Asian Circular Cities Declaration (ACCD) Announces “ACCD Action 2026” as Signatory Cities Reach 43
From 3 to 4 September 2026, Yokohama City and ICLEI Japan jointly hosted the first Asia-Pacific Circular Cities Forum (APCC Forum) in Yokohama, Japan. The forum brought together 52 local governments and organizations from Japan and abroad to share leading practices and discuss common challenges in advancing circular cities and the circular economy.
ACCD Network Expands to 43 Cities and New Logo Unveiled
APCC forum also hosted the “ACCD 1st Gathering” under the Asian Circular Cities Declaration (ACCD). Nineteen of the 26 ACCD Founding Signatory Cities participated in the forum sessions, sharing their initiatives and good practices on the circular economy and engaging in discussions on common challenges.
During the closing session, ICLEI Japan Executive Director Togo Uchida announced that 17 additional cities had signed the ACCD, expanding the network from 26 to 43 cities, representing a population of approximately 82 million.
The official ACCD logo was also unveiled.
ACCD Founding Signatory Cities Survey Findings
Ahead of the APCC Forum, ICLEI Japan surveyed the ACCD Founding Signatory Cities to assess their current progress and future priorities for the ACCD network.
All 20 cities that responded to the survey reported having established goals and strategies related to the circular economy and implementing awareness-raising activities.
At the same time, creating markets for circular economy solutions was identified as a common challenge. Local regulations, public procurement, and incentives were among the areas with the greatest room for improvement. Participating cities also identified developing mechanisms to support markets for repair, reuse, and recycled materials as a key shared challenge.
ACCD Action 2026
Based on the survey findings, ICLEI Japan Chairperson Takemoto announced “ACCD Action 2026,” outlining the ACCD network’s next steps.
Building on discussions at the APCC Forum, the ACCD will advance three key initiatives:
Initiative1️⃣: Establishing Working Groups
We will establish three Working Groups:
Working Group①
will focus on Knowledge Sharing and Best Practices
Working Group②
will focus on Solutions Matching and Co-creation
Working Group③
will focus on Progress Tracking
Initiative2️⃣: Joint Advocacy and International Cooperation
Through the activities of participating cities, we will work together to address common challenges by engaging governmental institutions and relevant organizations. Position ACCD as a key regional initiative and, where appropriate, bring these common challenges to the attention of the international community.
Through such collective efforts, we aim to contribute to policy development and create momentum for further expansion and advancement of circular-city initiatives in the future.
As part of this effort, we would also like to strengthen collaboration with CCD Europe, promoting mutual learning and cooperation for further development on both sides.
Initiative3️⃣: Expanding the ACCD Network
To further strengthen and expand the overall activities of the ACCD network, we will pursue the following four actions:
- Call for more cities to join ACCD.
- Actively approach international organizations and philanthropies for programmes and projects that contribute to strengthening ACCD.
- Consider mechanisms to involve private companies to further expand the opportunities (ACCD Partners).
- Publish reports to share progress and outcomes.
Together with the 43 ACCD signatory cities, including 17 newly joined cities, ICLEI Japan will continue to advance ACCD activities and contribute to advancing a circular economy across Asia.
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