South Korean President Lee Myung- bak on Thursday urged global partnership for sustainable green growth, celebrating Seoul's hosting of a global event on environmental protection.

Giving a keynote speech to the Business for the Environment ( B4E) Global Summit held here which began with a screened opening address of Ban Ki-moon, secretary-general of United Nations, President Lee noted climate change the greatest challenge human race has ever faced.

Lee, however, said he believed that economic growth and environmental protection are compatible, which can be achieved by the new paradigm of "low-carbon green growth."

"To attain the goal of sustainable green growth, we are in need of global partnership," President Lee said.

"And it is also a must-do for all of us to find a solution," Lee added.

He also pointed out that business sector must take part in tackling the issue, calling on business leaders to turn the crisis into a new opportunity.

According to President Lee, as "green market" is no longer a niche market but has grown into a new main stream, business sector should embrace change and adaptation.

Following President Lee's remarks, Achim Steiner, Executive Director of the UN Environment Program (UNEP), and Georg Kell, Executive Director of UN Global Compact (UNGC), gave opening statements.

The speeches are scheduled to be followed by multiple discussion panels, a video-link keynote presentation by Al Gore, former Vice President of the United States, and an announcement of UNEP Champions of the Earth.

The B4E Global Summit 2010, co-hosted by Seoul's environment ministry, UNEP, UNGC, and WWF, marks the fourth of a kind which bring together leaders from governments, NGOs, and businesses around the globe.

As one of the leading international conferences for dialogue and business-driven action for the environment, the event will deal with multiple issues, such as biodiversity, climate change, resource and energy efficiency, renewable, and green business models, the organizers said.