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Sustainable urban development for the children in charge of our future The E-KIZUNA Global Summit Sustainable urban development for the children in charge of our future The E-KIZUNA Global Summit
News

Nov. 29, 2022

Result has been updated.

Oct. 27, 2022

Program page and Speakers Information have been updated.

Oct. 11, 2022

"Side Event -Exhibition of Next-Generation Automobiles and New Technology-" has been updated in the Sponsors / Booth exhibition Page.

Sep. 15, 2022

Program page have been updated.
"The 21st Saitama City Environment Forum" has been updated in the Other Events & Links Page.

Sep. 01, 2022

Sponsors / Booth exhibition has been updated.

  • 06/15/2022

    Opened the Saitama Sustainable Cities Summit~E-KIZUNA Global Summit~ website.

What is the Saitama Sustainable Cities Summit?

 The impact of human activity on our global environment is increasing as populations increase throughout the world and economies expand. To address this issue, the United Nations adopted a list of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 that serve as shared goals for international society to achieve a sustainable world by harmonizing the inseparable factors of the global economy, society, and environment.
 The achievement of those goals requires not only initiatives at the national level, but initiatives at the municipal level are expected as well.

 Saitama City already carries out such initiatives as the E-KIZUNA Project, to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs), and the development of the Smart City Saitama Model as part of our efforts to realize a decarbonized and sustainable city, but the fact is that global warming is accelerating on a planetary level in recent years.

 Accordingly, Saitama has chosen to host the Saitama Sustainable Cities Summit - E-KIZUNA Global Summit to work with other cities throughout Japan and the world. Participating cities will exchange ideas and information on effective policies to achieve sustainable cities through a positive cycle of economy, society, and environment, while strengthening partnerships and contributing to the realization of a decarbonized society.

Greetings

 Saitama has been promoting the E-KIZUNA Project, a project to promote the use of electric vehicles, since 2009 in order to reduce CO2 emissions in the transportation sector. One of the main pillars of the project is the hosting of the E-KIZUNA Summit to build a cooperative relationship with cities throughout Japan, and the summit has been held a total of nine times since 2010.
 Meanwhile, the impact of human activity on the environment has been continuing to rise on a global scale, making stronger initiatives at the municipal level, in addition to those at the national level, even more important for the realization of sustainable cities. Therefore, in order to continue to work towards sustainable cities, we believe it is necessary to develop and expand our domestic network, fostered through the summit, to include cooperation with leading cities throughout the world. Accordingly, we have decided to hold an international summit to contribute to the decarbonization of society by strengthening our partnerships with cities and companies throughout Japan and the world through the exchange of ideas and information on effective policy and knowhow.

 Our hope is to work in partnership with these cities and companies to maintain a global environment of abundant nature, in which humanity can continue to live in comfort, for our children who will be the leaders of society in the future.
 The purpose of the Saitama Sustainable Cities Summit -E-KIZUNA Global Summit- is to make that dream a reality.

 It is our sincere hope that the participants in this summit, including those who have participated in previous E-KIZUNA Summits, will take advantage of this opportunity learn from the discussions and success cases from throughout the world, to share their challenges and solutions for the realization of sustainable cities, and as an opportunity for launching future collaboration.
 We look forward sincerely to your participation at the summit.

SHIMIZU Hayato Mayor Saitama City

Hayato SHIMIZU

Date & Venue

Date November 22nd - 24th, 2022 (3 days)
Venue

Palace Hotel Omiya [Conference] / Sonic City Main Bldg., Basement Floor, Exhibition Hall No.1[Exhibition]
1-7-5 Sakuragi-cho, Omiya Ward, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture 330-0854, Japan

  • Entry to the venue is limited to the pre-registered participants from local governments, companies, organizations, etc.
    Live stream and the side events are accessible for everyone.

Schedule & Program

※Video distribution will be added in this Page.

  • Program information is to be updated accordingly.
  • The program is tentative and there is a possibility that it may change.

Day 1: November 22nd (Tue)

10:00-12:00 Pre-event (Children's Forum for Saitama SDGs)
  Break
13:30-14:30 Opening ceremony

<Opening Remarks>
SHIMIZU Hayato City of Saitma, Mayor
<Remarks from our honored guests>
KUNISADA Isato, Ministry of the Environment, Japan, Parliamentary Vice-Minister
HISAMOTO Kizo, Mayors Association of Designated Cities, Chairman / City of Kobe, Mayor
<Message from Sister Cities>
Ed Gainey, City of Pittsburgh, Mayor
<Keynote speech>
Gino Van Begin, ICLEI, Secretary General
TAKEUCHI Kazuhiko, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies, President

Establishing Sustainable and Resilient City Regions for Localizing SDGs

  Break
15:30-16:15 Plenary session

Global Challenges and the role of the Local Governments: Local governments in the G7 Countries

UCHIDA Togo, ICLEI Japan, Executive Director (Moderator)
Peter Kurz, City of Mannheim, Mayor / Markus Lewe, City of Münster, Mayor / Marcus König, City of Nuremberg, Mayor / SHIMIZU Hayato, City of Saitama, Mayor
18:00-20:00 Reception
  • Program information is to be updated accordingly.
  • The program is tentative and there is a possibility that it may change.

