Gino Van Begin, Deputy Secretary General of ICLEI, participated as speaker at the World Climate Summit 2012 in Doha.

Cities on the spotlight at the World Climate Summit

Cities have a key role to play in combating climate change - this was ICLEI's advocacy and message at the the World Climate Summit, the largest business and finance forum, happening alongside Doha 2012 UNFCCC COP18.

During the forum, the impressive example of a scaled up local climate action - Tokyo's Cap-and-Trade Program was presented to hundreds of Summit attendees.  Covering more than 1,300 facilities across sectors, Tokyo’s Cap-and-Trade Program is the world’s first market-based approach to reducing urban greenhouse gas emission.

“Cities have been successfully demonstrating leadership and innovation in achieving local climate action“, said Yunus Arikan, manager of ICLEI’s Cities Climate Center. “Local actions multiply and accelerate national efforts.”

Backed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Environmental Security Ordinance, the Tokyo scheme requires building owners to meet allotted reduction targets through on-site energy efficiency measure or an emission trading scheme, which allows participating buildings to purchase excess reductions from other facilities, or sell the allowances when needed.  

As to May 2012, a total of 5,764 measures had been pulled out, resulting in 13% GHG reduction from participating facilities since the program was launched in April 2010. Among the participating facilities, 64% succeeded in complying with the set target of 6% or more, while 26% have already reduced emissions by 17% or more – a goal set for the second phase of the program.

1,300 commercial and industrial buildings are targeted in particular, as they account for 40% of Tokyo’s GHG emission from the two sectors, including large GHG facilities that consume more than 1,500 kiloliters (or more in crude oil equivalent) per year.

A committed signatory of the carbon Cities Climate Registry (cCCR), the Tokyo Metropolitan Government also make regular public report on its GHG actions and performance through the Local Government Climate Registry Japan - the first national supplement to the cCCR, which displays emission data from 33 prefectures and 91 cities across Japan.

With such recognizable achievements, as well as a renewable energy target of 20% and a GHG reduction target of 25% for community by 2020, Tokyo demonstrates the importance of cities in driving global climate change mitigation through local actions and innovations.

For more information, visit Cities Climate Registry or read the report on Tokyo’s Cap-and-Trade Program.