Environmental International Business

Kitakyushu Asia Center for Carbon Neutrality aims to contribute to the decarbonization of the Asian region through the export of environmental technologies.

International Environmental Cooperation in Kitakyushu

Kitakyushu Asia Center for Carbon Neutrality is engaged in technical cooperation and information sharing in the Asian region through its network with other Asian cities.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

For many years, Kitakyushu has helped Phnom Penh achieve a significant track record in the provision of clean water through the implementation of technical cooperation, including the dispatch of staff and acceptance of trainees from overseas, as well as the supply of drinkable tap water and provision of 24-hour water supply.

On the basis of the network that has been developed through this technical cooperation, Kitakyushu is developing overseas water business operations with the Kitakyushu Overseas Water Business Association as a focal point, which brings together the technologies and know-how of the public and private sectors.

Taking the opportunity of a proposal by the Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen who visited Kitakyushu against the background of this contribution, the sister city agreement was concluded in March 2016.

Dalian, China

Kitakyushu has carried out a variety of different cooperation activities with its Sister City, Dalian, over the years.

The survey on the "Dalian Environment Model Area Construction Plan,' which was proposed by Kitakyushu and was started in 1996, became the first case that an environmental cooperation at local government level developed into an ODA project (Official Development Assistance). A total of 67 experts from the local government and companies were dispatched to Dalian from Kitakyushu, and five ODA Loans were granted after the survey.

Both environmental improvement efforts have been recognized globally, with Kitakyushu receiving the Global 500 award from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1990 and Dalian receiving the award in 2001.

Surabaya, Indonesia

In order to achieve a reduction in waste, which has become a major issue in cities in developing countries, Kitakyushu has helped Surabaya implement a composting project for organic waste in households and communities. This composting method developed in cooperation with a local company in Kitakyushu has been expanded to 20,000 households and significantly contributed to local waste reduction and improvement of sanitation. Since then, the two cities have steadily built a friendly relationship and concluded a “Memorandum of Understanding as Green Sister Cities" in November 2012.

Hai Phong, Viet Nam

Technical cooperation in Viet Nam's third largest city, Hai Phong, started with a request for technical assistance on water treatment from the city's water authority and the signing of a memorandum of understanding in December 2009. From fiscal 2010 to 2012, Kitakyushu carried out technical cooperation for monitoring systems, advanced water treatment, and diversification of water sources as measures for organic contaminants of raw water in Hai Phong. During that time, experts were dispatched to Hai Phong and trainees visited Kitakyushu. As a result, great achievements have been made in a short period of time, including paving the way for measures on organic contaminants of raw water from domestic wastewater, which was a major issue for Hai Phong, as well as the introduction of advanced water purification technologies from Kitakyushu (U-BCF) into a small-scale water purification plant (Vinh Bao water treatment plant, 5,000m/day) in Hai Phong. Both cities signed a sister city agreement in 2014 with the aim of further developing friendly exchange.

Davao, Philippines

Kitakyushu and Davao started mutual interchange with a focus on the waste field since 2015, and have been making investigation of the status of waste disposal, developing human resources relating to waste management, and conducting enlightenment activities regarding waste separation, etc. in Davao.

The both cities steadily deepened their friendly relationship through these activities, and concluded the "memorandum regarding the cooperation of environmental sister city in November 2017, aiming for establishment of cooperative relationship concerning the creation of low-carbon society, construction of resource environment mechanism, and human resource development of municipal employees of the both cities.

Taking the opportunity of the conclusion of this memorandum for environmental sister city, Kitakyushu has been expanding the cooperative relationship in other fields than waste, for example, promoting activities for supporting the formulation of the action plan for climate change" in Davao.