Summary Document
Zero Carbon International Forum
9-10 March 2022
The Zero Carbon City International Forum 2022 was hosted by the Ministry of the Environment,
Japan and the Office of Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, United States of America on 9– 10
March 2022, in full cooperation with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change (UNFCCC), ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability and the Institute for Global
Environmental Strategies (IGES), in collaboration with Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development (OECD) and Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM).
The forum opened with a video message from Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minster of Japan andremarks from Mr. YAMAGUCHI Tsuyoshi, Minister for the Environment, Japan and Mr. Rahm
Emanuel, United States Ambassador to Japan, followed by a framing presentation by Mdm.
Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary, UNFCCC. The event featured Speakers from 22 cities
and regions and 10 institutions from 14 countries who shared opportunities and challenges of
sub-national climate actions based on leading practices taken by different regions of the world.
Key points shared at the forum are summarized below.
1. Critical Role of Sub-national Level Actions in Achieving Carbon Neutrality by 2050l

Fifty-five percent of the world's population lives in urban areas that cover only 3% of theworld's land area, and the number will rise to 68% of the world’s population by 2050.

lCities are responsible for about 70% of the global CO2 emissions, and cities and local
regions have a crucial role to play as we work to achieve net- zero greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050.

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To realize the ambitious commitment to carbon neutrality, a variety of bottom-up measuresaccording to local situations are necessary, such as promoting local energy resources oncompact, low-energy-consumption lifestyles.

lEvery city has win-win opportunities for economic growth and GHG reduction. Climate
actions not only address the climate crisis but also promote economic opportunities (e.g.
creation of new industries and services, new or better job opportunities) and just transition.

lCities are at risk of increasing climate hazards. It is critical for cities to increase adaptive
capacity to climate impacts.

lSolutions already exist, and it is important to take actions immediately to address the global
challenge. Subnational governments are often in the best position to take climate actions in1that they have good knowledge about local economies, contexts, policies and actions thatlink directly to citizens' daily life and activities.
2.

Sub-national climate actions, challenges, and directionsl

A growing number of cities have committed to reaching net- zero greenhouse gas emissions
by 2050. The forum also witnessed proactive adaptation actions at a local level that havebeen promoted to increase local resilience.

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The commitment and leadership of leaders of subnational governments are essential to
move forward and ensure local climate actions.

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Carbon neutrality targets should be integrated into urban planning, including key policy
areas such as district development, mobility management, local energy plan and others. A
systemic, integrated and sector-wide approach can maximize policy impacts in both
mitigation and adaptation.

lElectrification of people’s lifestyles, goods, and services, and an increase in energy efficiency
and renewable energy have been promoted by sub-national government to reduce
emissions, especially in building and transportation sectors. Such practices can also
contribute to more opportunity creation for local economies, urban amenity and energy
security.

lCreating decarbonization model districts/communities can provide a good reference forother areas. By duplicating good model cases, a local decarbonization domino effect has
been accelerated.

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A whole city approach is key to the success of local climate actions. Partnership andcollaboration with different stakeholders and involving them in climate actions should befurther promoted, especially involvement of vulnerable populations and youth.

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Climate actions should be aligned with local actions for the UN Sustainable Development
Goals (SDGs).

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Securing finance for local actions is critical. In this regard, partnership with the private
sector and involvement of financial institutions need to be further promoted.

3. Roles of national and sub-national governmentslCities and regions cannot tackle climate change alone. National governments must create
an enabling environment to support local climate actions.

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Cooperation between national and sub-national governments should be ensured for
coordinated and consistent climate actions of national and sub-national levels.

lSuch cooperation can bring more sub-national voices to the national policy development
process and implementation, including the needs of capacity development, technical2

information, and finance assistance.
lCity-to-city collaboration is an important driving force to raise ambition and to accelerate
local climate actions through mutual learning and support.

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A cross-border decarbonization domino effect should be further promoted through city-tocity collaboration with support from national governments and the international
community.

lGlobal platforms for collaborative partnership among non-state actors including cities andregions for net-zero and resilient pathways are provided by the UNFCCC, such as two global
campaigns, “Race to Zero” and “Race to Resilience”. More cities and regions are encouraged
to join such campaigns.

The forum also expects countries, sub-national governments, and relevant stakeholders
to take the following actions.
lPromote climate actions at sub-national level with strong leadership, which contribute not
only to the global challenges of climate change but also strengthen local sustainability andresilience.

lContinue various actions and initiatives that are underway across a wide range of countries
and regions to raise the level of ambition to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050;l

Further facilitate lesson sharing and discussion to identify subnational needs and to discuss
how to promote local actions; andlConvey the outcomes of the forum to the 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) to the
UNFCCC and other international processes such as G7 and G20.

