In order to promote sustainable development as laid out by the United Nations, as well as the associated 17 goals, it is important to measure the degree of attainment of those goals and to monitor the progress achieved in our region. On October 16, an IMAGINE KANAZAWA 2030 meeting was held for the purpose of generating ideas for an SDG attainment index. Twenty-five citizens of Kanazawa participated in the meeting.
Kanazawa City, Junior Chamber International Kanazawa and United Nations University IAS OUIK started the IMAGINE KANAZAWA 2030 Project and announced five action plans to promote Kanazawa SDGs in March 2019. In March 2020,Kanazawa Future Visions was drawn up as a guide for the attainment of SDGs in Kanazawa. Since July 2020, when Kanazawa was selected as an “SDGs Future City” and a “Municipal SDGs Model Project” by the Cabinet Office, IMAGINE KANAZAWA 2030 has been carrying out a model project entitled “Promotion of sustainable tourism in harmony with citizens’ lives – A city creating happiness for both citizens and tourists through “Responsible Tourism” to promote the attainment of SDGs.
As outlined above, when we draw up a plan to execute SDGs based on regional circumstances and proceed with a project based on that plan, it is important to measure the results (output) and effect (outcome). In this workshop, we held a discussion with community members about the Kanazawa of the future and possible indices for measuring SDG attainment.
Six topics were set for the discussion. Five of these were taken from “Kanazawa Future Visions” and the other one was “Sustainable Tourism,” the theme of the Municipal SDGs Model Project. Participants talked about issues such as how the Kanazawa of 2030 could be “a city that is old yet new, and comfortable to live in,” and the type of index that would be suitable for monitoring the situation of the city. Brainstorming about the types of indices needed to monitor progress was carried out in groups, and ideas were presented by participants who have been involved in activities contributing to the realisation of “A City Without Waste”.
Although it seemed to be difficult for participants to bring concrete ideas for indices to the table, a variety of ideas for how Kanazawa should be in 2030 were presented during the workshop. There were ideas related to learning and business, such as interaction between students and community members, and designating places for such interaction, as well as support for people launching a business, lifelong learning and recurrent education. Other ideas included the establishment of an environment that would enable artists and curators to grow, and ideas related to diversity and inclusiveness, such as the fostering of open-mindedness with regard to minorities, and ideas related to partnerships, such as the sharing of ideas with regional organisations and tourism enterprises.
In response to these ideas, setting quantitative indices such as the number of places for interaction between students and community members, and the number of schools offering lifelong learning and recurrent education, will enable quantitative measurement and monitoring of SDG attainment.
What kind of individual index do you set for yourself to attain the SDGs in Kanazawa?
At previous IMAGINE KANAZAWA 2030 meetings, ideas for indices to measure the attainment of SDGs according to the five “Kanazawa Future Visions” and “Sustainable Tourism” of the Municipal SDGs Model Project had been considered. In response to the ideas presented in this workshop, we will review the draft of our indices and release revised indices that can be used by everyone. We will continue to create an environment in which SGDs can be attained through partnerships.
