[Yokohama City] A Historic Step Towards a Circular Society: The "Asian Circular Cities Declaration System" Officially Launched with 21 Cities

Last November, at the initiative of Yokohama City, the international framework "Asian Circular Cities Declaration System" (ACCD) was established by ICLEI Japan (*1). We are pleased to announce that Yokohama City, in collaboration with ICLEI Japan and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, has jointly declared the official launch of this system with 21 founding cities (*3) across 7 countries (total population exceeding 53 million). Concurrently, Mayor Yamana, in cooperation with ICLEI Japan, jointly announced that the "Asia Pacific Circular Cities Forum (APCC-Forum)" will be held in Yokohama from September 2nd to 4th, 2026, serving as an opportunity for ACCD signatory cities to gather and share knowledge. Furthermore, as a founding city that initiated the establishment of ACCD, Mayor Yamana proposed the following joint initiatives, which received the endorsement of ICLEI Japan: 1. To formulate an action plan, "ACCD Action Plan," for advancing the transition to circular cities unique to Asia. 2. To compile "Asian Circular Cities Action 50 (tentative name)" as a mechanism for signatory ACCD cities to share practical examples refined in their respective regions and enhance their policy-making capabilities. 3. To formulate "Policy Recommendations" to national governments and international organizations to convey the voices of Asian cities to the world and foster collaboration with diverse actors. Announcement of ACCD Founding Cities

Mayor Yamana's Speech

Memorandum Renewal

The total population of the founding cities exceeds 53 million. It is expected that by expanding the number of signatory cities and through their cross-border joint actions, a significant international impact will be generated. Furthermore, alongside the announcement of ACCD founding cities, Mayor Yamana and Governor Chadchart Sittipunt of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration agreed to strengthen cooperation between the two cities towards the transition to circular cities in Asia, and renewed the memorandum of inter-city cooperation. Moving forward, the aim is to achieve a circular society throughout Asia by sharing practices among cities. In addition, Mayor Yamana was the first municipal leader from the Asia-Pacific region to speak at "Sustainability Week Asia," a high-level international conference hosted by the Economist Group, an international media organization. He emphasized the importance of cities playing a role in generating environmental impact across the entire region by engaging diverse stakeholders. He introduced Yokohama's initiative to visualize resources in the Minato Mirai 21 district, transforming it into a hub that generates "circulation and value" from "waste and consumption." At the venue, representatives from international organizations and corporations showed great interest in the Mayor's vision and Yokohama's advanced initiatives.

Panel Discussion

In preparation for the 9th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-9) to be held in Yokohama in 2027, a meeting was held with the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), and the official logo, created with input from young people, was jointly announced. During the meeting, Mayor Yamana announced the launch of a new initiative by Yokohama City, "APUF Voices of the Future," which aims to create opportunities for exchange and learning for 10,000 young people to consider the future of cities and convey their voices to the world from Yokohama, leveraging the APUF-9. Furthermore, a report was made on the release of the "Voluntary Local Review (VLR)" of SDGs progress compiled by Yokohama City in cooperation with ESCAP, and future collaboration was confirmed.

Announcement of APUF-9 Official Logo

This series of announcements regarding Yokohama City's contribution to circular city development in the Asia-Pacific region marks a significant milestone, heralding the full-scale commencement of collaboration with various cities starting with ACCD. ※1 ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability): A global network of over 2,500 local governments that advocates for local governments before the UN, aiming to achieve sustainable cities and regions. ICLEI Japan serves as the Japanese office of ICLEI, connecting Japanese local governments with the ICLEI international network. ※2 Asian Circular Cities Declaration System (ACCD): Established by ICLEI Japan during the "Asia Smart City Conference 2025" hosted by Yokohama City last November, as an international system to promote the transition to circular cities in the Asian region. Yokohama City, as a founding city, signed at the conference and became the first signatory city. ※3 ACCD Founding Cities (21 cities in 7 countries, playing a core role in ACCD): (Indonesia) ・Jakarta Special Capital Region ・Balikpapan City ・Bogor City ・Makassar City (South Korea) ・Goyang City ・Nowon-gu, Seoul ・Chungcheongnam-do ・Paju City (Thailand) ・Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (Japan) ・Saitama City ・Tokyo ・Yokohama City (Philippines) ・Del Carmen City, Province of Surigao del Norte ・Quezon City ・Cebu City ・Baguio City ・Makati City ・Muntinlupa City ・Borongan City (Vietnam) ・Da Nang City (Malaysia) ・Seberang Perai City