Sustainable Society ―The Commitment of Kitakyushu’s
Citizens
Kitakyushu city, which is located on the western island of Japan, developed as one of Japan’s four major industrial centers from the onset of the 20 century.
In the 1950s, Kitakyushu faced serious industrial pollution. The environmental concerns were first raised by housewives who assumed the major
responsibility of the health of their families. In order to keep family members healthy and safe, these women dedicated themselves to learning about environmental problems and collected data on the city’s pollution levels with the help of university professors and experts. Triggered by the women’s advocacy movement called “We want a blue sky,” concerted efforts were made by residents, universities, the municipal government and businesses for many years, until finally the people got their wish of a return to the blue sky in the 1980s.
Today, Kitakyushu city is a front runner in the quest towards becoming a green economy. The city was selected as one of eleven Future Cities under the Future City Initiatives by the Japanese government in 2010 and as a Green Growth Model City by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2011.
Collaboration with various stakeholders was a key to overcoming the industrial pollution in the past, and so will again be the mainstay behind achieving a green economy.
Collaboration for building a sustainable society
Kitakyushu Institute on
Sustainability
(KIS)
2-5-7 Higashida, Yahatahigashi-ku, Kitakyushu 805 0071 Japan E-mail: [email protected]
Tel: +81-93-663-7400, Fax. +81-93-662-3800 https://sites.google.com/site/npoksks/ Japan
Purpose:
To build a sustainable social system and to make the local community active using Kitakyushu's networks of residents, civic groups, the private sector, individuals, and the public sector.
History:
Established as the Support Center of Citizens’ Environmental Activities in 2006, and renamed as the Kitakyushu Institute on Sustainability in 2010.
Organization:
Consists of an Executive Board (ten board directors and one auditor) and members (individuals and organizations).
Focal Areas:
(1) Activities to conserve the environment (2) Activities to promote community development (3) Activities to promote social education
(4) Activities to support and advise the organizations that work in the above fields
Major Activities in FY 2011:
1) Organized study meetings, lectures and workshops on energy reflecting the impacts of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident that occurred on March 11, 2011.
2) Organized a study meeting and workshop on the UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) to be held in Rio de Janeiro on June 20-22, 2012. Participants in the workshop sent messages about their wishes for the future to Rio+ 20 through
“The Future We Want - Japan Voices” project.
3) Supported and promoted ESD (Education for the Sustainable Development) activities collaborating with the RCE (Regional Centre of Expertise) Kitakyushu and Kitakyushu ESD Council. 4) Supported citizens environmental activities through the city’s
Kanpass Sticker Project (People can get Kanpass stickers by bringing their own bags to shops instead of being given plastic bags. By collecting the stickers, they can get discounts at participating shops.)
