As part of Climate Week NYC, the largest annual climate gathering held from September 17-24 this year, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) gathered for a Board Meeting of mayors from cities around the world fighting climate change and leading with progressive action and decarbonization efforts. Yokohama City’s Mayor, Takeharu Yamanaka, joined the GCoM Board earlier this year representing ICLEI and the East Asia region, making this year’s board meeting the first opportunity of the City of Yokohama to join the discussion. On this occasion, Representative Satoshi Sekiya from the City of Yokohama’s Americas Office located in New York participated in the Board meeting representing Yokohama City.

Yokohama, the second largest city in Japan with a population of 3.7 million, has made strong declarations and goals to drastically reduce its carbon emissions by 2030, and its participation in the GCoM Board meeting underscores its commitment to fostering collaboration among cities worldwide in the fight against climate change. As the first representative from East Asia on the GCoM Board, Yokohama is honored to be able to engage in discussions with other cities at the forefront of climate action, firmly believing that addressing global challenges like climate change necessitates not only vertical collaboration between national and local governments but also wide-ranging collaboration between cities.

To promote such collaboration in Asia, Yokohama is gearing up to host the 12th Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC) under the Y-SHIP Convention 2023 this November. This conference, characterized by inclusivity, brings together cities, private enterprises, academic institutions, and diverse stakeholders from over 40 countries and regions. The focus this year is “Decarbonization,” aligning with Yokohama’s commitment to climate action, and focuses on leading discussions among Asian cities towards joint declarations on carbon neutrality.

The city’s dedication to these principles will be further prominently showcased at ‘GREEN×EXPO 2027,’ an International Horticultural Expo that Yokohama is planning to host in 2027. This expo, guided by ‘Nature-Based Solutions,’ will demonstrate innovative green solutions inspired by nature to address societal challenges on a global scale, and will serve to dovetail ongoing collaborations and projects into the upcoming 2030 milestone year for many cities’ decarbonization resolutions.

The Mayor of Yokohama, as a Board Member of GCoM and representative of East Asia, is planning to take opportunities like these to share strong messages with the world, highlighting a need for commitment to collaboration and a dedication to sharing experiences and innovations with other cities worldwide. As the world faces the urgent challenge of climate change, Yokohama stands ready to work hand in hand with its global counterparts to create a more sustainable future for all.