Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS)

Local Climate Action Summit: Plenary Session

At the first-ever Local Climate Action Summit (LCAS) hosted by the COP Presidency and Bloomberg Philanthropies, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike introduced a decarbonisation initiative using ‘perovskite solar cells’, which are thin film-type, lightweight and can be installed on building walls. Holding a sample in her hand, Governor Koike stressed that ‘Tokyo will be the world’s first future city that can generate electricity everywhere’. The TMG will also work with H2 Global, an international hydrogen support organisation, to promote the establishment of a hydrogen exchange in Tokyo. The aim is to encourage the use of ‘green hydrogen’, which is derived from renewable energy sources and has a low environmental impact.
‘SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024‘, a large-scale event to be held from April to May 2024, was introduced. It aims to develop innovative Tokyo-based solutions to common global urban challenges and share future models for the city. Click here for a recording of the event.

PART II: New Solutions & Finance for Local Action:
​Advancing Ambitious Multi-Level Climate Action

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike spoke at the Local Climate Change Summit (LCAS) breakout session on promoting ambitious multi-level climate action. She is strongly promoted the mandatory installation of solar panels on new buildings and innovations in perovskite solar cell technology. Click here for a recording of the event.

Multilevel Action & Urbanization Pavilion (LGMA Pavilion)

Building bridges within G7: Lessons from the Urban7 cooperation for ambitious climate action in Japan, Europe and the US

The session focused on lessons learned since the start of the Urban 7 (U7) activities by the G7 Presidency, including the first-ever G7 Subnational Roundtable on Climate Action, held in October 2023. Kazuhiko Takemoto, Chair of ICLEI Japan participated from the field and expressed the view that local governments should play a central role and cooperate with citizens and the private sector as well as the government. Check out the report, main takeaways and recording.

High Level Pavilion Opening: Kicking-off an era of multilevel action urbanization in the age of climate emergency

The high-level opening session focused on multi-level action and urbanization in the era of the climate crisis. Moderated by Gino Van Begin, ICLEI Secretary General, the session was attended by world leaders including Frank Cownie, Mayor of Des Moines, USA; President of ICLEI, Yuriko Koike, Governor of Tokyo, and Maimunah Sharif, Executive Director, UN-Habitat. High-level speaker, Al Gore, Nobel Laureate and former US Vice President, addressed local government leaders, emphasising the need to think about future generations and share actions to achieve diverse outcomes through collaboration.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike introduced a decarbonisation initiative using ‘perovskite solar cells’, which are thin film-type, lightweight and can be installed on building walls. Holding a sample in her hand, Governor Koike stressed that ‘Tokyo will be the world’s first future city that can generate electricity everywhere’. ‘SusHi Tech Tokyo 2024‘, a large-scale event to be held from April to May 2024, was also introduced. Click here for a recording of the event.

Advancing Urban Net Zero and Green Transition with Smart Solutions

The session was organised by the ICLEI Kaohsiung Capacity Centre (ICLEI KCC). Yokohama City participated online to share the challenges in the transition to net zero and its smart action to tackle climate chnage. Click here for a recording of the event.

Urban Resilience: Navigating the Climate Emergency in the Asia-Pacific Region

The session focused on the key role of cities and local governments in responding to the climate crisis in the Asia-Pacific region. It was moderated by Togo Uchida, ICLEI Japan’s Executive Director. Kyoto City participated in the session and presented the ‘Kyoto City Ordinance & Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures <2021-2030>’, which sets out a transformation in four sectors: Energy, Business, Lifestyle and Mobility – as well as Forest and Agricultural Land Sink Measures. In addition, ‘Kyoto City’s first Green Bond (a municipal bond specialized in the environmental field)’ has been introduced, issued to achieve net zero by 2050, promoting investment in Kyoto from Japan & abroad, and expanding the use of ESG investment/financing by local companies & financial institutions, etc.

The session also included discussions with experts, policymakers and local leaders focusing on successful climate strategies, innovations and resilience initiatives, as well as financial mechanisms for resilience to climate change. Click here for a recording of the event.