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AnnexSummary of the Forum
Opening
Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio stated in his video message that cities and local regions havea crucial role to play in achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 and they are key actors in a “newform of capitalism” and a “Vision for a Digital Garden City Nation”. He also stated that subnational action is an essential element of the “Asia Zero Emissions Community” vision.
Minister of the Environment, Mr. YAMAGUCHI Tsuyoshi stated that this decade is critical todecarbonize the world by 2050 and emphasized the importance of close cooperation between
national and local governments toward zero carbon society. He also mentioned that city-to-citycollaboration within a country and beyond borders can accelerate the “decarbonization domino
effect” by raising ambitions and strengthening climate actions at the sub-national level. He
expressed that this Forum, organized as part of "U.S.-Japan Global Subnational Zero Carbon
Promotion Initiative" launched at UNFCCC COP26, would contribute to promoting subnational
decarbonization in each country.
Mr. Rahm Emanuel, US Ambassador to Japan explained that every city has win-win solutions
for economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions reduction and introduced specific initiatives
he implemented during his tenure as Mayor of Chicago, including elimination of coal plants,
introduction of energy-efficient equipment to buildings in commercial spaces, introduction of
LED in street light systems, and modernization of the transportation system. Ambassador
Emanuel urged mayors and regional leaders around the world to take a leadership role in
reducing GHG emissions and unite in their common goal of fighting for a green future.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Ms. Patricia Espinosa expressed the view that the Forum, cohosted by Japan and the US, is an excellent example of multi-government collaboration toaccelerate the decarbonization domino effect. She expressed her thanks to Minister YAMAGUCHI
for his leadership for recent action by the Japanese government to strengthen its support for
local governments. She stated that the success or failure of climate change efforts would largely
depend on the actions of cities, and pointed out that both climate mitigation and adaptation canbe promoted through cross-sectoral and integrated actions in a complex and dynamic urban
ecosystem.
Session 1 (“Net- Zero Transition: how cities are moving towards zero carbon”) invited
five leaders of sub-national governments and shared their commitments and practices.
lllMr. Bruce Harrell, Mayor of Seattle City, US introduced measures to reduce GHG
emissions by promoting carbon-free transportation system and housing. He
underscored that local climate actions should go together with stimulation of economic
opportunities to create more sustainable city.
Mr. AKIMOTO Katsuhiro, Mayor of Sapporo City, Japan showed the city’s efforts toincrease energy efficiency and renewable energy use in buildings and districts. He
expressed that the city would promote climate actions and the SDGs and become aleading city of sustainable development.
Mr. Marcos Penido, Secretary of Infrastructure and Environment of the Sã o Paulo State,
Brazil sent a video message that introduced actions taken by the state to facilitate a rapidtransition based on the Sã o Paulo 2050 Climate Change Plan in the areas of energy,transportation, buildings, land, and cities.

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Mr. Cameron Dick, Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment,
Australia mentioned that decarbonization of the energy market and the shift of cleaner
energy is a global goal. He explained how Queensland has been promoting more
renewable energy production and use and cooperation with Japanese industries ingreen hydrogen production and supply.
Ms. Katja Dö rner, Mayor, City of Bonn, Germany emphasized that the path to carbon
neutrality and clean energy is contributing to the resilience of the city. After explaining
Bonn’s program of engaging citizens and youth in climate actions, she called for stepping
up local actions towards carbon neutrality for a better and sustainable future.

