On October 15th, the High-Level Policy Dialogue, titled “Leadership for the Future: Enhancing Urban Governance Practices for Sustainable, Resilient, and Equitable Cities in Asia-Pacific” was held in Bangkok, Thailand. The event was co-organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA). Yokohama City participated in this international discussion, with Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka delivering a video message that highlighted the city’s efforts towards decarbonization in the Asia-Pacific region through inter-city collaboration. This event was part of the 8th Session of the Committee on Environmental Development (CED-8).

Mayor Yamanaka’s video message was shown at the beginning of Panel 2, titled “Collaborative Leadership for an equitable, prosperous and sustainable urban living.” In his speech, he outlined Yokohama’s goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030, along with initiatives to achieve this target. These include plans for 100% carbon-neutralization in the Minato Mirai 21 area by 2030, generating energy from floating offshore wind power, and the delivery of this energy to Yokohama Port and waterfront areas. He also highlighted strong partnerships with Asian cities toward decarbonization through the Asia Smart City Conference, emphasizing Yokohama’s commitment to working with cities around the world to tackle climate change and striving to become Asia’s Green Hub.

In this session, other cities, including Baguio City (Philippines), Hanoi (Vietnam), and Dhangadi (Nepal), also presented their efforts towards sustainable urban development. In addition, Panel 1 featured discussions on Adaptive Urban Governance for City Transformation and Resilience, with contributions from the Governor of Bangkok, the Governor of Port Moresby (Papua New Guinea), and the Mayor of Thimphu (Bhutan).

The UNDP organizers expressed their appreciation for Yokohama’s efforts in fostering global collaboration with Asian cities and noted that the city’s initiatives serve as a strong example for other city leaders united in the fight against climate change. UNDP looks forward to further promoting inter-city learning and cooperation in the future.

The archived video of the event can be viewed here.