Press Release
March 25, 2024
- Global Environment
Results of Climate Change and Zero Carbon City Week
The Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan, designated the period between February 26 and March 1, 2024, as “Climate Change and Zero Carbon City Week,” and held the following three events related to climate change and the decarbonization of cities during this period.
・ Seminar on City-to-City Collaboration for Zero Carbon Society
・ International Symposium: Japan’s Contribution to the 7th Assessment Cycle of IPCC and Collaboration with IIASA on “Climate Change and Cities“
・ JCM Global Partnership Meeting
・ Seminar on City-to-City Collaboration for Zero Carbon Society
・ International Symposium: Japan’s Contribution to the 7th Assessment Cycle of IPCC and Collaboration with IIASA on “Climate Change and Cities“
・ JCM Global Partnership Meeting
■ Outline of Climate Change and Zero Carbon City Week
Toward achieving the 1.5 degrees target of the Paris Agreement, it is essential to take initiatives to decarbonize cities that account for 70% of the global GHG emissions and more than 60% of energy demand.
MOE held the following three events related to climate change and the decarbonization of cities intensively during a week: (1) Seminar on City-to-City Collaboration for Zero Carbon Society; (2) International Symposium: Japan’s Contribution to the 7th Assessment Cycle of IPCC and Collaboration with IIASA on “Climate Change and Cities”; and (3) JCM Global Partnership Meeting. Through these events, MOE Japan provided opportunities for participants in Japan and from abroad to share the latest status of initiatives and discuss future policy measures and initiatives regarding the decarbonization of cities.
MOE held the following three events related to climate change and the decarbonization of cities intensively during a week: (1) Seminar on City-to-City Collaboration for Zero Carbon Society; (2) International Symposium: Japan’s Contribution to the 7th Assessment Cycle of IPCC and Collaboration with IIASA on “Climate Change and Cities”; and (3) JCM Global Partnership Meeting. Through these events, MOE Japan provided opportunities for participants in Japan and from abroad to share the latest status of initiatives and discuss future policy measures and initiatives regarding the decarbonization of cities.
■ Seminar on City-to-City Collaboration for Zero Carbon Society
(1) Outline
Date: February 26-27, 2024
Organiser: Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
Co-Organiser: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Venue: Iino Hall & Conference Center 4F Room A (on February 26)
(IINO BUILDING, 2-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan)
(2) Participants
The seminar was attended by the subnational governments that participate in the City-to-City Collaboration Program (C3P) and other stakeholders from 28 cities in nine countries around the world, including Japan.
(3) Program
(First session)
● Opening Remarks
・ YAGI Tetsuya, State Minister of the Environment, Japan
● Keynote Speech
・ Dr. TAKEMOTO Kazuhiko, Chair, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Council, Project Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives of the University of Tokyo
● Speakers from municipalities
・ Mr. Claudio Castro, Mayor, Municipality of Renca (Chile) (online)
・ Mr. Norman Ngiratecheboet, Governor of Airai State (Plau)
・ Mr. TANAKA Hideki, Deputy Governor, Ehime Prefecture (Japan)
・Ms. Sofian Ibrahim, Regional Secretary, Gorontalo Province (Indonesia)
・ Ms. Kamisah Binti Mohd Ghazali, Senior Vice President, Resilient Environment, Iskandar Malaysia (Malaysia)
・ Mr. HASHIMOTO Toru, Director General of International Affairs Bureau, City of Yokohama (Japan)
The program of the event, speakers, presentation manuscripts and materials, and other information, including a video of the seminar, are on the website below.
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20240226-0
(4) Outline of the results
In the 1st Session, YAGI Tetsuya, State Minister of the Environment, Japan, talked about the importance of cities in climate change, which is a currently urgent issue, and the significance of local decarbonization, as well as the contribution to decarbonization in partner cities that the C3P has been accumulating over the past 10 years. In addition, Mr. Claudio Castro, Mayor of the Municipality of Renca, Chile, Mr. Norman Harvey Ngiratecheboet, Governor of the Airai State Government, Palau, and other representatives from cities inside and outside Japan participating in the C3P spoke about their decarbonization initiatives and the challenges facing them.
In the 2nd Session, people involved in the C3P were divided into six groups and took part in group discussions on challenges and solutions relating to local decarbonization. In the group discussions, the technical, financial, and institutional challenges facing the respective cities were clarified, and other cities’ case examples of the solutions to those challenges were shared among the people concerned. Such fruitful discussions would serve as a reference for the further development of the C3P.
