6. Realize a world-leading “Smart City”

By becoming a Smart City -- a city leading the world in environmental policies and a global financial and economic center -- Tokyo will fulfill its mission of driving the sustainable growth of Japan as a whole.

Realize a smart energy city

Various measures for a zero-emission Tokyo

With the aim of realizing a zero-emission Tokyo, a city with no CO₂ emissions that leads the world in environmental policies, we will advance measures from various aspects.

We will work to popularize the use of zero-emission vehicles -- the next-generation vehicle set to take over the world -- while sorting out issues related to securing energy and developing infrastructure, as well as carefully paying attention to how to respond to changes in industry structure due to the shift to next-generation vehicles. For more widespread use of electric vehicles, we will start promoting the installment of chargers at apartments and condominiums. As for fuel-cell vehicles, we will continue providing subsidies for the purchase of such vehicles. The TMG will also spearhead activities in this effort, such as introducing electric vehicles when we replace old TMG-owned vehicles, and expanding introduction of fuel-cell buses to our Toei Bus fleet.

On Tokyo’s islands, we are advancing our “zero-emission island” initiatives. The model project for increasing the popularity of electric vehicles, which we conducted this fiscal year, will be continued on Hachijojima Island on a broader scale. Also, we will conduct a detailed survey on each island’s usage environment and geographical conditions for electric vehicles for their full-scale diffusion. We will carry out various other measures as well, including advancing studies on using only renewable energy to power the island by making the most of its rich natural environment.

Efforts must also be made in the area of urban development. Under the Tokyo Green Building Program, the TMG rates and makes public the environmental performance of large buildings over certain sizes. We will consider reorganizing the program so as to also cover the highest ranked “zero-energy building” rating as the first local government to do so. The TMG itself aims for that rating for the Tokyo Metropolitan Archives, which is now under renovation. With this and other initiatives, we will further promote eco-friendly buildings as part of our effort to make Tokyo a more energy-efficient city.

Post-Games urban development is planned for the Tokyo 2020 Athletes’ Village to turn this district into a smart-energy district using hydrogen energy. We will conclude a basic agreement with energy providers by the end of the fiscal year, and works will be started to lay hydrogen pipelines. We will also start specific studies on a project that will showcase Japan’s advanced environmental technologies to the world during the Games, including partial operation of the hydrogen supply system. As such, we will steadily proceed with our efforts for a future hydrogen society.

For further development of the Cap-and-Trade Program

The Tokyo Cap-and-Trade Program was introduced in fiscal 2010, and in fiscal 2016, total CO₂ emissions from facilities covered by the program decreased by 26 percent over base-year emissions. To achieve the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Tokyo by 30 percent from the 2000 level by 2030, it will be crucial to reinforce measures for the program’s third compliance period starting from fiscal 2020. The year 2020 is also a starting point for the world to launch actions toward a post-carbon society based on the Paris Agreement. Against such a backdrop, from next month we will have experts study the details of how to bolster our emissions trading program from fiscal 2020.

Preserve Tokyo’s greenery

In the Grand Design for Urban Development, we made it a goal to maintain the total amount of greenery in Tokyo. To achieve this goal, it is important to conserve and utilize “productive green lands” (designated agricultural land). There are concerns that such farmland may sharply decrease, with much turned into residential land, after 2022, when owners will no longer have to manage those properties as farmland as 30 years will have passed since designation of much of the land. Therefore, the TMG will advance measures to preserve greenery, including providing wards and cities with subsidies to help them purchase such land to turn into parks, as well as opening farms for senior citizens to learn and enjoy farming, thus presenting a model of utilizing these properties in a super-aging society.

In November, with the attendance of a member of the Imperial family, we will hold the National Arbor Day Festival for the first time in Tokyo. Taking the opportunity of this event as well, we will build further momentum for nurturing and preserving greenery and work with the citizens to pass Tokyo’s greenery on to the next generations.

Strongly support the development of industries in Tokyo

We will strongly support further development of industries in Tokyo to ensure that the economy grows in a sustainable manner. To revitalize SMEs, which play a key role in that regard, we will build a system in which companies that have splendid ideas and technologies and seek to explore new markets can utilize the human resources and marketing capabilities of large firms to develop their innovative businesses. Also, we will support SMEs in introducing and utilizing advanced technologies such as IoT and AI to improve productivity and develop new products.

In addition, we are formulating a new vision covering about 10 years from 2019 to continue providing effective support to SMEs with due attention paid to medium- to long-term issues. We started discussing the matter this month with outside experts as well, with consideration given to the current situation and environmental changes surrounding SMEs. We will complete the vision by around January next year.

To make Tokyo a global financial city, we will begin implementing the specific measures raised in the vision we compiled last year. We will advance in a swift manner new initiatives that will zero in on essential issues. This includes preparing to establish, as a public-private collaborative effort, a PR organization that will accelerate activities for encouraging overseas financial companies to come to Tokyo, as well as introducing a Tokyo version of an emerging managers program that will cultivate emerging asset managers for revitalization of the financial sector.

Set up a reserve fund for construction of new rail lines, etc.

The railway network is infrastructure that supports the growth of Tokyo and allows everyone to travel in a comfortable manner. We will take concrete measures to further upgrade this network. In the fiscal 2018 budget proposal, we have included expenses for studying the possible construction of six lines, which have been recommended by the national government’s council for study toward construction. This includes the Tama Monorail’s extension to Hakonegasaki, which would be implemented by the TMG. In addition, an ordinance to establish a new reserve fund for financing the construction of the six lines and other programs has been proposed to this regular session of the Assembly. To ensure that we can use this fund effectively, we will accelerate studies on related issues, as well as discussion and coordination with relevant parties.