326
In conjunction with these 16 partners, Yokohama City owns more than 2800 ha
of water source forest in Doshi village, Minamitsuru gun, Yamanashi prefecture. In
short, Yokohama City provides funds for the management and recharging of water
source forests, and the companies and organizations acquire the credits for CO 2
uptake by the forests. As a result, clean water is secured in the downstream area of
Yokohama and carbon is sequestered as a global warming countermeasure.
Yokohama City believes that such collaboration between cities and private companies will be a very effective measure in the future.
12.3.2 Initiation of the Blue Carbon Project
Japan’s coastline spans about 35,000 km, the sixth largest in the world, making it a
good candidate as a major blue carbon reservoir. Yokohama City officials anticipated the great potential of blue carbon and recognized this as a good future business opportunity for the local economy. In addition, the ability to offset carbon
along the local coast should inspire citizens of other ocean cities, making Yokohama
City a model of sustainable community development for the future. After much
preliminary work and a delay caused by the Great East Japan Great Earthquake, the
project was started in November 2011.
The first problem that needed to be solved was selecting the project sites. The
seas around Japan are strictly regulated and managed, and it was anticipated that
obstacles would arise in relation to port and fishery authorities. Even though the
goal of the project was mitigation of global warming, we recognized that site selection would be difficult.
Yokohama City officials had an opportunity to discuss the project with Mr.
Nobuyuki Furukawa, the president of Yokohama Hakkeijima Inc., located in
Kanazawa Ward. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is an amusement park complex including one of the Japan’s largest aquariums, a shopping mall, a hotel, a
marina, and other attractions. In these discussions, the president recognized the
importance of this work and soon gave permission for the Blue Carbon Project to be
located within the sea owned by Yokohama Hakkeijima. The president said that
while some overseas aquariums are based on marine research laboratories, those in
Japan are solely for entertainment, and he relished the opportunity for the company
to become involved in these experiments.
12.4 Implementation of the Yokohama Blue Carbon Project
12.4.1 Project Framework and Objectives
As detailed in the framework illustrated in Fig. 12.1, in addition to blue carbon,
Yokohama City introduced the concept of blue resources, both of which are included
in the Yokohama Blue Carbon Project in order to make the carbon credit more
M. Nobutoki et al.
In conjunction with these 16 partners, Yokohama City owns more than 2800 ha
of water source forest in Doshi village, Minamitsuru gun, Yamanashi prefecture. In
short, Yokohama City provides funds for the management and recharging of water
source forests, and the companies and organizations acquire the credits for CO 2
uptake by the forests. As a result, clean water is secured in the downstream area of
Yokohama and carbon is sequestered as a global warming countermeasure.
Yokohama City believes that such collaboration between cities and private companies will be a very effective measure in the future.
12.3.2 Initiation of the Blue Carbon Project
Japan’s coastline spans about 35,000 km, the sixth largest in the world, making it a
good candidate as a major blue carbon reservoir. Yokohama City officials anticipated the great potential of blue carbon and recognized this as a good future business opportunity for the local economy. In addition, the ability to offset carbon
along the local coast should inspire citizens of other ocean cities, making Yokohama
City a model of sustainable community development for the future. After much
preliminary work and a delay caused by the Great East Japan Great Earthquake, the
project was started in November 2011.
The first problem that needed to be solved was selecting the project sites. The
seas around Japan are strictly regulated and managed, and it was anticipated that
obstacles would arise in relation to port and fishery authorities. Even though the
goal of the project was mitigation of global warming, we recognized that site selection would be difficult.
Yokohama City officials had an opportunity to discuss the project with Mr.
Nobuyuki Furukawa, the president of Yokohama Hakkeijima Inc., located in
Kanazawa Ward. Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise is an amusement park complex including one of the Japan’s largest aquariums, a shopping mall, a hotel, a
marina, and other attractions. In these discussions, the president recognized the
importance of this work and soon gave permission for the Blue Carbon Project to be
located within the sea owned by Yokohama Hakkeijima. The president said that
while some overseas aquariums are based on marine research laboratories, those in
Japan are solely for entertainment, and he relished the opportunity for the company
to become involved in these experiments.
12.4 Implementation of the Yokohama Blue Carbon Project
12.4.1 Project Framework and Objectives
As detailed in the framework illustrated in Fig. 12.1, in addition to blue carbon,
Yokohama City introduced the concept of blue resources, both of which are included
in the Yokohama Blue Carbon Project in order to make the carbon credit more
M. Nobutoki et al.