2022/5/12, Kanazawa
The United Nations University IAS OUIK, in collaboration with Kanazawa City and the Kanazawa Junior Chamber International Kanazawa (JCI Kanazawa), is working together with citizens, local communities, NPOs, and businesses to achieve the Kanazawa SDGs.
The first meeting of the “IMAGINE KANAZAWA 2030 Promotion Conference” for the fiscal year 2022 was held on May 12, 2022.
During the first half of the meeting, representatives from the three above mentioned organizations, serving as the secretariat, reported on the progress of initiatives from the previous year and the planned activities for the current year. This was followed by presentations and discussions from each committee member about their initiatives.
First, the secretariat of the IMAGINE KANAZAWA 2030 Promotion Conference began with a report on activities from the previous year, covering five perspectives (pillars):
- Community Building
Achieving the comprehensive goals of the SDGs requires the collaboration of diverse stakeholders. As of the end of March 2022, the number of members in the “IMAGINE KANAZAWA 2030 Partners” platform (link in Japanese), established to achieve the “Kanazawa Future Scenario,” has reached 195 (including businesses, organizations, and individuals). The members come from a variety of industries and backgrounds. We also started recruiting members to manage networking events for partners, resulting in the regular hosting of partner exchange meetings (9 times held so far) instead of occasional ones. In addition, three “SDGs Cafés” were held, open to anyone regardless of membership.
- Capacity Building
We conducted the “2nd Kanazawa Next Generation SDGs Ideathon,” where elementary and high school students worked in teams on projects addressing regional challenges. A joint training session was held for citizens and city staff in order to develop effective dialogue methods called “Kanazawa Future Dialogue,” which is a first step for communities and organizations to engage with the SDGs. Between 2019 and 2021, project-based learning (PBL) was implemented for first-year students at Ishikawa Prefectural Nishi High School, focusing on the “five directions” of Kanazawa SDGs. The videos created during this PBL were selected as finalists for the “SDGs/Sustainability Award for Students by Students 2021 ” aimed at middle and high school students.
- Awareness and Publicity
The “KANAZAWA SDGs Festa” was held on October 9, 2021, to prompt participants to think about waste reduction by encouraging them to bring shopping bags, containers, and tumblers. Along with announcements on the official website and Facebook, publicity efforts were made through Kanazawa Kagayaki Dissemination Lectures and event sponsorships.
According to a citizen survey conducted in 2021, approximately 94% of the respondents were aware of the SDGs, which marks a roughly 26% increase compared to the survey results from July 2020. Furthermore, not only has awareness increased, but the proportion of people actively taking action towards promoting the SDGs has also risen.
- Self-Sustainability Promotion
To strengthen stakeholder partnerships and accelerate and stabilize projects, discussions were held regarding the use of private funding with local financial institutions. Moreover, we worked on creating indicators to monitor the progress of the Kanazawa SDGs, investigating further actions regarding challenges. The indicators will be established based on the goals set in the Kanazawa Future Scenario. Plans include collecting appropriate data to measure progress rates and visualize them.
- Kanazawa SDGs Tourism
In 2020, Kanazawa City was selected as a “SDGs Future City” and an “SDGs Model Project by Local Governments” by the Cabinet Office (CAO). Under this initiative, Kanazawa City is promoting “Kanazawa SDGs Tourism,” themed around fostering sustainable tourism that harmonizes with citizens’ lives: “A city where both citizens and tourists achieve ‘happiness’ through responsible tourism.” We support advanced initiatives by local tourism businesses aligned with this theme.
Additionally, to encourage many businesses to address sustainable tourism, we are considering creating a “Kanazawa SDGs Tourism Promotion Operators certification system, using the international certification system “GSTC 1” as a reference. This is aimed at making Kanazawa a city chosen by domestic and international tourists in the context of the SDGs.
