Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike and Governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan, have been elected as Vice Chairs of the C40 Steering Committee, the governing body providing strategic direction for the global network of 97 cities committed to addressing the climate crisis.
Governor Koike previously served as a Vice Chair on the Steering Committee since 2016. Her re-appointment comes after she was elected for a second term in office. She is the city’s first female Governor and has been a consistent champion of environmental issues in Tokyo and across Japan.
Governor Baswedan has served in his country’s Parliament since 2017. Earlier this year, he was instrumental in supporting the city of Jakarta to launch an ambitious Clean Air Partnership that tackles air pollution and raises awareness of its health impact.
As Vice Chairs, Koike and Baswedan will support the mayors of C40 Cities as they work together to deliver a green and just recovery from the COVID pandemic and address the climate crisis. C40’s member cities represent 700 million citizens and one quarter of the world’s economy. Through collaboration and innovation, the mayors of C40 Cities are determined to deliver on the Paris Agreement’s highest ambition and keep global temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees, and to do so in an equitable way.
Governor of Tokyo, Yuriko Koike said: “A new momentum ambitiously heading for both climate crisis resolution and economic recovery is growing in this aftermath of COVID-19. The role of cities is critical in the confrontation of these two major issues, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is promoting a Sustainable Recovery that includes the perspective of realizing a sustainable way of life for all people. As a member of the Steering Committee, I fully recognize the importance of action in the stand against the climate crisis. And in order to encourage further action, I’ll cooperate with C40 member cities to create a worldwide movement fighting climate change. To be a showcase for the world as an eco-conscious city, we’ll contribute to the decarbonization of C40 and the world by further promoting environmental policies.
Governor of Jakarta, Anies Baswedan said: “Jakarta is determined to expand C40’s outreach to work with other cities and stakeholders towards the objective of implementing transformative climate actions that are following the Paris Agreement. Recent developments in the region have provided unprecedented opportunities to engage with the youth, private sectors, national governments, and local as well as international non-governmental partners.”