– ICLEI Japan Member Information –

Kyoto City

Message from the Mayor of Kyoto City 

Koji Matsui

With some pointed out that “the era of global warming has ended and the era of global boiling has arrived”, it is our responsibility as people living in the present to stop the climate crisis from getting worse.

Kyoto City is the birthplace of the Kyoto Protocol. With a sense of pride and mission as the place where the IPCC Kyoto Guidelines were adopted to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement, we have worked with citizens and businesses on waste reduction and have been promoting environmental policies ahead of other local governments in Japan, including the creation of Kyoto City Decarbonization Leading Areas.
Achieving the high goal of ‘net zero CO2 emissions in 2050’ will require national and international cities to take more concrete action toward decarbonization in a coordinated manner.

Kyoto City will also accelerate its efforts to realize a decarbonized society by deepening cooperation with enthusiastic local governments and ICLEI while valuing the culture of living in harmony with nature that has been handed down in Kyoto.

Overview of Kitakyushu City

Kyoto City is an inland city located in the centre of the Kyoto Basin. It is one of the largest cities in Japan and has forests covering three-quarters of its area. 

Kyoto is a historical city where traditional culture and historical townscapes that have been cultivated over 1200 years of history are still alive. It is a manufacturing city with an enterprising spirit and creative power where cutting-edge industries flourish based on traditional industries. It is an international cultural and tourist city that attracts many people from home and abroad, and a university city where about 150,000 students study. 

Basic Information

1,434,536

Population
(As of June 2025) 

827.83㎢

Area

Kyoto City Website

Environmental Initiatives 

With the birth of the Kyoto Protocol, Kyoto City’s global warming countermeasures began to take a major turn. In 2004, the city enacted the nation’s first global warming countermeasure ordinance to promote citizen and business-wide efforts. 

As a result of these efforts, the city has achieved a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, a 50% reduction in waste, and a 30% reduction in energy consumption. This is despite the fact that the city’s population has remained flat and the number of tourists has increased significantly over the past 20 years. 

In addition, the percentage of people who visit Kyoto by car has decreased by 80%, and the means of transportation in the city have also decreased by 20% for cars and increased by 30% for public transportation, indicating a steady change in the awareness of citizens and tourists. 

We will continue to refine our efforts to work in unison with citizens and businesses, and we will do so with determination. 

zero emission development; Circular development

Community Power Drives Sustainability: Inside Kyoto’s Eco-School Districts

In Kyoto City, Eco-School Districts are transforming local communities into hubs of environmental action. By connecting schools, residents, businesses, and NGOs, the initiative promotes low-carbon lifestyles, food waste reduction, and hands-on learning—showing how grassroots engagement can drive citywide sustainability.

Read More
zero emission development; Equitable development; resilient development

“Do You Kyoto?”: How a City Turned a Question into Climate Action

Kyoto City’s “Do You Kyoto?” initiative transforms environmental awareness into everyday action by engaging citizens, businesses, and schools. Through programs like eco-school districts and citywide “Do You Kyoto?” Days, the initiative encourages lifestyle changes—from reducing energy use to rethinking transport—showing how behavior change at the community level can drive meaningful climate action.

Read More

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