Climate Integrate is an independent nonprofit organisation established in 2022 in Japan.
Mission & Values
Mission
To protect our climate, we conduct research, engagement, and communication to accelerate policy changes and actions.We envision integrated approaches that connect scientific, political, and social dimensions.
Vision
We aim to realize a just, sustainable, and peaceful society through accelerate climate actions toward decarbonisation by civil society, business and public sector.
Value
Knowledge
Provide information and analysis on climate solutions
Integrity
Support open, transparent and inclusive processes and dialogue
Empowerment
Promote multi-stakeholder engagement to accelerate decarbonization
Our Team

Kimiko Hirata, Ph.D
Executive Director
Kimiko started her climate work at a US NGO in 1996. She then worked with the Japanese non-profit Kiko Network from the time it was established in 1998 until 2021. While there she spearheaded climate policy and advocacy efforts and attended most of the annual international climate conferences starting with COP3 (Kyoto) in 1997. Concerned about a new boom in coal power plant construction in Japan following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, she launched a multipronged campaign to fight coal, which has culminated in the cancellation of 17 planned coal plants to date. She was also successful in gaining support from shareholders for Japan’s first-ever climate shareholder resolutions targeting Japanese banks (Mizuho in 2020 and MUFJ in 2021). For all her efforts, she was awarded the 2021 Goldman Environmental Prize in 2021. She established Climate Integrate in 2022 with the aim of supporting multiple actors’ decarbonisation efforts by working together with partners in Japan and abroad. She is a visiting associate professor at the Chiba University of Commerce, which is home to Japan’s first 100% renewable university initiative. Her publications include “Climate Change and Politics” in Japanese (2019). She has a Ph.D in social sciences from Waseda University in Tokyo. She was born in Kumamoto. Linkedin | twitter

Tetsuji Ida
Board of Directors
Senior Staff Writer & Editorial Writer (Environment, Energy and Development)
After graduating from Tokyo University (sociology of science and technology) Tetsuji started in journalism as a staff writer for Kyodo News in 1983, later serving as the Washington bureau’s science correspondent from 2001 to 2004 and in his current position since 2016.
He is well versed in the topic of climate change, having reported on the issue since before the formal adoption of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992 and serving as the main reporter for Kyodo News covering COP3 in Kyoto in 1997. He has reported from the frontlines on environmental, poverty, and conservation issues in many countries in Asia, Africa and South America for more than 30 years. He has covered many international conferences on multilateral environmental agreements, including the UNFCCC, CITES, CBD, Montreal Protocol, Ramsar Convention, WSSD, and Rio+20, and has authored or coauthored twenty books on topics ranging from primate conservation to climate change, fisheries resources, toxic chemicals, natural resources management, and the ocean environment.

Kenji Shiraishi
Board of Directors
Researcher
Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Kenji is a researcher at the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory (RAEL) and a Ph.D. student at Goldman School of Public Policy (GSPP) at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also a graduate student researcher at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He has conducted various studies on renewable energy development and grid integration towards zero-carbon grid using spatial data analysis, mathematical optimization, capacity expansion modeling, econometrics, and techno-economic analysis. He has ten years of professional experience in domestic and international climate policy as Deputy Director for Market-based Climate Policy at the Japanese Government (Ministry of the Environment) and Managing Director for Global Environment Centre Foundation, including negotiation on Technology at COP 18 and 19. He holds a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from the University of Tokyo and an MPP from UC Berkeley.

Naoyuki Yamagishi
Board of Directors
Chief Conservation Officer
Director, Climate & Energy and Oceans & Fisheries Division WWF Japan
COP3 in Kyoto inspired Naoyuki to work on international climate policies in his freshman year at Ritsumeikan University. He pursued a master degree in International Relations and Environmental Policy at Boston University. After graduation, he joined WWF Japan in 2003. Since then, his work has been focused on policy advocacy. He covered both domestic and international climate policies. Domestically, he has been working on cap-and-trade scheme and energy policy advocacy and, internationally, he has participated in the UN climate negotiations almost every year since 2003 with the global team of WWF.
STAFF

Chisaki Watanabe
Program Director
Chisaki, a former reporter for the Associated Press, developed her interest in climate change while working for Bloomberg News where she covered renewable energy and power markets. After receiving a master’s degree from the Fletcher School, Tufts University, she worked as a research fellow at the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies. She was on the Global Policy Team at CDP Worldwide-Japan before joining Climate Integrate. She also has a master’s degree from the College of Communication, Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Sophia University.

Hiroaki Odawara
Research Fellow
Hiroaki obtained a bachelor’s degree in economics and master’s in public policy from Hokkaido University. In 2014, he joined Japan’s Ministry of the Environment, where he was involved in development of soil environment policy from 2015 to 2017, followed by coordination of Japan’s Long-term Strategy under the Paris Agreement and other national climate and energy-related strategies from 2017 to 2019, as well as climate negotiation and climate diplomacy at international conferences such as COP climate meetings, and G7 and G20 summits. After supporting capacity building for climate reporting by developing countries while at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat from 2019 to 2021, he joined the team at Climate Integrate.

Yasuyuki Sasaki (Cojirou)
Communications Manager
Yasuyuki debuted as lead guitarist with the band “bonobos,” performing over the years in national concert tours and music festivals and releasing many musical works. Since leaving the band over a decade ago, he has continued as composer, guitarist, producer, writer of advertising jingles, and concert tour supporter (see his profile website), while also engaging in various social ventures, including launching a plant-based vegan restaurant on the theme of locally produced food and energy and leading a micro-hydro power project at the non-profit Ikeda Eco Staff. While recognizing the importance of grassroots action, he knows that more is needed. His search for a place to realize a more profound paradigm shift in the world led him to join the Climate Integrate team in April 2022. He has a bachelor’s degree in environmental design (majoring in architecture) from the Kyoto University of Art and Design (now the Kyoto University of the Arts).

Atsuko Kawaguchi
Communications Fellow
Atsuko started in journalism as a staff writer for Kyodo News in 2001, with a special interest in climate change and biodiversity. Among her many articles, she covered international negotiations leading to the adoption of Paris Agreement at COP21 in 2015. After two decades with Kyodo, she started a new phase as freelance writer in 2022. She holds a master’s degree in area studies from the University of Tsukuba.

Yukiko Onozato
Office Manager
Yukiko Onozato joined Climate Integrate to manage staff travels, events and budgets in support of the organization’s missions. Prior to joining Climate Integrate, Yukiko worked for a travel agency and has experience working in administrative and accounting departments.
Advisors
Dr. Bill Hare
CEO, Climate Analytics
(Climate Science)
Profile
Athena Ronquillo-Ballesteros
Managing Director,
Climate Leadership Initiative
(Climate Diplomacy,
Climate Finance)
Profile
Sakon Kuramoto
Attorney at Law
(Legal, SDGs, ESG and Business
and Human rights)
Profile
Dr. Minoru Tsubogo
Professor emeritus, Waseda University (Political Science, Comparative Politics, Environmental Governance, Civil Society Study)
Profile
Dr. Takeshi Mizuguchi
President,
Takasaki City University of Economics
(Responsible Investment, Non-financial information disclosure)
Profile
Documents
Articles of Incorporation
Activity & Financial Report
FY2021 Activity Report・Financial Report
Activity Plan & Budget
FY2022 Activity Plan・Budget