Time:  1:30pm - 5:30pm

Cost:  Free. Refreshments will be served.

Program Overview

The city of Los Angeles continues their environmental efforts to improve the quality of life through projects and programs such as Green LA, green building retrofits, electric vehicle (EV) development, CleanTech LA, and the Clean Tech Corridor initiative. By working closely with research institutions, focusing on key technologies such as solar and EV, implementing policy and attracting foreign investment, the city aims to become greener while creating more green jobs.

In Japan, progressive efforts are now taking place at the city-level to lower carbon emissions and incorporate innovative green technologies. For example, Japan’s “Eco-Model Cities” project features 13 cities with unique and specific plans to achieve drastic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. To assess green building efficiency, the Comprehensive Assessment System for Building Environmental Efficiency (CASBEE) is utilized in Japan (comparable to LEED), and is unique in its scalability beyond individual buildings to allow for assessment of whole cities (known as CASBEE-city). In addition, the “EV Town” project involves a large-scale deployment of EVs into selected cities, incorporating EV infrastructure development and consumer education.

By sharing experiences and lessons related to municipal initiatives, emerging technologies, and actual case studies of city programs and effectiveness, this seminar aims to provide an opportunity to exchange information about city greening efforts, for the purpose of realizing collaborative initiatives between individuals, businesses, universities, and governments to green our city, develop business, and create jobs in the Los Angeles area.

Agenda and Speakers

1:00 pm ~ 1:30 pm / Registration and Check-In

1:30 pm ~ 1:45 pm / Opening

- Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, City of Los Angeles (invited)

- Junichi Ihara, Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles

1:45 pm ~ 3:05 pm / SESSION 1: Greening the City

A) Sustainable Community Programs in Los Angeles and UCLA

- Romel Pascual, Interim Deputy Mayor for Energy & Environment, Los Angeles Mayor’s Office

- Diana Huffaker, Associate Professor, UCLA Electrical Engineering Department (invited)

B) Eco-Model Cities Initiative in Japan: Overview of the Initiative & Case Studies of Two City Programs

- Yoshinao Ogawa, Counselor, Regional Revitalization Bureau, Cabinet Secretariat of Japanese government

- Reiji Hitsumoto, Director, Eco-Model City Kitakyushu

- Shigeru Inoue, Deputy General Manager, City Planning Project Office, Mitsubishi Estate Co., Ltd.

(Representative from Chiyoda city of Tokyo Metropolitan)

Q& A and Panel Discussion

BREAK 3:05 pm ~ 3:15 pm

3:15 pm ~ 4:15 pm / SESSION 2: Green Building

A) LA’s Green Building Program & USGBC/LEED

- Claire Bowin, Planning Department, City of Los Angeles

- Lance Williams, Executive Director, U.S. Green Building Council Los Angeles Chapter

B) CASBEE (Japan’s version of LEED) and Green Building in Japan

- Takashi Akimoto, Professor, Architectural Environmental Engineering, Shibaura Institute of Technology

Q&A and Panel Discussion

BREAK 4:15 pm ~ 4:25 pm

4:25 pm ~ 5:05 pm / SESSION 3: EV Infrastructure

A) City EV Programs and Implementation

- City of Los Angeles Representative

B) EV Town Initiative in Japan and EV for Sustainable Urban Community

- Stephen Tanaka, Project Coordinator, JETRO Los Angeles

- EV Company Representative

Q&A and Panel Discussion

5:05 pm ~ 5:30 pm / NETWORKING