RCE Yokohama

Date of RCE Acknowledgement:
April, 2006

Description of RCE and Geographic Region:
RCE Yokohama is located in Yokohama City, located some 30km southwest of Tokyo. With a population of 3.73 million, Yokohama is the largest (in terms of city-level administrative systems) in Japan. Considering that lifestyles, socioeconomic systems and the way in which communities have been created need to be reviewed thoroughly to establish a sustainable society, RCE Yokohama brings together the vigour and knowledge of its citizens, gives full play to the attractions and creativity of the Yokohama area, and takes continuous actions to create a higher-quality environment, while incorporating ESD into the city’s basic plan.

Goals and Objective:
RCE Yokohama creates a flexible and cooperative framework to strengthen collaboration in environmental education and ESD. In the past, this had been conducted independently by citizens, NGOs, universities, the business sector and the administration. Over the long term, its objectives are:
To promote ESD in accordance with the characteristics of the Yokohama area by strengthening collaboration among organizations and groups engaged in such education and studies, as well as to improve their activities;
To expand the network of organizations and people that voluntarily strive for the creation of a sustainable society in the region, and to provide all the people who live and take an active part in the development of the Yokohama area with a better understanding of and more knowledge on sustainable development; and
To contribute to the realization of a sustainable society by promoting environmental education and learning across the international community, while encouraging communications and cooperation with people engaged in environmental education outside the Yokohama area.