Japan Pavilion

Local  Governments lead Resilient Zero Carbon and Sustainable Society Transition

The session was attended by Katsunori Aoki, Mayor of Katsushika City, together with Gino van Begin, ICLEI’s Secretary General, from the field. Ryugo Watanabe, Mayor of Sado City, and Shinji Hirai, Governor of Tottori Prefecture, participated in a video presentation on advanced zero-carbon initiatives. Cities presented their latest initiatives on climate change action and biodiversity conservation. Read more here and to watch the recording.

Triggering an upward spiral towards decarbonization with subnational leaders – from the G7 Roundtable on Subnational Climate Actions

Hayato Shimizu, Mayor of Saitama City spoke as the Urban7 Japan representative in a video message at the Japan Pavilion session organised by the Ministry of the Environment. As examples of climate change measures in Saitama City, Mayor Shimizu introduced the Smart Home Community, a residential area developed to save energy, and city-to-city collaboration project between Saitama City and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Mayor Shimizu also stated that it is a need to strengthen multi-level cooperation, including the establishment of flexible national institutions and financial support, in order to contribute to G7 countries’ efforts to support non-G7 countries to combat climate change. Click here for a recording of the event.

Act Together for 1.5℃: How a Whole-of-Japan Can Realize a Sustainable and Decarbonized Society

The Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) organized an event at the COP28 Japan Pavilion that attracted a diverse group of participants, including the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. The event focused on the realization of the 1.5°C target, particulary toward medium-term targets such as 2030 and 2025. Read more here and to watch the recording.

Video message from the JCI Leaders’ Circle with a message from Kyoto Mayor Daisaku Kadokawa.

Sustainably developing global blue carbon through international cooperation

Governments, local governments and companies took to the stage at this session held in the Japan Pavilion to introduce specific measures to promote blue carbon activities and successful case studies. Particular focus was placed on the benefits of blue carbon activities and securing funding. Yokohama City participated in the panel discussion from the field and introduced its blue carbon projects.

United Kingdom Pavilion

 ‘Powering past coal’: Minister Steven Guilbeault takes part in COP28 panel

Organiser: Powering Past Coal Alliance (PPCA)
Participating local governments: Daisaku Kadokawa, Mayor of Kyoto City

COP28 Climate Hub – Day 2 –
Policy Incentives for Zero Emissions

Abe Shuichi, Governor of Nagano Prefecture spoke online introducing Nagano’s decarbonisation efforts at the COP28 Climate Hub, a climate change event broadcast live from the COP28 venue. Governor Abe has actively addressed climate change as a priority issue since he became governor. Referring to the damage caused by Typhoon Hagibis, the strongest typhoon in 2019, he explained that the prefecture was the first prefecture in Japan to declare a climate change emergency and decided to aim for decarbonisation by 2050.
Specific reduction plans by transport and industry were introduced, as well as the promotion of hydropower and solar power. Regarding renewable energy, the ‘Shinshu Rooftop Solar Potential Map’ was introduced. The system allows the potential for solar power and solar thermal use to be viewed for each building, and the map area is the largest scale (13,562 km2) in the world for a municipality. Click here for a recording of the event.

Live broadcast from the venue! COP28 in Dubai

Organised by Tottori Prefecture, Zero Carbon Tottori, Tottori University of Environmental Studies, Tottori University and National Institute of Technology, Yonago College, in cooperation with JCCCA, IGES, and ICLEI Japan.

Tottori Prefecture officials and students dispatched by the prefecture, together with Katsunori Aoki, Mayor of Katsushika City, broadcast live from the COP28 venue to viewers in Japan. Mr Fujino, senior researcher at IGES and adviser to ICLEI Japan, gave a tour of the venue and commentary, and Togo Uchida, Executive Director of ICLEI Japan, participated and assisted. A Q&A session was also held, with local reporters answering questions from the Japan side in real time.

Harnessing Multi-Level Action: Reflections on the Local Climate Action Summit

Organiser: Alliances For Climate Action
Participating local governments: Toshiko Chiba, Climate Change Specialist and Director, Climate Change Division, Bureau of Environment, Tokyo Metropolitan Government