The City of Yokohama and ICLEI Japan co-hosted the Asia-Pacific Circular City (APCC) Forum 2026 in Yokohama from September 2 to 4. The inaugural forum brought together 52 local governments and organizations from Japan and abroad.
Sixteen sessions held at PACIFICO Yokohama North on September 3 and 4 brought together representatives from participating local governments and organizations, as well as business leaders and students, to discuss pathways for transitioning to circular cities across Asia. At the closing session on September 4, three key outcomes were announced.
The first was the expansion of the Asia Circular City Declaration (ACCD), an international framework for advancing circular cities. ICLEI Japan announced the following 17 newly declared cities:
- Japan: Kobe
- India: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation, Kochi Municipal Corporation
- Indonesia: Jayapura, Probolinggo
- Nepal: Damauli, Dhankuta, Tilottama, Hetauda Sub-Metropolitan City, Pokhara Metropolitan City
- Pakistan: Rawalpindi
- Bangladesh: Kushtia, Sreepur, Barishal
- Philippines: Province of Cebu, Danao City
- Malaysia: George Town
With these additions, the number of ACCD signatory cities has grown from 26 cities across 7 countries (with a combined population of over 57 million) to 43 cities across 11 countries (with a combined population of over 82 million).
The second outcome was the publication of “ACCD Action 2026,” the first-ever action plan under the ACCD framework. Drawing on the results of an initiative survey conducted by ICLEI Japan among ACCD signatory cities, three working groups will be established:
- ACCD Good Practices Working Group: to collect and share good practices, with a target of presenting 50 case studies by 2027
- ACCD Solution Matching/Co-Creation Working Group: to facilitate the introduction of private-sector solutions to cities and recruit partner companies
- ACCD Progress Management Working Group: to develop progress monitoring methods for the ACCD and provide training for signatory cities
In addition, ICLEI Japan, which serves as the ACCD Secretariat, will promote multilateral collaboration with national governments and international organizations to create new opportunities for signatory cities, while strengthening ties with bodies such as the European Circular Cities Declaration. The plan also calls for inviting more cities to join the ACCD, engaging international organizations and foundations to support projects that strengthen the framework, exploring the introduction of a private-sector participation mechanism (ACCD Partners), and publishing and promoting an ACCD Report.
The third outcome was the launch of the “Student Project Expanding from Yokohama to the Asia-Pacific,” an initiative to amplify the voices of the next generation on the global stage ahead of the 9th Asia-Pacific Urban Forum (APUF-9), to be co-hosted with the APCC Forum in 2027.
At the closing ceremony, Deputy Mayor Jun Matsuura (松浦淳) of the City of Yokohama, representing the host organization, welcomed the ACCD’s progress from its launch in Yokohama last year to the announcement of its first action plan, and stated that next year’s APCC Forum would be scaled up and held during the Yokohama Green Expo. He indicated plans to designate the period from August 30 to September 3, 2027 as “Yokohama Circular Week,” creating an opportunity for people involved in the circular economy from Japan and around the world to gather in Yokohama. Kazuhiko Takemoto (竹本和彦), Chair of ICLEI Japan and co-host of the forum, expressed his commitment to advancing ACCD activities together with all 43 signatory cities—including the 17 newly joined—and to contributing to the realization of a circular society across Asia.
【Press Release】APCC Forum Held for the First Time in Yokohama Marks Progress Toward Circular City Transition; First-Ever Action Plan Announced Under the Asia Circular City Declaration (ACCD)
【Reference Site】APCC Forum 2026
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※This article is republished from Circular Economy Hub, operated by Article Inc.