Day 2: November 23rd (Wed)

10:00-11:30

Breakout session 1


Realization of energy efficiency and adoption of microgrids together with on-site renewable energy
Facilitator
FUJINO Junichi
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES), Principal Researcher
Speaker
Kuala Lumpur City, Malaysia
Maui County, Hawaii, United States
Newcastle City, Australia
Hamamatsu City, Japan
Looop Inc
City of Saitama, Japan

Breakout session 2


Innovative mobility services for sustainable modes of transport
Facilitator
ISHIDA Haruo
The University of Tsukuba, Professor Emeritus
Speaker
Barcelona City, Spain
Portland City, Oregon, United States
Aizuwakamatsu City, Japan
TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION
City of Saitama, Japan

Breakout session 3


Building a resilient city successfully adapting to climate change
Facilitator
UCHIDA Togo
ICLEI Japan, Executive Director
Speaker
Malmö City, Sweden
Pittsburgh City, Pennsylvania, United States
Kyoto City, Japan
TOKYO GAS NETWORK
City of Saitama, Japan
  Break
13:00-14:30

Breakout session 4


The nexus of clean energy towards a net-zero-emission future
Facilitator
KASHIWAGI Takao
Tokyo Institute of Technology, Professor Emeritus
Speaker
Nuremberg City, Germany
Melbourne City, Australia
Matsuyama City, Japan
TEPCO Power Grid, Incorporated
City of Saitama, Japan

Breakout session 5


Making an ambitious transition to a zero-emission mobility
Facilitator
KUBOTA Hisashi
Saitama University Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Professor
Speaker
Freiburg City, Germany
Oslo City, Norway
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
City of Saitama, Japan

Breakout session 6


Sustainable development of a data-driven smart city through Public-Private Partnerships
Facilitator
NISHI Hiroaki
Keio University, Professor
Speaker
Curitiba IPPUC, Brazil
Pilzen City,Czech
Tsukuba City, Japan
SoftBank Corp.
City of Saitama, Japan
  Break
15:45-17:00 Closing session
18:00-20:00 Reception
  • Program information is to be updated accordingly.
  • The program is tentative and there is a possibility that it may change.

Day 3: November 24th (Thu)

9:00~13:00 Technical tour
We offer a tour in a city area promoting various Smart City initiatives and Saitama City’s traditional culture of Bonsai.
  • This tour is a program for invited speakers.
  • Program information is to be updated accordingly.
  • The program is tentative and there is a possibility that it may change.

Side Events

November 22nd (Tue)
10:00-18:00

November 23rd (Wed)
10:00-16:30
Sonic City Main Bldg., Basement Floor, Exhibition Hall No.1
Please explore the exhibition of next generation vehicles by automotive manufacturer, enterprises’ leading sustainable technologies and more.
Please refer to the "Sponsors / Booth exhibition" page for details.

Speakers

November 22nd (Tue)

【Opening ceremony】13:30-13:50

Greetings from the Organizer

SHIMIZU Hayato
SHIMIZU Hayato
City of Saitama, Japan
Mayor
Remarks from our honored guests (tentative)

KUNISADA Isato
Ministry of the Environment, Japan, Parliamentary Vice-Minister
HISAMOTO Kizo
HISAMOTO Kizo
Mayors Association of Designated Cities, Chairman / City of Kobe, Mayor
Message from Sister Cities

Ed Gainey
Ed Gainey
City of Pittsburgh
Mayor

【Keynote speech】13:50-14:30

Gino Van Begin
Gino Van Begin
ICLEI
Secretary General

Establishing Sustainable and Resilient City Regions for Localizing SDGs

TAKEUCHI Kazuhiko
TAKEUCHI Kazuhiko
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
President

【Plenary session】15:30-16:15

Global Challenges and the role of the Local Governments: Local governments in the G7 Countries

Moderator

UCHIDA Togo
UCHIDA Togo
ICLEI Japan
Executive Director

 

Kelly King
Peter Kurz
City of Mannheim
Mayor

 

Markus Lewe
Markus Lewe
City of Münster
Mayor

 

Marcus König
Marcus König
City of Nuremberg
Lord Mayor

 