In Session 2 (“Working Together for Zero Carbon Society – national-subnational andcity-to-city cooperation), national actions to support local climate actions and leading
practices of local governments were shared.
l The Ministry of the Environment, Japan expressed its commitment to identify andsupport subnational needs in developing countries, to accelerate the cross-borderdecarbonization domino effect by promoting international city-to-city collaboration andto continue the forum activities, as well as specific cooperation activities to identify andsupport the needs of developing cities, in cooperation with U.S. and other countries andinternational organizations.
l The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety andConsumer Protection, Germany explained about national support to sub-national levelof actions in and outside of the country, and mentioned that the G7 Presidency ofGermany will host the first G7 Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Urban
Development in which multi-level governance will be a topic for discussion.
l Under the "Kawasaki Carbon Zero Challenge 2050" and the “Basic Plans to Promote
Kawasaki City’s Global Climate Change Mitigation" to be updated, Kawasaki City has
promoted climate actions with local stakeholders, based on their legacy ofenvironmental technologies. The city also has been promoting city-to-city collaboration
with Jakarta, Indonesia.
l Los Angeles explained that it carries out climate mitigation actions as a part of the city’s
green new deal plan, thereby contributing to not only GHG emission reduction targets
but also to better human life, health, and employment opportunity creation.
l Jakarta reported that it had accelerated climate actions towards carbon neutrality by
2050 and reduction of negative impacts of climate change including improving its
governance structure. Jakarta saw the importance of collaboration with various
stakeholders, including collaboration with other cities like Kawasaki.
The second day of the forum was opened with some remarks from Mr. SHODA Yutaka, Vice
Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, MOEJ and Ms. Jane Nishida, Assistant Administrator
for International and Tribal Affairs, USEPA. Mr. SHODA briefly summarized the key points ofdiscussion and expressed his expectation for further active discussions on the second day. Ms.
Nishida mentioned that the US EPA and the Ministry of the Environment, Japan have beencollaborating to strengthen actions on the climate agenda. She also referred to the Educational
Partnerships for Innovation in Communities (EPIC) program and Adaptation Resource Centre(ARC-X) that have been contributing to increased local capacity for adapting to climate impacts
in the U.S. and other countries.
After the opening remarks, four thematic sessions were organized.
Parallel Session 1 (“City-to-City Collaboration: accelerating the decarbonization domino”)
featured city-to-city collaboration beyond borders to promote decarbonizing efforts at the5local level.
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At the beginning of the session, Mr. YAMANAKA Takeharu, the Mayor of Yokohama City
underscored the power of local governments in promoting local and global climate
actions and the importance of collaboration between national and sub-national
governments. The lessons and experiences shared in the session include: Yokohama(Japan) has been promoting city-to-city collaboration with cities such as Da Nang (VietNam) and Bangkok (Thailand) to support decarbonizing efforts of those cities. Suchcollaboration has been with both the public and private sectors.
Da Nang (Viet Nam) has a long history of collaboration with Yokohama City insustainable urban planning including waste management and low-carbon development.
The city declared its commitment to carbon neutrality by 2050 and will continue
collaboration with Yokohama City towards this target.
Bangkok (Thailand) is strengthening its climate actions, responding to the commitmentof the Thai government on carbon neutrality at COP26 in collaboration with various
stakeholders including Yokohama City and JICA.
Toyama City (Japan) declared its commitment to be a zero carbon city by 2050 in March
2021 and has been promoting various climate actions such as a model project of an
independent and decentralized energy system that combines mitigation and adaptation
measures. The city also has been engaged in city-to-city collaboration projects withcities outside of Japan and contributed to provide solutions to sustainable urban
development of partner cities in Indonesia and Chile.
Mr. Claudio Castro, Mayor of Renca (Chile), one of the administrative districts of Santiago
declared its zero carbon commitment at COP26. In addition to promoting local climate
measures, Renca has been actively collaborating with the international community,
national governments and other districts to promote sustainability and reinforced theclimate action governance. Internationally, the district is collaborating with Toyama City,
Japan.
Greater Manchester (UK) published its Five-Year Environmental Plan, which sets out
detailed actions to pave the way toward carbon neutrality by 2038. The authority iscollaborating with Osaka City (Japan) on the topic of decarbonization under the EU’s
IURC (International Urban and Regional Cooperation) Program.

Parallel Session 2 (“Zero Carbon Challenges: trends and initiatives to promote transitionin key areas”) shared leading practices at the local level in the transportation and building
sectors which make up about 60% of global CO2 emissions.
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City of Ann Arbor (US) has taken action to reduce emissions from the building sector, amajor source of CO2 emissions. The city encourages building owners to take action to
reduce emissions from their properties, as well as providing capacity development
opportunities to the related businesses.
Sapporo City (Japan) has been promoting the improvement of energy efficiency ofbuildings and houses by introducing its own energy efficiency standards. The city also
promotes renewable energy and hydrogen energy. The city has plans to develop ahydrogen model district.
Referring to the expansion of a low-emission public transportation system in Jakarta,
ITDP emphasized the importance of urban development for pedestrians and bicycles,
rather than for vehicles. To realize carbon neutrality at the city level, the city should not
only promote electrification of transportation but also carry out compact city
development.
Baguio City (Philippines) explained about its projects to modernize public
transportation and to reduce the number of cars used by making public transportation

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easier to use. A local transportation plan is being developed to promote routes that do
not allow vehicles using old energy sources to enter the city.
A project in Xiangtan (China) to reduce CO2 emissions was introduced by the AsianDevelopment Bank. Policy changes are underway in the city including low-carbon
infrastructure transition utilizing ICT and this contributes to knowledge platform
development, and capacity building.
In the discussion, the importance of working with local stakeholders and consolidating
all possible efforts to reduce emissions were emphasized as key actions to advancecurrent efforts on decarbonization. The importance of inventories was also mentioned.
Funding is an issue when implementing plans and strategies. Both international support
to sub-national governments and public-private partnerships are important.

