New collaboration in Yokohama to design and accelerate a Circular Economy

Yokohama has been chosen as SDGs Future City and is enthusiastic to build a green and sustainable city in Japan. The city has revised “Yokohama City Climate Change Policy Plan” in 2018, in which the city set up a new goal called “Zero Carbon Yokohama,” aiming to realize carbon neutrality by 2050.

The city is keen on creating circular economy in Yokohama too; it held the second World Circular Economy Forum in 2018, where over 1,000 participants representing 64 nations gathered to discuss on how to form a circular economy.

Although Yokohama faces issues such as aging society, growing number of empty houses, and depopulation as much as other cities across the nation do, it is showing leadership in bringing about sustainability in Japan, and its actions are sure to give positive impact on other ordinance cities within the nation.

Harch Inc. launched a media platform called “Circular Yokohama” in March, promoting circular economy within the city of Yokohama by creating new jobs and revitalizing economy. In July, Harch, Yokohama Living Lab Support Office, NPO Yokohama Community Design Lab began a partnership agreement to enhance the movement advancing a circular economy in Yokohama.

Yokohama Living Lab Support Office was established in 2018 to accelerate circular economy in Japan, not only from the environmental and economic point of view, but also values the citizens’ perspectives. It promotes open innovation through public-private partnership. On the other hand, Yokohama Community Design Lab has been engaged in public interest activities since its establishment in 2003, launched a web media called “Yokohama Keizai Shimbun” and has released over ten thousand articles since 2004. Each organization has worked in their own fields to create a circular economy in Yokohama up till today, and now the three’s collaboration will undoubtedly accelerate the realization.

Harch, Yokohama Living Lab and Yokohama Community Design will work together to achieve the following goals:

1. Send information on projects related to circular economy within the city of Yokohama;
2. Plan and run circular economy projects by utilizing empty houses in Yokohama;
3. Manage circular projects using local resources by cooperating with Yokohama Living Lab;
4. Create events, workshops and communities related to circular economy; and
5. Jointly run the web forum “Circular Yokohama 2020”.

Their collaboration is expected to reinvigorate actions towards achieving circular economy in Yokohama, and also exert influence on cities across the nation.