Zero Carbon Conference for Students held for the first time -High school and university students learn and interact with each other across countries-

By Nagano Prefecture Cooperation between Nagano Prefecture, Japan and Region of North Karelia, Finland The Zero Carbon Conference for Students was held online for four days from February 22 to 25, 2022. The conference was organized by the Nagano Prefectural Government, Karelia University of Applied Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, North Karelia Municipal Education and 

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Itabashi Ward and Tokyo Metropolitan Government launched “e-Ride Tokyo”, a battery sharing project for EV motorcycles

Itabashi Ward and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government held a launching ceremony of battery sharing for EV motorcycles. Itabashi Ward is located in the northwestern part of Tokyo’s 23 wards, with lowlands in the north and plateaus in the south. Itabashi Ward had been highlighted as a transportation hub, and public transportations like railroads, subways, and 

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ESD Okayama Award 2021 Winners contribute to Community Resilience

The ESD Okayama Award has been held since 2015 by Okayama City and the ESD Okayama Award Steering Committee, with the aim of honoring good practices of ESD in Japan and abroad, thereby enhancing the activities of the organizations that implement the projects, and contributing to the spread of ESD. After the final selection, Okayama 

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Three new members inducted into the Kyoto Earth Hall of Fame

On Monday 15th November, three more members will be inducted into the Kyoto Earth Hall of Fame; Tsuchiya Haruki from Japan, Manuel Pulgar Vidal from Peru, and Kristine Tompkins from the USA. The Earth Hall of Fame honors individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the conservation of the global environment. The award 

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Collaborating for change: Yokohama shares innovative solutions to advance the SDGs

  By Isabelle Ward Achieving the SDGs will not only help mitigate the climate crisis, it will bring positive economic and social change. However, the UN Summit in 2019 and SDG High Level Political Forum in 2020 both stressed that we are behind in terms of meeting the SDG targets. Effective knowledge sharing between cities 

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How to achieve a 1.5°C lifestyle? Japanese cities have unique tools to offer

We are in the middle of a planetary crisis due to climate change. The Paris Agreement,  set in 2015, strives to combat climate change and limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrialization levels. If the 1.5 °C target is to be met, we need to drastically change our lifestyles.  To promote 

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Itabashi Ward revitalises its small scale urban agriculture tradition

Small scale urban agriculture in Japan has a long history but is increasingly being diversified beyond just providing freshly grown products. It is offering farming experiences for residents, green space for communities, conserving local biodiversity and, in disaster prone Tokyo, safe evacuation space. In Itabashi it also presents a way for residents to rediscover, and 

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Local action, global impact: How Kawasaki’s climate action can affect international businesses

In January 2020, a World Economic Forum report found that businesses are much more dependent on nature than previously realised, with over half of the world’s total GDP generation “moderately or highly dependent on nature”. With ecosystems at risk from a changing climate and 25% of the world’s plant and animal species at risk of 

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Call for Application! ESD Okayama Award 2021

‘ESD Okayama Award 2021’ is open for entry! Okayama City (Japan) and ESD Okayama Award Steering Committee are pleased to announce that ‘ESD Okayama Award 2021’ is open for entry internationally.  It rewards outstanding practices on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in local communities around the world.  The aims of the award are to support the organizations carrying out ESD activities and promote ESD to local communities globally through showcasing their initiatives. The world is facing severe challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  We are aware that many organizations 

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City-to-City Collaboration for Low-Carbon Society between Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) and Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) have made a relationship as member cities of the “Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC21)” established in 2001 and as members of the C40 (Cities Climate Leadership Group).  Both cities are known internationally for their strong interest in this field: TMG has announced its commitment 

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