President Yoon Suk Yeol pledged a leading role by South Korea's in the expansion of global carbon-free energy usage, urging cooperation from member states of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation(APEC).

In his first address to the APEC Summit in San Francisco on Thursday, Yoon said the climate crisis is the most pressing task at hand to overcome in order to establish a sustainable future for humanity.

Referring to his proposal to form the Carbon-Free Alliance at the UN General Assembly in September, the president said Seoul is seeking to push for a transition to a clean energy system along with APEC member nations.

The South Korean government launched the Alliance last month, which is a government-civilian consultative body aimed at expanding usage of renewable energy, such as solar and wind power, as well as zero-carbon energy like hydrogen power.

As an additional way to tackle climate change, Yoon suggested a transition to eco-friendly means of transportation, introducing Seoul's active push to expand use of eco-friendly and autonomous vehicles. He then proposed that APEC establish a special initiative on the expansion of smart mobility.

Vowing to share Seoul's experiences and knowledge in climate response through the APEC Climate Center, established in Busan in 2005, and to support APEC nations shore up capacity to adapt to climate change, Yoon also promoted Busan's bid to host the 2030 World Expo.