The Ministry of the Environment and the United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Studies of Sustainability (UNU-IAS) will hold a symposium titled “SDGs Business Initiatives from Ishikawa and Kanazawa” on January 22, 2018 (Monday), at the Kanazawa Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Ishikawa Prefecture. The event is co-hosted by Junior Chamber International Kanazawa and is supported by Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa City, and the SDGs Business Consortium Kanazawa.
Through collaborative projects with the UNU-IAS Ishikawa-Kanazawa Operating Unit (UNU-IAS OUIK), Ishikawa Prefecture and Kanazawa City have made progress in areas such as the preservation and utilization of Satoyama and Satoumi ecosystems and biological cultural diversity, fostering cooperation with local stakeholders and encouraging region-building with an international perspective. Furthermore, Junior Chamber International Kanazawa, which consists mainly of business leaders in Kanazawa, is increasing its efforts towards achieving the SDGs, such as initiatives related to Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation for All). Additionally, UNU-IAS OUIK signed a memorandum of understanding regarding SDGs business initiatives with JC Kanazawa, Kanazawa Institute of Technology, and JICA Hokuriku in August 2017, and this symposium will also introduce the framework for collaboration among these four organizations. The discussion will focus on how local businesses in Ishikawa and Kanazawa can contribute to the SDGs.
Organizers: Ministry of the Environment, United Nations University Institute for the Advanced Studies of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
Co-host: Junior Chamber International Kanazawa
Supported by: Ishikawa Prefecture, Kanazawa City, SDGs Business Consortium Kanazawa
Capacity: 150 people (first come, first served; advance registration required)
Participation Fee: Free
For more detailed information, please visit [the website]. Please register via [this form].
Program Schedule
Opening Remarks: Tokutaro Nakai (Director-General for Environmental Policy, Ministry of the Environment)
Keynote Speech: “The Role of Local Communities and Businesses in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)”
Kazuhiko Takeuchi (Director-General, Sustainability Research Institute, The University of Tokyo; President, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies [IGES])
Case Presentations:
- Takuo Nakaisumi (2017 Executive Director, Junior Chamber International Kanazawa; 2017 Chair, UN Relations Committee, Japan Junior Chamber)
- Takeyuki Tokunari (Manager, Sales Department, Meiwa Industry Co., Ltd.; Youth Environment Ambassador for the Asia-Pacific region, United Nations Environment Programme [SDG 12])
- Yoshitaka Miyano (Vice Representative, One Agricultural Cooperative)
Panel Discussion
Moderator: Kenji Kanie (Professor, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University; Senior Research Fellow, UNU-IAS)
Panelists:
- Mariko Kawaguchi (Chief Researcher, Daiwa Institute of Research / Director, Global Compact Network Japan)
- Kaori Fujita (Editor, Nikkei Ecology / Producer, Nikkei BP Environmental Management Forum)
- Takuo Nakaisumi (2017 Executive Director, Junior Chamber International Kanazawa / 2017 Chair, UN Relations Committee, Japan Junior Chamber)
- Takeyuki Tokunari (Manager, Sales Department, Meiwa Industry Co., Ltd. / Youth Environment Ambassador for the Asia-Pacific region, United Nations Environment Programme [SDG 12])
- Yoshitaka Miyano (Vice Representative, One Agricultural Cooperative)
- Takuya Sugimoto (Leader, Group for Promoting Higher Education and International Collaboration, Planning and Promotion Department, Ishikawa Prefecture)
- (TBD) (Kanazawa City)
- Summary: Tsunao Watanabe (Director, UNU-IAS Ishikawa-Kanazawa Operating Unit)
Summary: Tsunao Watanabe (Director, UNU-IAS Ishikawa-Kanazawa Operating Unit)