SHIMIZU Hayato
SHIMIZU Hayato
City of Saitama, Japan
Mayor

November 23rd (Wed)

【Breakout Session 1, 2, 3】10:00-11:30

Breakout Session 1
Realization of energy efficiency and adoption of microgrids together with on-site renewable energy

Facilitator

FUJINO Junichi
FUJINO Junichi
Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)
Principal Researcher
Outline
This session discusses measures for improving energy self-sufficiency in the region by using on-site renewable energy and optimizing energy consumption.
【Abstract】
The conventional large-scale centralized electric power infrastructure is vulnerable to power failures across a wide range when power is cut off from the grid. Therefore, it is required to construct a highly resilient distributed energy system and microgrid that can provide stable power by utilizing on-site renewable energy and unused heat.
To enhance energy resilience in cities, it is important not only to maximize the quantity of introduced renewable energy, but also to optimize energy consumption and energy self-sufficiency in the region by improving the efficiency of energy use through utilization of EMS (Energy Management System) and Buildings with high energy performance, etc.

Panelist

Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Nga
Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah
City of Kuala Lumpur
Mayor

 

Kelly King
Kelly King
County of Maui
South Maui County Councilmember

 

Nuatali Nelmes
Nuatali Nelmes
City of Newcastle
Lord Mayor

 

SUZUKI Yasutomo
SUZUKI Yasutomo
City of Hamamatsu, Japan
Mayor

 

KOJIMA Yusuke
KOJIMA Yusuke
Looop Inc.
Director of PPS business group and technical development

 

SHIMIZU Hayato
SHIMIZU Hayato
City of Saitama, Japan
Mayor
Breakout Session 2
Innovative mobility services for sustainable modes of transport

Facilitator

ISHIDA Haruo
ISHIDA Haruo
The University of Tsukuba
Professor Emeritus
Outline
This session shares the examples of advanced efforts about innovative mobility services and discusses how to realize of more sustainable and interlinked transport modes.
【Abstract】
Innovative mobility services (MaaS and mobility sharing, etc.) reduce dependence on private cars and encourage the use of public transportation. This will lead to the mitigation of traffic congestion, the development of seamless and convenient mobility services, and sustainable transport modes.
For the sustainable operation of innovative mobility services, an ingenious service design is needed to promote the utilization of big-data and open-data acquired by transportation operators and local governments.
In addition, the recognition of key issues related to regional transportation from the perspective of residents is also important.

Panelist

Daniel Alsina
Daniel Alsina
Barcelona City Council
Director of Superblock Technical Office Barcelona

 

Kristin Hull
Kristin Hull
Portland Bureau of Transportation
Planning and Project Development Division Manager

 

MUROI Shohei
MUROI Shohei
Aizuwakamatsu city, Japan
Mayor

 

SUZUKI Hiroyuki
SUZUKI Hiroyuki
Toyota Motor Corporation
MaaS Business div. Connected Company
General Manager

 

SHINOZAKI Yasuo
SHINOZAKI Yasuo
City of Saitama, Japan
Director General, City Planning Bureau
Breakout Session 3
Building a resilient city successfully adapting to climate change

Facilitator

UCHIDA Togo
UCHIDA Togo
ICLEI Japan
Executive Director
Outline
This session discusses effective actions towards decarbonization with strengthening resilience, with particular emphasis on the importance of climate change adaption.
【Abstract】
Cities and their residents are vulnerable to climate change impacts, and we acknowledge the need to build resilient cities that can adapt to complex natural disasters with greater uncertainty and large-scale than ever before.
In order to build a resilient city that successfully adapting to climate change, it is essential to promote comprehensive adaptation measures from both physical infrastructure (introduction of renewable energy, on-site renewable energy, city greening, meteorological sensing platform, etc.) and knowledge-oriented (disaster prevention in regional community, education & training, evacuation guidance, etc.).
Particularly important issues on climate change adaptation are the development of scientific analysis to predict disaster risks and the disaster prevention system that can respond to social issues such as the aging of society.

Panelist

Micael Nord
Micael Nord
City of Malmö
Director for Business and External Relations

 

Flore Marion
Flore Marion
City of Pittsburgh
Climate and Resilience Planner

 

FUJITA Hiroyuki
FUJITA Hiroyuki
City of Kyoto, Japan
Chief Resilience Officer

 

HOSODA Chie
HOSODA Chie
Tokyo Gas Network Co., Ltd.
Branch manager, Saitama branch office

 

