12. German-Japanese Environment and Energy Dialogue Forum

The Role of Cities and Municipalities on the Way to 'Net Zero'

At COP 26 in Glasgow, strategies and roadmaps were discussed to make the global economy greenhouse gas neutral by mid-century. As technology and innovation leaders, Germany and Japan are at the forefront of the global "race to zero."

More than 90% of the population in Japan and 75% of the German population live in cities. Urban infrastructures are significantly affected by climate change. Cities - both metropolitan areas and municipalities - can provide a response to the impacts of climate change and make a significant contribution to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Many cities in Japan and Germany have already set ambitious goals for climate neutrality and activities to transition to climate-friendly, resilient, and livable cities.

Against this background, the 12th Japan-Germany Environment and Energy Dialogue Forum, held at the Japan-Germany Center in Berlin and online on September 06 and 07, 2022, was dedicated to the "Role of Cities and Municipalities on the Way to 'Net Zero'."

On Day 1, ministry representatives from both countries reported on current decarbonization strategies and policies to support cities on their path to carbon neutrality. This was followed by an exciting panel discussion with representatives of the twin cities of Berlin and Tokyo on the specific challenges of climate protection. In the afternoon, participants had the opportunity to exchange ideas and make new contacts in a moderated networking session on regional generation and utilization concepts for renewable energies in rural regions and on waste heat utilization in cities.

Stakeholders from cities and municipalities as well as from industry and science presented examples of concepts, best practices, demonstration projects and innovative technologies in Germany and Japan for smart grids, the use of renewable energies and hydrogen, mobility concepts, heat grids and circular economy in cities in parallel sessions on day 2.

Since its inception in 2007, the German-Japanese Environment and Energy Dialogue Forum (UEDF) has established itself as a platform for intensive exchange and discussion between stakeholders from politics, industry and science from both countries on important environment and energy-related topics.
The 12th UEDF was organized by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV), the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK) and the Japanese NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) in cooperation with the Japanese Ministry of Environment (MoEJ) and the Japanese Ministry of Economy (METI).

For more information on the event and the program, please visit: https://gj-eedf.org/.
You can also find out about the exciting topics covered at last year's UEDF on our website: https://www.ecos.eu/de/referenzen.html