The Ministry of the Environment of Japan, Nagano Prefecture (Japan) and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability hosted a special edition of the Local Renewables Conference Series on 7-8 September 2017, in Nagano, Japan. For the first time in 2017 the Local Renewables Conference was organised in Japan as part of the established Local Renewables Conference Series, initiated and biannually organised in Europe by ICLEI and the City of Freiburg, Germany. 

With approximately 500 participants from all over Japan as well as overseas, the conference offered a unique opportunity for local governments, energy service providers, business representatives and experts to meet and share their experiences in their efforts towards achieving 100% renewable engergy cities and regions.

On 8 September, “The Nagano Declaration: Local leaders working together to achieve 100% renewable energy cities and regions” was presented as an outcome of the conference. The declaration indicates the commitment of Mayors and Governors of Japanese local governments who attended the “Local Leaders Summit” to take new action and enhance cooperation towards achieving 100% renewable energy cities and regions.

The Nagano Declaration

BACKGROUND

By ratifying the Paris Agreement Japan has pledged to reduce CO2 emissions drastically while building a low carbon society. Local governments play a significant role in leading the shift from a fossil fuel based society to a low carbon society that takes advantage of local and renewable energy sources.

After the 2011 nuclear accidents in Fukushima, Japanese local governments recognised the limit of a centralised, fossil fuel-based energy system. To make energy system safer and more sustainable, local governments and citizens across the country are working towards GHG reduction plans based on the Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures to expand renewable energy and to build a low carbon society.

Renewable energy generation can also revitalise local economies and provide tools for solving broader societal challenges, such as an aging society.

CONFERENCE TOPICS

• Good practices in establishing locally owned renewable energy supply systems
• The transition towards a more renewable, energy-based, and low carbon society at the local level
• The latest status of renewable energies and energy savings, as well as measures and actions to expand them
• Barriers and opportunities when building a low carbon society
• Energy autonomous communities and viable energy sources in Japan

SPEAKERS & PRESENTATIONS

Thursday 7 September

Welcome remarks

• Shuichi Abe, Governor, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
• Satoru Morishita, Director General of Global Environment Bureau, Ministry of the Environment, Japan
• Jessica Suplie, Policy Officer, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety, Germany
• Dr. Dieter Salomon, Lord Mayor, City of Freiburg, Germany
• Kunihiro Hamada, President, Shinshu University

Keynote: German and global trends of renewables and energy efficiency

• Prof. Dr. Peter Hennicke, Senior Advisor, Wuppertal Institute for Climate, Environment and Energy 〔PDF〕

1-A: The role of local energy companies—“Stadtwerke”

• Tatsushi Isobe, CEO, Miyama Smart Energy Co., Ltd. (Moderator) 〔PDF〕
• Sören Högel, Head of Strategy and Development, Wuppertal Stadtwerke 〔PDF〕
• Hideaki Aoyama, CEO, Machi Mirai Seisakujo 〔PDF〕
• Midori Kitahashi, Tokyo Metropolitan Center for Climate Change Actions, Tokyo Environmental Public Service Corporation, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Kenji Inagaki, Project Researcher, Kyoto University 〔PDF〕
• Eiji Oishi, CEO, Minna-Denryoku, Inc. 〔PDF〕
• Shun Hidai, Director, Electric Power Operation Division, Public Enterprise Bureau, Nagano Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Masaki Hara, President & CEO, Shonan Power Co., Ltd. 〔PDF〕

1-B: Public participation and community power

• Tetsunari Iida, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Energy Policies (ISEP) (Moderator) 〔PDF〕
• Yauemon Sato, President & CEO, Aizu Electric Power Company 〔PDF〕
• Akihiro Hara, CEO, Ohisama Shimpo Energy Co., Ltd. 〔PDF〕
• Bertram Fleck, former District Administrator, Rhein-Hünsruck-Kreis, Germany 〔PDF〕
• Guido Wallraven, Climate Change Manager, City of Saerbeck, Germany 〔Video〕
• Tsuyoshi Furukawa, Director, Houtoku Energy Co., Ltd. 〔PDF〕

Presentations by leading local governments

• Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director for Europe, ICLEI (Moderator)
• Dr. Dieter Salomon, Lord Mayor, City of Freiburg, Germany 〔PDF〕
• Wilfried Roos, Mayor, City of Saerbeck, Germany 〔PDF〕
• Bertram Fleck, former District Administrator, Rhein-Hünsruck-Kreis, Germany 〔PDF〕
• Eri Nakajima, Vice Governor, Nagano Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Yasuichi Sugama, Deputy Director of Planning and Coordination, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕

