Global Environment Forum KANSAI Releases its English Web Portal

Portal site for Sustainable City Development in Kansai

The Global Environment Forum KANSAI released its English web portal for Kansai's Sustainable City Development in November 2015. The forum, comprising businesses, local governments and academics, was established to raise environmental awareness of citizens through workshop discussions, research and policy recommendations. The portal site publishes Kansai's best practices for developing a sustainable city, inviting local governments and businesses in Asian countries to use the portal. Kansai is the name of a region in western Japan that includes the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto.

Portal site for Sustainable City Development in Kansai, Japan:
http://www.global-kansai.or.jp/portal-site-e/index.html

In order to help tackle environmental issues facing Asia, the following were selected as areas where Kansai can offer valuable information: 1) waste management; 2) energy in cities; and 3) Kansai's cultural background. The portal site introduces national and municipal policies, initiatives and technologies developed by Kansai-based companies by linking them to relevant pages in each company's website.

The portal site was set up to help solve Asian issues by disseminating Kansai's initiatives on developing sustainable cities overseas, particularly in fast-growing Asian countries. At the same time, it is expected that promoting visits, investments and new businesses to Kansai through the portal will contribute to the region's medium- to long-term growth.