OGAWA Hiroyuki
OGAWA Hiroyuki
City of Saitama, Japan
Deputy Mayor

【Breakout Session 4, 5, 6】13:00-14:30

Breakout Session 4
The nexus of clean energy towards a net-zero-emission future

Facilitator

KASHIWAGI Takao
KASHIWAGI Takao
Tokyo Institute of Technology
Distinguished Professor / Professor Emeritus
Outline
This session shares the examples of advanced efforts about clean energy transition and discusses future energy strategies for achieving a net-zero-emission.
【Abstract】
For sustainable cities, we need to accelerate clean energy transition towards a net-zero-emissions future, while also reducing the supply security and climate risks associated with dependence on fossil fuel energy sources.
In order to accelerate clean energy transition, it is necessary to have a system of energy area management and local production and local consumption of energy considering the characteristics of each region, such as improvement of power system, reduction of generation cost, stable power supply, sector coupling, utilization of DX technology, etc.
In addition, Ramping-up supply chains for low-carbon and renewable hydrogen and its derivatives is a key enabling step towards a full decarbonization of our cities

Panelist

Marcus König
Marcus König
City of Nuremberg
Lord Mayor

 

Sally Capp
Sally Capp
City of Melbourne
Lord Mayor

 

MATSUBARA Takeshi
MATSUBARA Takeshi
Matsuyama City, Japan
Deputy Mayor

 

KOUNO Makoto
KOUNO Makoto
TEPCO Power Grid, Incorporated
General Manager, Saitama Branch Office

 

SHIMIZU Hayato
SHIMIZU Hayato
City of Saitama, Japan
Mayor
Breakout Session 5
Making an ambitious transition to a zero-emission mobility

Facilitator

KUBOTA Hisashi
KUBOTA Hisashi
Graduate School of Saitama University
Professor
Outline
This session shares examples of advanced efforts related to the adoption of e-mobility and discusses critical issues such as infrastructure development and leverage renewable energy.
【Abstract】
The transportation sector accounts for approximately one quarter of global energy-related CO2 emissions. In particular, the deployment of e-mobility (EV, PHV, micro-mobility, etc.) and the transition away from diesel and petrol cars is important.
For the spread of e-mobility, it is necessary to overcome some challenges such as linking with renewable energy, reducing initial/running costs, extending cruising range, shortening charging time, and development of charging station.
In order to be implemented a more convenient and sustainable modes of transport with e-mobility, we need to efforts in cooperation with the private sectors, universities, residents from the perspective of community development.

Panelist

Ulrich von Kirchbach
Ulrich von Kirchbach
City of Freiburg im Breisgau
Deputy Mayor

 

Sture Portvik
Sture Portvik
Agency for Urban Environment City of Oslo
Manager Electro Mobility

 

ENDO Junichi
ENDO Junichi
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Senior Vice President, Marketing and Sales Japan-ASEAN

 

MAMADA Kazuo
MAMADA Kazuo
City of Saitama, Japan
Director General, City Strategy Headquarters
Breakout Session 6
Sustainable development of a data-driven smart city through Public-Private Partnerships

Facilitator

NISHI Hiroaki
NISHI Hiroaki
Keio University
Professor
Outline
This session shares advanced examples of data-driven smart city and discusses effective and sustainable measures through Public-Private Partnerships.
【Abstract】
With the rapid advance of digital transformation (DX) and AI/IoT technologies, a data-driven smart city will improve the quality and promote the use of local services, increase the QoL and community satisfaction of residents, and contribute to the perpetuation of communities and help solve social problems.
Utilization of regional opened-data leads to upgrading local government services and community infrastructure for transportation and energy. This is expected to enhance the living environment of citizens and optimize social and administrative costs.
In order to effectively and sustainably operate a data-driven smart city based on a common data platform, it is necessary to have close collaboration and cooperation among local governments, private sectors, residents, and other parties involved in community development.

Panelist

Oscar Ricardo
Oscar Ricardo Macedo Schmeiske
IPPUC- Institute of Research and Urban Planning of Curitiba
Coordinator of Research and Geoinformation

 

Michal Postranecky
Michal Postranecky
Czech Technical University
Director of the CIIRC / Center of City of the Future

 

IGARASHI Tatsuo
IGARASHI Tatsuo
City of Tsukuba, Japan
Mayor

 

KASHIWAGI Michiteru
KASHIWAGI Michiteru
Softbank Corp.
General Manager

 

OGAWA Hiroyuki
OGAWA Hiroyuki
City of Saitama, Japan
Deputy Mayor
  • The above programs and speakers may be subject to change at the discretion of the organizer.

Host

saitama city

Co-host

iclei

 ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability is a global network of more than 2,600 local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. In Japan, 22 local governments are members of the organization, which uses its domestic and international networks to support local government initiatives in areas such as low emission, resilience, circular development, nature-based and etc., as well as providing information and supporting the opportunities for international communication.
 Saitama City has been an ICLEI Member since July 2013.

Support

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism of Japan
Ministry of Environment of Japan