Kimiko Hirata

The native form of this personal name is Hirata Kimiko. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Kimiko Hirata
平田 仁子
Born1970 (age 53–54)
Kumamoto prefecture, Japan
Organization(s)Climate Integrate
Kiko Network
Awards2021 Goldman Environmental Prize

Kimiko Hirata (平田 仁子, Hirata Kimiko, born 1970)[1] is a Japanese climate activist. As a founder of the Kiko Network, a non-governmental organization, she has campaigned for emissions reductions for more than 20 years.[2][3] As of December 2022, her grassroots work has led to the cancellation of 17 planned coal-power plants.[4] Hirata also led landmark coal divestment campaigns against Mizuho Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ.[5] She currently serves as executive director for the Tokyo-based think tank, Climate Integrate, which focuses on accelerating decarbonization.[6][7]

In 2021, Hirata became the first Japanese woman to be awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize,[4][2] nicknamed the "Green Nobel".[8] In 2022, she was named to the BBC 100 list of influential women.[6][4] She holds a PhD in social sciences from Waseda University,[1] and is the author of Climate Change and Politics (2019) in Japanese,[7] and co-author of many books and articles.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b Watts, Jonathan (June 15, 2021). "'Our fight is more visible': Goldman environment prize winners see shift in political winds". The Guardian. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  3. ^ Ishii, Toru (July 10, 2021). "Prize-winning activist warns world has 'no time to lose'". The Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "BBC 100 Women 2022: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. December 6, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b "Japanese climate activist Kimiko Hirata makes BBC's 100 influential women list". Japan Times. December 7, 2022. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :11 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Toussaint, Kristin (June 15, 2021). "These are the winners of 2021's 'Green Nobels'". Fast Company. Retrieved December 17, 2022.