Future City & Net Zero Carbon
Yokohama’s status as an SDGs Future City and its goal to reach net zero carbon by 2050 are two reasons why Yokohama is among the leading cities in Japan for sustainability efforts.
Yokohama was designated an “SDGs Future City” by the Government of Japan in 2018 when it established a system to acknowledge specific cities that have been working toward achieving the SDGs and have a strong drive to continue those efforts into the future. About 30 local governments are selected as SDGs Future Cities every year, and more than 120 local governments have been selected so far (2018-2021).
Yokohama has also declared a determination to reach carbon neutrality by 2050. This declaration, in 2019, put Yokohama among the very forefront of Japanese cities tackling climate change and environmental preservation. Since then almost all of Japan’s local governments have adopted the same 2050 goal of carbon neutrality (934 declarations covering 99.7% of Japan’s population as of April 2023). Yokohama has also played a leading role by establishing in 2020 a municipal council for carbon neutrality (Yokohama City, Chair, and 200 member cities as of November 2021), and assisted in drafting climate change policy for partner cities like Da Nang, Vietnam and Bangkok, Thailand, which have made their own declarations for carbon neutrality by 2050.
2030 has also been set as a milestone year for Yokohama’s carbon neutrality, with the city hit the goal of reducing its carbon output by 50% compared to 2013.
Yokohama’s Efforts for the SDGs and Net Zero Carbon in Japan and Abroad
Yokohama presents its initiatives as a leading environmentally advanced city in Asia at the 58th Annual Meeting of the ADB
Hirotaka Sato, Deputy Mayor of Yokohama, was a speaker at the 58th ADB Annual Meeting held in Milan, Italy, from 4-7 May 2025. In a session discussing inter-city cooperation, he presented the city's...
OECD selects Yokohama as the first city in the world to be assessed for climate change measures
The OECD published a report assessing Yokohama's climate change measures at the international conference Urban Days, held at the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)...
Yokohama’s Contribution to the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities: Mayor reiterated the critical role of cities in tackling climate change
On March 19th, 2025, “Japan-IIASA Joint Seminar in Yokohama: How Japan’s Experience will be able to Contribute to the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” was held at the Pacifico...
Yokohama, Japan will be the next host for Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF)
The Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF), organized by the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), established by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, will be held in...
Yokohama City’s Contribution to the Development of Indonesia’s New Capital Region
Exploring the Potential of City Twinning for Sustainable Urban Development From October to December 2024, Yokohama City, Japan, implemented a new project aimed at developing urban planning...
These new vending machines in Yokohama, Japan are aiming to reduce food waste, CO2 emissions from businesses, and raise awareness about these problems among citizens
Japan is famous globally for its many vending machines, but a new project from the City of Yokohama is aiming to tackle the issue of food waste through a new type of locker-style vending machine...