to building Korea’s domestic AI ecosystem, research, and policy development Areas of Expertise: Artificial Intelligence education, research, and public policy A first-generation developer who has been working on software at KAIST since 1973, and led the AI laboratory training many experts (2023, TECH M Conference) Emphasized the importance of understanding both the capabilities and limitations of AI, and the need to focus on its core essence Recently focused on how AI can be leveraged to address climate and environmental challenges

Session 2 / Panelist

Minjung Jin

Principal Researcher, Media Research Center, Korea Press Foundation

Editorial Board Member, Korean Journal of Broadcasting Research Director, Korean Society for Journalism and Communication Studies Adjunct Professor, Department of Media and Communication, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS) Ph.D. in Information and Communication Sciences, Universite Pantheon-Assas (Paris II) M.A. in Information and Communication Sciences, Paris Nanterre University (Paris X) Author of 《News Strategies for the Millennial Generation》, 《The Status and Possibility of Solutions Journalism》, 《The Quality of Journalism: Evaluation Standards and Models》 Engaged in Journalism and media literacy research with a strong interest in effective climate communication and strengthening climate literacy Leads initiatives to raise public awareness on the role of the media in addressing the climate crisis Conducts research on climate journalism, including its current status, guidelines, conceptual frameworks, and educational approaches Published “Current status of climate change coverage and methods to improve it”(21), “Categories of climate and environmental journalism and methods to revitalize it”(22), “Principals of climate journalism and education”(23). etc. Analyzed strategies to counter Mis·Disinformation in the digital platform environment and presented climate-related Mis·Disinformation issues and implications of European information verification mechanisms for the Korean media through “The EU’s Collaborative Project to Counter Disinformation, status and implications of the European Digital Media Observatory (EDMO)” (24)

Session 2 / Panelist

YongNyuo Shin

National Tech Officer (NTO), Public Center, Microsoft Korea

Former Solution Architect, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Professor, Department of Computer Engineering, Hanyang Cyber University Manager, Electronic Finance Team, Bank of Korea Associate Rapporteur, ITU-T Study Group 17, Question 8 (Biometrics), International Telecommunication Union Ph.D. and M.A. in Computer Science, Korea University Focuses on alternative energy technology for data center sustainability Microsoft is driving addressing sustainability challenges, reducing carbon, and environmental response cross the supply chain based on AI and digital technology Under a vision “using technology to solve the world’s sustainability challenges together”, emphasized the importance of systemic technology solutions to reduce Microsoft Korea’s own carbon emissions and support suppliers and customers in doing the same Highlighted the need for both technological and ethical responses to mitigate bias and errors in AI systems Advocated for the development of responsible AI, stating that “AI with climate intelligence can lead us to a more sustainable future

Session 2 / Panelist

Jaegul Lee

Team Leader, Power System Analysis Team, Korea Electric Power Corporation Research Institute

Former Editorial Board Member, The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers (KIEE) Active Member of Working Groups at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) related to system planning and operations Editorial Board Member, The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers (KIEE) Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering (Power Systems), Korea University As a Power System Analysis Expert, conducts research in long-term power system planning, future grid architecture design, real-time system simulation, hardware-in-the-loop (HILS) testing for control equipment, grid resilience assessment, and operational risk management Emphasizes the importance of ensuring grid resilience and flexibility in response to a rapidly evolving electricity landscape and growing climate extremes, highlighting the need for a dedicated assessment and management framework (25, the 2nd HoPE Initiative Forum) Addressed the structural strain caused by the rapid proliferation of data centers on the power grid, and proposed the introduction of Grid-Interactive Data Centers (GI-DCs) as a future flexible grid resource

Program

Time
Content

13:30 ~ 14:00
RegistrationVIP Networking Reception

14:00 ~ 14:30
Opening

GreetingsJeong-Woo Kil Chairman, the CESS Organizing Committee

Welcome RemarksJai-chul Choi Chairman, Climate Change Center

Congratulatory RemarksSe-Hoon Oh Mayor, Seoul Metropolitan Government

PhotoGroup Photo

14:30 ~ 14:50
The double edged sword of AI: How can it be leveraged for Climate?

Keynote SpeechSomya Joshi Head of Division Global Agendas, Climate & Systems · Chair of AI Taskforce, Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI)

14:50 ~ 16:00
[AI and Mis·Disinformation] Mis·Disinformation related to Climate Change in the AI Era: Threats of Digital Spread and Policy Directions
[Moderator] SookJong Lee Distinguished Professor, Department of Public Administration & Graduate School of Governance, Sungkyunkwan University

Countering Climate Change Mis/disinformation: Platform, AI, & Literacy in the Global South Perspective
Novi Kurnia Associate Professor, Department of Communication Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM)

Addressing Concerns Over AI’s Energy Consumption: Responsible AI Use and Policy Support Measures
Daniel Castro Vice President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF)

16:00 ~ 16:10
Coffee Break

16:10 ~ 17:50
[AI and Energy] AI Industry's Climate Cooperation and Leadership: Climate-Energy Solutions Through Technological Innovation
[Moderator] JinHyung Kim Professor Emeritus, Department of Computer Science, KAIST

The Role of Journalism and the Importance of Fact-Checking in the Climate Crisis Era
Minjung Jin Principal Researcher, Media Research Center, Korea Press Foundation

Microsoft’s Sustainability Strategy for 2030
YongNyuo Shin National Tech Officer (NTO), Public Center, Microsoft Korea

AI and Power Infrastructure Strategies for Climate Crisis and Disaster Response
Jaegul Lee Team Leader, Power System Analysis Team, Korea Electric Power Corporation Research Institute

17:50 ~ 18:00
Closing

* The schedule could be adjusted due to unforeseen circumstances.
* Simultaneous interpretation will be provided for this event.

Registration