・Presentations by City Leaders on Promoting Circular Cities in Asia

・Keynote Addresses by Representatives of International Organizations

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has been advancing the mainstreaming of the circular economy in developing countries by supporting efficient resource management and zero-waste solutions. In the urban sector, ADB promotes zero-waste cities and sponge cities (e.g., rainwater harvesting and reuse), while enhancing circularity through resource recovery, reverse logistics, and nature-based solutions (NbS).

Furthermore, ADB has launched a City-to-City Partnership Initiative that leverages existing networks to facilitate the exchange of expertise and resources between cities, strengthening the urban management capacity of mentee cities in areas such as housing, tourism, waste management, and municipal finance.

This session will bring together local government officials, policymakers, experts, and innovators to share insights on circular practices in urban management and development. Through the discussions, urban planners and other professionals are expected to learn from each other’s knowledge and experience, and to apply these insights in developing context-specific solutions to urban challenges.

The World Bank Tokyo Development Learning Center (TDLC) has been sharing Japan’s urban policy and management expertise through World Bank projects in developing countries. At this conference, the session will focus on strategies to reduce urban waste in developing countries across Asia.

In rapidly urbanizing regions of Asia, reducing the volume of urban waste has become a critical challenge. Advancing source separation is an urgent priority that will significantly contribute to the promotion of a circular economy.

In this session, the World Bank will present the latest trends in waste management in Asia, followed by discussions with city leaders from Indonesia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, and Philippines, who will share knowledge and innovative solutions for circular urban waste management from their respective countries.

CITYNET is a non-profit international organization dedicated to addressing urban challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, with a network spanning 159 cities and organizations. CITYNET operates three clusters (subcommittees) on the SDGs, Disaster, and Climate change, promoting cross-sectoral knowledge and experience sharing in each field.

In this session, representatives from member cities and relevant international organizations serving as leads and co-leads of the CITYNET SDGs and Disaster Clusters will present insights on climate change mitigation and enhancing urban resilience. The session will also discuss the relationship between efforts to advance climate resilience and promote circular cities. Through these discussions, the session aims to further strengthen initiatives on climate action, resource circulation, disaster risk reduction, and other SDG-related efforts across the Asia-Pacific region.

Students from Yokohama City University and National Kaohsiung University will present proposals based on fieldwork and workshops conducted in Taiwan, focusing on four themes: environmental policy, smart cities, waterfront regeneration, and the preservation of port heritage.

For each student presentation, urban officials from Asian cities will participate as reactors, providing insights and advice from the perspective of practitioners and relating the discussion to their own city’s environmental policies and initiatives.

This session offers an opportunity to learn from the experiences of Yokohama and Kaohsiung—both cities with a shared history as port cities—and to explore how these insights and lessons can be applied to other cities across Asia.

While offshore wind power projects are being suspended or withdrawn globally, the Japanese government released the "Offshore Wind Industry Vision(Phase 2)" in August. This vision sets a goal to establish large-scale floating offshore wind power projects by fiscal year 2029. Rather than viewing thechallenging environment as a setback, Japan sees it as an opportunity to attract foreign investment and technology, aiming to grow the floatingoffshore wind power industry into a pillar of the national economy.As wind-related industries continue to cluster in regions such as Hokkaido and Kyushu, this session will also explore connections with industries in theTokyo Bay waterfront area, which is adjacent to Japan’s largest electricity demand zone. Leading companies and experts at the forefront of the field willdiscuss recent developments and future visions.

This session will introduce examples of cooperation promoted by JICA toward the transition to a circular society, as well as approaches for collaboration with the private sector. Representatives will also present local challenges faced by cities across Asia and initiatives undertaken by companies in Yokohama to address these challenges. Through these presentations, the session aims to explore the potential of public-private partnerships in advancing a circular society in Asia.

This session will present the latest trends and research in semiconductor-related technologies aimed at achieving carbon neutrality. It will highlight initiatives by leading industry companies and explore the potential for innovation in Yokohama.

This session will share the needs of Asian cities in addressing urban challenges, such as rapid urbanization, population concentration in urban areas, and the impacts of climate change. It will also present solutions and innovative ideas from Japanese companies that respond to these challenges. (Additional details may be provided depending on the participating companies and cities.)

In October 2024, the City of Yokohama and seven resource recycling industries in the city signed a partnership agreement to launch the Yokohama Resource Recycling Promotion Platform. This session will highlight advanced initiatives from both the arterial industries, which drive product manufacturing, and the venous industries, which handle waste recycling. Through these cases, we will explore the potential for public–private and inter-business collaboration toward realizing a circular economy.

This session will share the needs of Asian cities in addressing urban challenges, including rapid urbanization, population concentration in city centers, and the impacts of climate change. It will also present solutions and innovative ideas from Japanese companies to respond to these challenges. (Additional details may be provided depending on the participating companies and cities.)

Approximately 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions originate from cities. In Yokohama, this session will showcase initiatives undertaken by companies supporting the city’s urban infrastructure to achieve decarbonization, while also sharing advanced technologies and insights that are being applied across Asia.

This session focuses on cities with significant influence on the global environment and explores how environmental sustainability and circular economy initiatives can coexist with citizens’ well-being. Through discussions with speakers from diverse perspectives, the session will examine the challenges of balancing citizen well-being—based on Japan’s regional well-being indicators and UN surveys—with environmental sustainability. Using the City of Yokohama as a case study, participants will discuss strategies and approaches necessary to achieve a harmonious balance between human society and the health of the planet.

International organization representatives and city leaders will discuss opportunities and actions to advance circular initiatives in Asia.