WASHINGTON (Yonhap News) -- South Korea and the United States on Monday signed a pact to strengthen cooperation on the environmental front as the world struggles to deal with climate change, pollution and ecological havoc.

Seoul’s Ambassador to Washington Han Duck-soo and Robert Hormats, under secretary of state for economic, energy and agricultural affairs, signed the U.S.-Korea Environmental Cooperation Agreement in a ceremony in Washington.

Under the pact, the two sides will work more closely to introduce legislation on environmental protection and the development of alternative energies, according to South Korean embassy officials.

South Korea and the U.S. will also hold a related committee meeting and appoint a coordinator to handle bilateral cooperation.