2-A: The potential of solar power generation

• Motoshi Muraoka, Partner, NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting Inc. (Moderator)
• Minori Sawada, Senior Staff Member, Tokyo Metropolitan Center for Climate Change Actions, Tokyo Environmental Public Service Corporation, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Yoshihiro Tsuchiya, Senior Staff Member, Environmental Planning Division, Environmental Affairs Bureau, City of Nagoya, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Detlef Gerdts, Head of Climate Change Division, City of Osnabrück, Germany 〔PDF〕
• Yuichiro Yamakawa, President & CEO, Tama Empower Co., Ltd. 〔PDF〕
• Kazuyoshi Nakashima, President & CEO, AZUMA 〔PDF〕
• Kenta Kimura, President & CEO, Denkasinki Co., Ltd 〔PDF〕

2-B: Expansion of wind power and biomass

• Takanobu Aikawa, Senior Researcher, Renewable Energy Foundation (Moderator) 〔PDF〕
• Kazumi Toyooka, Director, Tokushima Regional Energy 〔PDF〕
• Frank-Michael Uhle, Climate Change Manager, Rhein-Hünsruck-Kreis, Germany 〔PDF〕
• Dr. Magnus Buhlert, Head of Renewable Energies, Lower Saxony Ministry for Environment, Energy and Climate Protection, Germany 〔PDF〕
• Dimitri Pescia, Senior Associate, European Energy Cooperation, Agora Energiewende 〔PDF〕

3-A: Power of networks for accelerating local action

• Takashi Otsuka, Director, ICLEI Japan (Moderator) 〔PDF〕
• Dr. Uwe Leprich, Department Manager I 2, Climate Change and Energy, German Environment Agency 〔PDF〕
• Stefanie Schäfter, Research Associate, German Institute of Urban Affairs (DiFu) 〔PDF〕
• Stéfan Le Dû, Sustainable Development Councilor, Embassy of France in Japan 〔PDF〕
• Lasse Bruun, Head of Global Campaign Coordination, Climate Action Network (CAN) International 〔PDF〕
• Dr. Tsuneo Takeuchi, Professor of Environmental Policy, Nagoya University Graduate School of Environmental Studies 〔PDF〕
• Ryoichi Gohara, Director, Renewable Energy Shinshu-net 〔PDF〕

3-B: Local economic impacts of renewable energy and energy saving

• Dr. Jörg Raupach-Sumiya, Professor, College of Business Administration, Ritsumeikan University 〔PDF〕
• Manfred Rauschen, Executive Partner, Öko-Zentrum NRW 〔PDF〕
• Dr.-Ing. Martin Hoppe-Kilpper, IdE Institute decentralized Energy Technologies 〔PDF〕
• Shinichiro Tanaka, Director, Local Policy Design Office, Inc. 〔PDF〕
• Tetsuro Nakatani, Director, club Vauban 〔PDF〕
• Franzjosef Schafhausen, Former Director General of Climate Change, European and International Affairs, German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety 〔PDF〕
• Mari Yoshitaka, Chief Consultant, Clean Energy Finance Division, Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities Co., Ltd. 〔PDF〕

Friday 8 September

Parallel session reports

• Tatsushi Isobe, CEO, Miyama Smart Energy Co., Ltd. (Moderator)
• Motoshi Muraoka, Partner, NTT Data Institute of Management Consulting Inc. (Moderator)
• Takanobu Aikawa, Senior Researcher, Renewable Energy Foundation (Moderator) 〔PDF〕
• Takashi Otsuka, Director, ICLEI Japan (Moderator) 〔PDF〕
• Dr. Jörg Raupach-Sumiya, Professor, College of Business Administration, Ritsumeikan University
• Wolfgang Teubner, Regional Director for Europe, ICLEI (Moderator)

Local Leaders’ Summit: “Towards 100% Renewable Energy cities and regions”
Co-chairs:

• Eri Nakajima, Vice Governor, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
• Prof. Hironori Hamanaka, Chair, ICLEI Japan

Speakers:

• Hiroshi Gotoda, Vice Governor, Tokushima Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Kenichi Kato, Mayor, City of Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Mitsuo Makino, Mayor, City of Iida, Nagano, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Takashi Shirotori, Mayor, City of Ina, Nagano Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Toshiyuki Oguchi, Mayor, City of Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Masashi Komurasaki, Mayor, City of Ikoma, Nara Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Morio Furuyama, Vice Mayor, City of Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan 〔PDF〕
• Dr. Dieter Salomon, Lord Mayor, City of Freiburg, Germany
• Wilfried Roos, Mayor, City of Saerbeck, Germany
• Dr. Marlon Bröhr, District Administrator, Rhein-Hünsruck-Kreis, Germany