Parallel Session 3 (“Pursuing Resilient Cities2) shared practices to increase local resiliencein different regions.
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Miami-Dade County (U.S.) has been taking various actions to strengthen resilience of thecity under the Resilient305 initiative. Actions include both climate mitigation andadaptation measures, and coordination and cooperation within the administration andthe region are important in the effort. Support is also needed to promote mutual
learning and collaboration with communities, regions and federal governments.
Chiba City (Japan) developed a policy package to increase the city’s resilience against
natural disasters, including installation of storage batteries and PV systems inevacuation facilities that can also contribute to CO2 reduction. Coordination andcooperation with local people is critical to support policy implementation.
In Nagpur (India), vulnerable populations are more severely impacted by heat waves
and flooding. Conservation and management of urban green and other natural areas
were prioritized to combat climate change. It was underscored that institutionalarrangements and continuity of finance in both mitigation and adaptation is vital toensure policy implementation.
San Carlos (Philippines) has embraced the importance of institutionalizing communitybased safety and resilience by establishing an office that spearheads theimplementation and monitoring of localized initiatives and programs to ensure disasterrisk management. Integrating the “whole society approach” has been making significant
impacts wherein different stakeholders cooperate with each other and take actions
toward building a safer, adaptive and resilient city.
Charleroi, an industrial city in Belgium, is aiming to transition away from oil-basedindustries, attract new talent through innovation, and build new industries such as bio
and clean tech industries. The city is striving for an energy transition, sustainable
construction, and transition to a circular economy.

Parallel Session 4 (“Zero Carbon Urban Development (zero carbon town development)”)emphasized (1) importance of mutual learning to solve problems at the township and city level,(2) integration of zero carbon goals with other priority goals of city development, and (3)collaboration with other regions and national governments. The following points were raisedby each presentation.
lWangsamaju District of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia is aiming to be a model district forachieving zero carbon by 2050 through multi-stakeholder involvement, with a focus onfive sectors, namely energy, mobility, waste, community, and green open space. Regional
coordination, public-private partnerships, and evidence-based approaches areimportant elements for successful implementation.

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The smart city development in the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) in Thailand has
been promoting green infrastructure development that pursues low-carbon economic
development. Actions for decarbonization in the EEC focus on mobility, Bio-CircularGreen Economic Model (BCG) which is an integration of bioeconomy, circular economy
and green economy, and smart cities. Five cities in the EEC region have already declaredthemselves to be smart cities.
Lolland (Denmark) shared its experience with large green energy infrastructuredevelopment that has brought benefits to local economies. The city also emphasized thenecessity for a large city and its surrounding cities to complement each other (e.g.
Copenhagen and Lolland). Some success factors for green energy introduction include
the role of national governments in risk management.
Ishikari City (Japan) introduced a project to create a model for a carbon-free industrial
area, making the most of its major potential for renewable energy. Hydrogen energy use
is also promoted in the city. By achieving a green transformation of the environment andeconomy, the city is working to create a role model for decarbonization and regional
growth.
The World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) shares Japan's experience
with various countries and cities. In particular, the TDLC has brought together
representatives from nine low-carbon countries to learn about low-carbon urban
development in Japan (particularly Kyoto and Yokohama) examples. Some challenges
faced by rapidly growing cities are incentive development, integration of different
sectors’ interests in urban planning, ways to develop compact and riveting cities, andproject development that can attract investment.

Closing remarks from U.S. and Japan were given and following this, some key discussion points
were summarized by ICLEI and IGES.
Mr. Reed Schuler, Senior Advisor to Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry,
expressed his gratitude to all speakers and participants. Underscoring that international
cooperation of sub-national level can promote innovation and appropriate policy development
towards zero carbon society, he mentioned that the U.S. and Japan would cooperate in achieving
net- zero greenhouse gas emissions and support local government efforts towards this goal.
Mr. SHODA Yutaka, Vice Minister for Global Environmental Affairs, MOEJ also expressed his
gratitude to the U.S. Government for co-organizing the event and thanked all those involved in
the Forum. Referring to the importance of multi-level cooperation and cooperation among cities
to accelerate the decarbonization domino effect, he stated that MOEJ would share the outcomesof this forum at COP27 and related meetings in the future, and hoped that the discussions would
continue, thereby maintaining and improving momentum on subnational decarbonization.

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