In the excursion on Day 2, the participants joined an onsite visit of a waste-to-energy facility and a sludge recycling center, followed by an opinion exchange session with Japanese companies that are actively engaged in decarbonization.
Date: February 26-27, 2024
Organiser: Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
Co-Organiser: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Venue: Iino Hall & Conference Center 4F Room A (on February 26)
(IINO BUILDING, 2-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan)
| Session | Date and time | Remarks |
| First Session | February 26, from 10:00 to 11:30 (JST) |
●Open to the audience (online and in-person) ●With Japanese-English simultaneous interpretation |
| Second Session | February 26, from 13:30 to 17:30 (JST) |
●Closed |
| Excursion (Yokohama City) |
February 27, morning | ●Closed |
(2) Participants
The seminar was attended by the subnational governments that participate in the City-to-City Collaboration Program (C3P) and other stakeholders from 28 cities in nine countries around the world, including Japan.
(3) Program
(First session)
● Opening Remarks
・ YAGI Tetsuya, State Minister of the Environment, Japan
● Keynote Speech
・ Dr. TAKEMOTO Kazuhiko, Chair, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) Council, Project Professor, Institute for Future Initiatives of the University of Tokyo
● Speakers from municipalities
・ Mr. Claudio Castro, Mayor, Municipality of Renca (Chile) (online)
・ Mr. Norman Ngiratecheboet, Governor of Airai State (Plau)
・ Mr. TANAKA Hideki, Deputy Governor, Ehime Prefecture (Japan)
・Ms. Sofian Ibrahim, Regional Secretary, Gorontalo Province (Indonesia)
・ Ms. Kamisah Binti Mohd Ghazali, Senior Vice President, Resilient Environment, Iskandar Malaysia (Malaysia)
・ Mr. HASHIMOTO Toru, Director General of International Affairs Bureau, City of Yokohama (Japan)
The program of the event, speakers, presentation manuscripts and materials, and other information, including a video of the seminar, are on the website below.
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20240226-0
(4) Outline of the results
In the 1st Session, YAGI Tetsuya, State Minister of the Environment, Japan, talked about the importance of cities in climate change, which is a currently urgent issue, and the significance of local decarbonization, as well as the contribution to decarbonization in partner cities that the C3P has been accumulating over the past 10 years. In addition, Mr. Claudio Castro, Mayor of the Municipality of Renca, Chile, Mr. Norman Harvey Ngiratecheboet, Governor of the Airai State Government, Palau, and other representatives from cities inside and outside Japan participating in the C3P spoke about their decarbonization initiatives and the challenges facing them.
In the 2nd Session, people involved in the C3P were divided into six groups and took part in group discussions on challenges and solutions relating to local decarbonization. In the group discussions, the technical, financial, and institutional challenges facing the respective cities were clarified, and other cities’ case examples of the solutions to those challenges were shared among the people concerned. Such fruitful discussions would serve as a reference for the further development of the C3P.
In the excursion on Day 2, the participants joined an onsite visit of a waste-to-energy facility and a sludge recycling center, followed by an opinion exchange session with Japanese companies that are actively engaged in decarbonization.
■ International Symposium
Japan‘s Contribution to the 7th Assessment Cycle of IPCC and Collaboration with IIASA on “Climate Change and Cities”
(1)Outline
Date and Time: February 28, 2024, 14:00 - 17:00 (JST)
Organisers: Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Co-Organiser: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Method: Hybrid in-person and online meeting
(2) Program
The program of the event, speakers, presentation manuscripts and materials, etc. are published on the webpage below. A video of the seminar can also be viewed on the webpage.
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20240228
(3) Outline of the results
The first half of the symposium comprised keynote speeches. First, Dr. Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the Seventh Assessment Cycle (AR7), explained the vision of the AR7. Next, Dr. John Schellnhuber, Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) talked about the importance of cities in climate change countermeasures, followed by Ms. OGAWA Masako, Deputy Director-General Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, who spoke about Japanese efforts to promote subnational climate actions. Moreover, Dr. Keywan Riahi, Director of the Energy, Climate and Environment (ECE) Program at the IIASA, reported on the IIASA-Japan Joint Research Project “Cities Transformation.”
The second half of the symposium was a panel discussion. Discussions were held on the challenges and possible directions for the development of the “Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” (SR-Cities) during the AR7, as well as expectations for the IIASA-Japan Joint Research Project. Discussions also took place on the international community’s expectations about how Japanese policymakers and research communities can contribute to the development of the SR-Cities.
