Yokohama selected as candidate to host IPCC 2027 Plenary Session

On March 31, 2026, Japan’s Ministry of the Environment announced that the City of Yokohama has been selected as the candidate host city for the 2027 Plenary Session of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change* (IPCC).

Approximately 500 climate experts, government representatives and others from around the world are expected to attend.

The host city will be officially determined following an approval process within the IPCC Secretariat. If confirmed, this will mark Yokohama’s second time hosting an IPCC Plenary Session, the first being 13 years ago.

Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka commented that the meeting is expected to create strong synergies with GREEN×EXPO 2027 and further highlight Yokohama’s leadership in decarbonization and sustainable urban development.

He also said that Yokohama aims to ensure thorough preparations and contribute to global efforts toward a sustainable future through close cooperation with the national government.

To date, Yokohama City has actively promoted climate change initiatives.
These efforts include sharing Yokohama’s initiatives in a keynote address in March 2025 at the Japan–IIASA Joint Seminar in Yokohama, themed on IPCC activities, as well as attending the 64th IPCC Plenary Session held in March 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, where Mayor Yamanaka personally met with IPCC experts.

*The IPCC is a United Nations body established in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the IPCC evaluates the latest scientific knowledge on climate change and regularly prepares assessment reports.

More than 190 countries and regions participate in IPCC activities, and its assessment reports form the scientific foundation for global climate negotiations, including the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP/UNFCCC), the largest international conference on climate change.