#Japan #Tokyo #Carbon Zero #Green Peace

The Inaugural Citizen's Choice Carbon Zero Local Award

On October 6, 2025, the Citizen's Choice Carbon Zero Local Award Executive Committee, consisting of four environmental organizations and think tanks, officially announced its first recipients. This award aims to recognize municipalities that excel in initiatives for local decarbonization while promoting health, comfort, and safety for residents. The awards ceremony is scheduled for October 28, 2025, in Shimbashi, Tokyo, where the recognized municipalities will present their efforts, and a grand prize winner will also be chosen from among them.

Purpose of the Award

With the effects of climate change becoming increasingly severe, local efforts toward decarbonization have become more critical than ever. While there are numerous commendable initiatives across the nation, many remain unknown or inadequately shared among municipalities. The Carbon Zero Local Award encourages this exchange by allowing citizens to nominate municipalities for their decarbonization measures. A panel of representatives from civic groups and experts will evaluate these nominations. The award emphasizes that decarbonization should not impose hardships or restrictions on residents but instead should enhance health, comfort, and local economic development.

Details of the Award Ceremony

• - Date: October 28, 2025, from 2:00 PM to 4:30 PM
• - Location: Cross-Corp Shimbashi, Seminar Room A
• - Address: Urban Net Nakaicho Building 3F, 1-1-13 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, 105-0004
• - Format: Hybrid (both online and on-site participation)
• - Participation Application: Sign up here (A participation URL will be shared later for online attendees)
• - Chief Judge: Junichi Fujino (Senior Researcher, IGES)
• - Judges: Asuka Toshikawa (Tohoku University), Tetsuya Iida (Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies), Manabu Utagawa (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology), Kazue Suzuki (Greenpeace Japan), Nanami Takei (POW Japan), Makoto Maeda (University of Tokyo), Eriho Masumura (Greens Japan)

Ceremony Program

• - 2:00 PM - 2:15 PM: Opening remarks and introduction of judges and award-winning municipalities
• - 2:15 PM - 4:00 PM: Presentations by seven award-winning municipalities
• - 4:00 PM - 4:15 PM: Break
• - 4:15 PM - 4:30 PM: Grand prize announcement and awards ceremony (certificate presentation and commemorative photography)
• - 4:30 PM - 5:00 PM: Networking session

Award Categories

• - Partnership Award: For outstanding collaborations with citizens, businesses, and other departments.
• - Citizen Impact Award: Recognizing initiatives that profoundly affect residents' lived experiences.
• - Breakthrough Award: For overcoming systematic and organizational barriers.
• - Special Jury Award: Selected by the judges for unique reasons.

Award-Winning Municipalities

• - Partnership Award:

- Kumamoto Prefecture, Kumamoto Village: Disaster recovery projects premised on decarbonization.
- Tokyo, Katsushika Ward: Demonstrating leadership in the decarbonization of Tokyo's 23 wards.
- Kyoto Prefecture, Fukuchiyama City: A sustainable renewable energy introduction model through citizen and regional collaboration.

• - Breakthrough Award:

- Tokyo: Mandatory installation of solar panels in new housing.
- Tottori Prefecture: Development of unique energy-efficient housing standards for health.

• - Citizen Impact Award:

- Tokyo, Setagaya Ward: Exploring heat countermeasures in elementary and middle school facilities.

• - Special Jury Award:

- Kochi Prefecture, Kuroshio Town: Decarbonization initiatives led collectively by a small municipality.

Judging Insights

Junichi Fujino, Chief Judge of IGES, remarked, "Japan's energy self-sufficiency is only at 12.6%, and leveraging local human, financial, and material resources to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy directly impacts the revitalization of local economies and the security of Japan's energy. Moreover, transforming schools and public facilities into ZEB (Net Zero Energy Buildings) is crucial as safe havens in preparation for increasingly frequent extreme weather events such as heat waves and heavy rains. I hope this award facilitates the sharing of knowledge and practices across regions, marking a meaningful step toward sustainable community building."

Kazue Suzuki, Climate Change and Energy Lead at Greenpeace Japan, expressed excitement for the future, saying, "Many may feel despair due to the worsening global warming situation, but learning about the effective initiatives from across the country reassures me that there are actionable measures underway everywhere. Shared resilient strategies enhance children's learning environments and improve residents' well-being. I am convinced that by broadly communicating these excellent climate measures, similar initiatives will spread to other regions, ultimately enhancing living standards and accelerating the creation of a decarbonized society."

(Note 1: NPO Greens, Greenpeace Japan, Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies, POW Japan)