Local governments across the country have excellent decarbonization initiatives, but many of them are little known. That is why environmental groups started the "Citizens' Choice Carbon Zero Local Award." Its aim is to honor local governments that go beyond whether they have met their carbon dioxide reduction targets, by pursuing policies that decarbonize their regions while improving residents' health, comfort and sense of security, and to spread those policies to other local governments.
The five winners of the second award are Tokyo Metropolis, Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture and Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture in the prefecture and designated city category, and Kushiro Town in Hokkaido and Suginami Ward in Tokyo in the basic municipality category. At the ceremony, each local government will present its efforts, and a panel of judges made up of researchers and NGO representatives will offer comments.
You can take part either at the venue or online, and anyone can apply. Doors open at 13:50 for the venue and 13:55 for online. Applications are accepted through Peatix.
Key points
- The five winning local governments present their own decarbonization efforts directly
- You can learn about examples from local governments of different sizes, from large cities to towns, all in one place
- Free, with online participation available. A networking session at the venue follows the program
Why we recommend this event
Climate action is a shared challenge worldwide, but much of the actual work is carried out at the local level. It is a valuable opportunity to learn about local governments' specific policies, including from the perspective of residents' daily lives.
The way environmental NGOs and research institutions are cooperating to find and spread local governments' good practices is also a helpful example of one form of collaboration between civil society and government.
Editor's comment
"Decarbonization" can sound like a huge topic, but this looks like an event that could prompt you to think about what can be done in your own town. I hear that last time, efforts that made use of local characteristics were presented, such as a project combining disaster recovery with decarbonization and a requirement to install solar panels on new homes.
Online, you can join from anywhere in the country. If you are interested in local climate action, or work in the environmental field at a local government or NGO, please apply.