Energising Resilience: Yokohama’s Distributed Decarbonisation

Yokohama is advancing a comprehensive transformation of its urban energy system to ensure both climate neutrality and resilience. With limited renewable generation capacity inside city boundaries, the municipality is investing in distributed solar, floating PV, energy-efficiency, microgrids, and battery storage. The strategy aims to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions from electricity consumption in the city’s high-impact waterfront district, responsible for 40% of local GHG emissions (particularly in the Minato Mirai 21 district, where about 10% of the city’s commercial-sector energy use is concentrated). It is supported by a robust governance and financing framework designed to accelerate decarbonisation through public-private collaboration, secure energy reliability during shocks, and build long-term resilience across neighbourhoods, buildings, and infrastructure.

Yokohama’s implementation approach is built around integrated planning, high-impact zones, and coordinated technological deployment.

Strategic planning:
The city formalised the Yokohama City Action Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures under the vision of Zero Carbon Yokohama 2050, with a strong interim focus on the waterfront, where emissions and climate vulnerability are highest. Sectoral roadmaps guide the rollout of renewables, energy efficiency, clean mobility, port decarbonisation, and climate resilience.

Distributed energy rollout:
Yokohama is expanding renewable generation despite land constraints through rooftop solar, road-integrated solar, and floating PV systems. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for rooftop solar on elementary and junior high schools and floating PV allow the city to leverage private financing. These schools also function as evacuation centres, with solar systems providing emergency power during disasters.

Flagship district demonstration – Minato Mirai 21:
Minato Mirai 21 is a flagship decarbonisation district targeting net-zero electricity by 2030. With over 140,000 workers, it integrates rooftop and road-integrated solar, high-performance buildings, floating PV, demand response, advanced district heating and cooling, and shared bicycle systems—demonstrating how public–private collaboration can deliver a resilient, low-carbon urban district.

Microgrids and energy storage:
Pilots combine battery storage, local generation, and real-time controls to ensure resilient energy supply during heatwaves, typhoons, and grid disruptions.

Energy efficiency and port decarbonisation:
Large buildings meet ≥30% energy-saving criteria, while the port deploys onshore power supply, pilots hydrogen and ammonia fuels, and electrifies equipment.

Regional renewable partnerships and governance:
Partnerships with 17 municipalities secure renewable electricity beyond city boundaries, share benefits with host communities, and are supported by robust monitoring, budgeting, and public reporting systems.

Delivering resilient energy systems in Yokohama relies on wide collaboration between local government, industry, academia and finance.

• Municipal leadership through the Zero Carbon and Green x EXPO Promotion Bureau
• Partnerships with area management organizations, 45 participating facilities, power companies, and citizens
• Minato Mirai 21 District Heating and Cooling Co., Ltd. (operator providing centralized heating and cooling)
• Research institutions and companies working on solar innovation (perovskite), hydrogen, CCU, and energy storage
• The Government of Japan and 17 municipalities nationwide

Yokohama prioritises transparency, education and public engagement to foster behavioural change and shared ownership.

• Public dashboards and dissemination of annual progress
• SDGs Future City branding to build awareness
• Integration of various decarbonisation initiatives into environmental education for students
• Co-creation workshops with commercial buildings, industries and neighbourhoods
• Citywide campaigns linking energy savings, climate action, resource circulation, and disaster preparedness

Yokohama’s transition is backed by a clear mix of municipal investment, government subsidies, and private-sector capital.

• Municipal budget allocations include:
  • Behavioural change for citizens (support for installing energy-saving and renewable energy equipment in households; subsidies for collective renewable electricity supply systems in apartment complexes): ¥3.69 billion
  • Behavioural change for businesses (support for planning and equipment investment to reduce emissions): ¥0.59 billion
  • Decarbonisation innovation (accelerating initiatives in the Minato Mirai 21 district as a leading decarbonization area; promoting installation of shore power facilities at Osanbashi Pier): ¥1.47 billion
  • City-led actions (promoting LED conversion in all public facilities; introducing solar power generation): ¥8.67 billion
  • Others: ¥1.82 billion
• Private co-investment comes from building owners, power and energy companies, transport operators, and efficiency upgrades.
• Innovation funding accelerates hydrogen and ammonia pilots, microgrids, and advanced solar applications.
• Clear eligibility and monitoring procedures ensure transparent allocation and performance tracking.

Early outcomes demonstrate structural progress in both emissions reduction and system resilience.

• Emissions falling in the central waterfront model district (Minato Mirai 21), backed by clear 2030 pathways
• Growing share of distributed solar generation in the district, along with the adoption of renewable electricity by consumers
• Increased readiness for energy disruptions citywide through battery storage
• Clean transportation and mobility achieved through the adoption of EVs and shared bicycle

Yokohama faces technical, financial and behavioural hurdles typical of deep energy transitions.

• High upfront costs for clean fuels and battery storage
• Consensus-building among residents when introducing renewable energy in apartment complexes, which account for about 60% of housing stock
• Behavioural inertia from building owners and industries
• Risk of fossil fuel lock-in without clear transition pathways
• Maintaining momentum toward 2030 milestone and the 2050 net-zero target

Yokohama’s model offers strong lessons for other mid/large-sized cities seeking resilient urban energy transformations. Its key enablers, zone-based high-leverage interventions (waterfront/industrial cluster), integrated governance, mobilization of private capital, stakeholder engagement, and a clear pathway to net-zero-resilient energy systems, make it replicable.

For replication:

• Establish a clear zone of focus (e.g., industrial/port area or dense urban cluster) where emissions are concentrated to maximise impact.
• Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)
• Integrate resilience thinking (disaster risk, decentralised supply, storage) into energy-system design rather than treating mitigation and adaptation separately.
• Ensure structured governance and monitoring with clear KPIs, stakeholder accountability and transparency to drive progress.
• Use demonstration pilots to build public buy-in and private-sector engagement, reducing behavioural and market inertia.

In conclusion, Yokohama demonstrates that urban energy resilience is not just about renewable generation, but about transforming the whole energy system in a holistic, city- driven manner. As cities worldwide face overlapping risks of climate change, energy insecurity and infrastructure disruption, this approach offers a blueprint for inclusive, resilient and low-carbon urban futures.

• UTMC Practical Implementation Guide: Resilient Urban Energy Systems
• Yokohama City Action Plan for Global Warming Countermeasures (Outline)
• Decarbonization Model for Large Cities through Public-Private Collaboration in the Minato Mirai 21 District (Leaflet)
• Yokohama City Strategy on the Use of Renewable Energy (May 2020) 
• Territorial Approach to Climate Action and Resilience in Yokohama, Japan - OECD (2025) 

Strategic Planning Division, Zero Carbon and Green x EXPO Promotion Bureau, City of Yokohama
da-kikaku@city.yokohama.lg.jp
https://businessyokohama.com/