(1)Outline
Date and Time: February 28, 2024, 14:00 - 17:00 (JST)
Organisers: Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)
Co-Organiser: Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Method: Hybrid in-person and online meeting
(2) Program
The program of the event, speakers, presentation manuscripts and materials, etc. are published on the webpage below. A video of the seminar can also be viewed on the webpage.
https://www.iges.or.jp/en/events/20240228
(3) Outline of the results
The first half of the symposium comprised keynote speeches. First, Dr. Diana Ürge-Vorsatz, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the Seventh Assessment Cycle (AR7), explained the vision of the AR7. Next, Dr. John Schellnhuber, Director General of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) talked about the importance of cities in climate change countermeasures, followed by Ms. OGAWA Masako, Deputy Director-General Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, who spoke about Japanese efforts to promote subnational climate actions. Moreover, Dr. Keywan Riahi, Director of the Energy, Climate and Environment (ECE) Program at the IIASA, reported on the IIASA-Japan Joint Research Project “Cities Transformation.”
The second half of the symposium was a panel discussion. Discussions were held on the challenges and possible directions for the development of the “Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” (SR-Cities) during the AR7, as well as expectations for the IIASA-Japan Joint Research Project. Discussions also took place on the international community’s expectations about how Japanese policymakers and research communities can contribute to the development of the SR-Cities.
■ JCM Global Partnership Meeting
In this meeting, working-level officials from Joint Credit Mechanism (JCM) Partner Countries discussed how to make use of the JCM in the future toward the decarbonization of cities. The meeting was held as a closed meeting.
(1)Outline
Date: February 27 and 28, 2024
Organizer: Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
Agenda:
・ Recent status and progress of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the JCM
・ Preparation for Article 6 reporting
・ Establishment of a JCM registry
・ Collaboration among JCM Partner Countries
(2)Participants
The meeting was attended by about 40 working-level officials from 21 JCM Partner Countries, and representatives from international organizations and JCM-related organizations in Japan.
(３)Outline of the results
The recent developments on negotiations and the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the implementation of the JCM in accordance with Article 6 were introduced. In addition, the status of preparation for the submission of the initial report on Article 6 was shared, and challenges and solutions regarding the description of information specific to each country were discussed.
With regard to the establishment of a JCM registry, discussions were held on the establishment of a registry in each country consistent with Article 6 guidance and possible ways of linking the JCM registries with other registries.
In discussions concerning future collaboration among JCM Partner Countries, participants mentioned the importance of capacity building toward implementation of the JCM consistent with Article 6 and the effectiveness of sharing needs and experiences among Partner Countries.
(1)Outline
Date: February 27 and 28, 2024
Organizer: Ministry of the Environment (MOE), Japan
Agenda:
・ Recent status and progress of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the JCM
・ Preparation for Article 6 reporting
・ Establishment of a JCM registry
・ Collaboration among JCM Partner Countries
(2)Participants
The meeting was attended by about 40 working-level officials from 21 JCM Partner Countries, and representatives from international organizations and JCM-related organizations in Japan.
(３)Outline of the results
The recent developments on negotiations and the implementation of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and the implementation of the JCM in accordance with Article 6 were introduced. In addition, the status of preparation for the submission of the initial report on Article 6 was shared, and challenges and solutions regarding the description of information specific to each country were discussed.
With regard to the establishment of a JCM registry, discussions were held on the establishment of a registry in each country consistent with Article 6 guidance and possible ways of linking the JCM registries with other registries.
In discussions concerning future collaboration among JCM Partner Countries, participants mentioned the importance of capacity building toward implementation of the JCM consistent with Article 6 and the effectiveness of sharing needs and experiences among Partner Countries.
[Contact]
Seminar on City-to-City Collaboration for Zero Carbon Society
JCM Global Partnership Meeting
Office for International Cooperation for Transition to Decarbonization and Sustainable Infrastructure, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
Phone：+81-3-5521-8248
International Symposium: Japan’s Contribution to the 7th Assessment Cycle of IPCC and Collaboration with IIASA on “Climate Change and Cities”
Climate Change Adaptation Office, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
Phone：+81-3-5521-8242
Seminar on City-to-City Collaboration for Zero Carbon Society
JCM Global Partnership Meeting
Office for International Cooperation for Transition to Decarbonization and Sustainable Infrastructure, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
Phone：+81-3-5521-8248
International Symposium: Japan’s Contribution to the 7th Assessment Cycle of IPCC and Collaboration with IIASA on “Climate Change and Cities”
Climate Change Adaptation Office, Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
Phone：+81-3-5521-8242