Tokyo chief is eager to collaborate with the UAE on green projects, from solar paint to traffic solutions
Tokyo's governor, Yuriko Koike, is keen on collaborating with green start-ups from the UAE on innovative projects, ranging from bendable solar cells for skyscrapers to tackling air pollution. As the first female governor of Tokyo, Koike oversees the world's largest city with a population of 14 million. At COP28, she emphasized the urgency of taking action and invited UAE small and medium businesses to visit Tokyo for collaboration on clean energy challenges.
Koike, named in Forbes' list of the world's 100 most powerful women, has a strong history of public service and a commitment to renewable energy. She is particularly interested in technology that addresses waste management, traffic, and pollution issues in densely populated urban areas. Koike aims to achieve ambitious environmental goals for Tokyo, including halving the city's carbon emissions by 2030 and reaching zero emissions by 2050.
The governor is excited about a Tokyo metropolitan government project focused on developing perovskite solar technology. Perovskite cells, being flexible and lighter than silicon-based solar cells, offer innovative possibilities. With a thickness of less than 1 micrometer, these cells can be painted or sprayed onto surfaces, making them versatile for various applications. Koike sees perovskite solar panels as potential game-changers in renewable energy, especially due to their bendable nature, enabling placement on roofs, walls, and curved surfaces. Tokyo has launched a testing site at a sewerage facility to explore the efficiency and practicality of perovskite panels.
Researchers globally are working towards the commercial manufacturing of perovskite solar panels to broaden access and usage of solar power by making them easily adaptable to diverse surfaces, including building walls. Ms. Koike has strong connections to the Middle East, having studied sociology at Cairo University and being fluent in Arabic.
A frequent visitor to the UAE since the 1970s, she has witnessed sweeping changes from its pearl-diving past to its transformation into a global economic hub. “My first visit to Dubai and the Emirates was in the 1970s, so I have seen such enormous strategic development,” she said. “It is such a miracle, the change from that day to 52 years after. Since I lived in this region, the society has taught me a lot, and this has deepened my understanding of the UAE.” Her slogan, "Time to Act," is part of her continuous effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Tokyo will host an event named SusHiTech in May 2024, where technology companies and innovators will gather to tackle global challenges. “I’m inviting leaders and companies from this region to participate in this event,” she said. “It’s called SusHiTech, but has nothing to do with sushi and represents sustainability and high tech.