In fiscal year 2022, as in the previous year, we plan to focus on the five pillars and promote the dissemination and operation of Kanazawa SDGs indicators, as well as address challenges to realize a symbiotic society.
Introducing the Activities of the United Nations University IAS OUIK
The awareness of citizens regarding the SDGs has increased, as has the interest of businesses and organizations. The SDGs are goals and a platform that allows diverse sectors to collaborate beyond their positions and fields.
At OUIK, last year we held three “SDGs Cafés” focusing on green bonds, utilizing wood, and partnerships, allowing us to discuss the balance between “environment” and “economy.” Kanazawa is characterized by multiple Japanese gardens and two major rivers, with a network of waterways. These features contribute to the survival of diverse biological species. Since 2019, we have been conducting the “Sustainable Urban Nature Project (SUN Project),” inviting the general public to participate in surveys of local wildlife.
Strengthening the connection between sustainable urban development and sustainable tourism is crucial for promoting Kanazawa’s SDGs. Therefore, this year, we plan to hold five joint seminar workshops on sustainable tourism in collaboration with the IMAGINE KANAZAWA Promotion Conference.
The United Nations University conducts research and surveys on sustainable initiatives and tourism worldwide. While the SDGs are international goals, it is essential to develop local indicators tailored to the characteristics of each country and city. Using the UN University’s international network, we aim to leverage global insights for the operation of Kanazawa SDGs indicators and sustainable development initiatives, while also sharing Kanazawa’s efforts with the world.
Introducing the Activities of the Junior Chamber International Kanazawa
In September 2021, we hosted the KANAZAWA MIRAI SUMMIT 2021, a conference sharing advanced examples of SDGs worldwide, which received cooperation from 200 companies from Japan and abroad, with about 6,000 participants.
In fiscal year 2022, considering the increased awareness of the SDGs, we will prioritize how to incorporate the essence of the SDGs into our conventional activities. We are executing a project aimed at fostering entrepreneurial mindsets among young people, focusing on training for potential space workforce. Moreover, we plan to collaborate with JAXA to transport Kanazawa gold leaf to the International Space Station (ISS). To enhance the flow of people into the city center, we are planning a camp event utilizing the terrace of the Kanazawa Mazda store.
Reports and Discussions from Participating Committee Members
- Mariko Aomi from the Ishikawa Food Bank Network NPO reported that they have received many food donations from companies related to disaster supplies. However, there are 87 organizations that have partnered with them to provide food, and there is a significant need for food support for single-parent families and others. They plan to advance a system where consultations can be received when individuals come to collect food.
- Satoshi Osawa from the Ishikawa University Consortium reported that they are considering introducing an international certification (badge) system, which includes several SDGs-related items, to provide opportunities for university students to implement SDGs in real society and to clearly demonstrate learnings from universities externally.
- Chiaki Takekoshi from the Ishikawa Bank Association (Hokkoku Financial Holdings, General Planning Department, Public Relations IR Group) shared initiatives to send lecturers to elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and universities for asset formation and career education. Additionally, they plan to have school trip students visit their headquarters to introduce initiatives such as Cool Biz, allowing students to learn about actions taken towards achieving the SDGs. Ms. Nozomi Tawara from the collaborative citizens’ meeting expressed that research indicates an increase in awareness and actions taken by citizens regarding the SDGs may lead to a heightened sense of contribution to Kanazawa City, potentially improving openness to diverse cultures and foreigners.
- Keiichiro Yagi from the Kanazawa Chamber of Commerce reported that despite the tough business environment impacted by COVID-19 and rising oil prices, they will continue to prioritize partnerships in their SDGs endeavors. He noted that the NPO Ishikawa Food Bank Network has joined in the framework of thermal recycling promoted by his company.
To realize the SDGs’ overarching goal of “Leaving No One Behind,” it was confirmed that public, private, and civic sectors must collaborate to tackle issues, marking the end of the IMAGINE KANAZAWA 2030 Promotion Conference.
