TOKYO: Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike passed the baton of the sustainable legacy of the Tokyo Olympic Games on to her successors in Paris, Los Angeles and Brisbane during the ReStaRt Forum of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The mayors of Paris, Los Angeles and Brisbane in Australia, which will respectively host the Olympic Games in 2024, 2028 and 2032, have agreed on the challenges to be taken up after the pandemic, and have made a concrete commitment to the challenges for the protection of the planet and humanity threatened by climate change.

Koike emphasized the achievements of Tokyo. The torch and the Olympic cauldron ran on hydrogen and the Olympic flame emits zero carbon emissions. Koike also mentioned the inclusive nature of these Olympic Games, which were held under the banner “Unity in Diversity.”

The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, who was congratulated by Koike after the American basketball team won the gold medal, has forecast a profit of $1 billion for the 2028 Olympics by using existing sports facilities. 

Adrian Schrinner, the mayor of Brisbane, hosting the 2032 Games, is committed to the protection of endangered animal species like koalas and opossums.

After the forum, Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris, signed a joint declaration with the Governor of Tokyo based on five points:

- The promotion of accessible sport for all; 

- Environmental protection by developing innovative transport systems without carbon emissions; 

- Promotion of a circular economy; 

- Cooperation in the field of culture with a re-evaluation of tourism;

- Cooperation in the field of heritage, especially in crafts and design.

Hidalgo noted that for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, two women are the mayor and governor of the host cities.