Interview Series #1
Koike Yuriko, Governor of Tokyo, International Advisory Board Chair:
“Resource circulation is the pillar of Tokyo’s climate change measures. Promotion of a circular economy is an urgent task”
――The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has promoted a variety of strategies aimed at achieving zero emissions. Could you tell us about pioneering initiatives that you have implemented specifically in the area of waste management, which is what UNEP-IETC specializes in?
Governor Koike: First, we developed the three perspectives of the Zero Emission Tokyo Strategy in December 2019. One of those perspectives is to integrate resource circulation into our climate change measures in full scale and contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions outside of Tokyo as well. In order to avoid a climate crisis, we need to stop the mass consuming and discarding of resources and transition to a circular economy where resources are circulated within the economy. Achieving a circular economy in the mass-consumption area of Tokyo would have a massive impact on Japan as a whole.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games were symbolic in this respect. Did you know that the gold, silver, and bronze medals used in the event contained parts and materials collected from old cell phones? People from as far as France sent us their old cell phones for the medals. The winners’ podiums made from recycled plastic were great too. Judging from the attention garnered from other countries, especially those who lead the countries, I think we succeeded in sharing the initiatives and legacy of the Tokyo 2020 Games with people across the globe.
We need to accelerate the development of technologies such as closed-loop recycling, which involves turning used products into resources and then creating the same product using those resources. The Bureau of Environment has been holding an event called the Circular Innovation Forum since last year to raise awareness about this issue. Through this event, our aim is to share pioneering examples from foreign cities as well as strengthen cooperation with stakeholders such as manufacturers, distributors, vendors, and recycling businesses. We also have a joint project with a group of private enterprises. It’s great that companies can adopt circular economy practices as a business strategy and do good for society. However, even better would be to find a way for companies to generate profits from such good practices.
City co-learning model and environmental education in developing countries
――What do you think is needed to introduce a circular economy to developing countries going forward? And what should be done in the area of waste management in that respect?
Governor Koike: UNEP-IETC assists the development of a circular society from a government-based approach. Meanwhile, at the municipal level, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and other cities have been sharing a lot of knowhow. In this initiative, we get together to learn from models so that we can solve common issues that are faced by large cities in areas such as waste management, water quality, and air pollution. The initiative is representative of the century of cities.
Waste control is one of the keys to achieving a circular society. We need to create a system oriented toward minimizing waste and reusing products rather than just consuming and throwing away disposable goods. Minimizing waste and improving waste management procedures will help address the issue of marine plastic waste too. Even if waste from a country does not harm that country, it floats into the sea and to other countries, harming those countries and their marine and fishery resources. I visited some island nations in the South Pacific back when I was Minister of the Environment, and there I saw a lot of waste lying around. This made me realize the long-term importance of improving education about environmentally friendly processing methods and waste control measures in developing countries.
The “think globally, act locally” approach to waste management
――Could you give us some advice about the future directions and mission of UNEP-IETC? In addition, what are your expectations for UNEP-IETC?
Governor Koike: It is currently predicted that if plastic waste continues to pollute the oceans at this rate, the amount of plastic waste would exceed the number of fish living in the world’s seas by 2050, which is a little less than 30 years from now. This highlights the fact that convenience, prosperity, and population growth could lead to an increase in waste. Building on the achievements we have made over the last 30 years, we now need to create a foundation for the next 30 years.
Protecting our planet is a huge theme that involves a lot of effort. Therefore, I hope UNEP-IETC leverages its research findings to make it easier for people to understand what needs to be done and make gradual progress toward our goal. This is important, as each one of us could accelerate global warming or increase waste.
I think you have heard of the saying, “think globally, act locally.” The idea of acting on a local level while keeping sight of the big picture is relevant to the area of waste management. I think it’s essential to help people understand the personal relevance of environmental issues. Environmental issues will get worse unless the eight billion people in the world change their attitude and behavior, and the impact will be felt by our children in the decades to come. We believe it’s vital to share the big picture—maintaining our planet’s health—and educate children about the environment, so we want to help as much as possible to make progress in this direction.
