SDGs Cluster Activities

Since 2023, Yokohama city has served as the leading city of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Cluster of Citynet, an intercity network in the Asia-Pacific region, and has worked together with Citynet Yokohama Project Office (CYO) to achieve SDGs. We promote international cooperation in the field.

▶ Promoting SDGs in the next generation

　- Initiatives in FY2023 (Exchange Programs etc.)

　- Initiatives in FY2022 (SDGs Youth Action Project)

▶ Sharing Knowledge Through International Conferences, Seminars, Inspection Acceptance, and Others

- Initiatives in FY2024 (SDGs Cluster seminars etc.)
- Initiatives in FY2023 (SDGs Cluster Seminars etc.)

In order to encourage young people to view the SDGs as a part of their daily lives and challenge themselves to take the lead in sustainable action, we held three exchange sessions for the students of Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School in Yokohama and Ulaanbaatar 23rd School in Mongolia. Another goal for the second year of the project was to have the participants engage in lively discussions in order to deepen each other’s knowledge of the SDGs, and share the initiative with residents and other cities at international conferences and events in order to foster awareness of actions to achieve a sustainable world.

Introducing the SDGs

The first exchange session between Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School and Ulaanbaatar 23rd School took place on October 10, 2023. The students of Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School performed their SDGs-themed school song, “a Colorful Future.” The lyrics of the song were based on the previous year’s exchange sessions. Ulaanbaatar 23rd school introduced the activities of their eco-club, such as waste sorting and recycling, tree planting, and picking up litter.

Choosing this year’s theme

After talking about the littering issues in Mongolia’s grasslands and Yokohama’s 3R initiatives, the students became more interested in the initiatives of their schools and local communities. Based on this, they decided to discuss the questions “what kind of initiatives are there in Mongolia and Japan?” “what are the issues these initiatives face?” “how do we deal with the issues?” at the next session.

Reporting on our SDGs activities

First, Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School shared a video of their performance of their school song “a Colorful Future” at the Asia Smart City Conference in Yokohama. The lyrics of the song express the children’s hopes that we can improve our planet’s environment so that everyone can lead happier lives. The students from Ulaanbaatar shared their impressions, such as “the song was very positive and moving,” and “it’s a nice song that shows their wish to leave behind a beautiful planet.”

(Videos of the presentations at the Asia Smart City Conference can be found in the video archive（外部サイト）.)

Ulaanbaatar 23rd school shared video messages from the students who participated in the SDGs Future City Environment Picture Diary Exhibition（外部サイト）, introducing their works. The diaries included subjects such as climate change, ecotourism, and Japanese culture. The students from Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School thanked the students in Ulaanbaatar for thinking of Japan, and the exchange was a chance for the students to learn about each other’s cultures and strengthen their friendship.

(Images of the art by the students from Mongolia can be seen here（外部サイト）.)

Discussing waste-related initiatives:

The students of Ulaanbaatar 23rd School shared that Mongolia does not have a waste separation system, but at their school they are sorting plastic, general waste, and plastic bags as well as collecting used batteries.
The students from Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School presented the projects of different groups, such as different methods of collecting used books, reusing plastic, Japan’s recycling system, reducing the use of plastic bags, and studies on the ecosystem and littering at the nearby waterfront. The students from Mongolia shared their comments and questions, thanking the Japanese students for teaching them about the marine litter issue since Mongolia is landlocked, and asking about Japan’s secondhand shops. By learning about the issues and SDGs activities in each other’s countries, the students learned new ways to tackle issues in their own countries.

SDGs Proposals

The students discussed which of the 17 SDGs apply to the activities they’ve done so far and the ones they want to do in the future. They separated these ideas into different colors to decorate an SDGs tree. The exchange was a chance for the students to engage in lively discussions where they could share open-minded ideas based on a world-view that was expanded through their own experiences and the knowledge they gained during the exchange sessions.

Passing the torch to the 4th and 5th graders

As they prepared to graduate, the 6th graders passed down the exchange sessions to the 4th and 5th graders. The 4th grade representative shared a presentation on the use of crayons made from the remaining vegetables from school lunches at kindergartens. They also expressed their excitement to share activities through events in the future.
The students from Ulaanbaatar 23rd school introduced items made by 5th graders using waste materials. The items included parachutes made from plastic bags and chocolate packaging, water purifiers, Christmas trees, ger tents used by nomadic groups, and pen stands made with plastic bottles. There were also students that transformed tea packaging into accessory boxes.
Finally, at the end of the third session the students received completion certificates from the CityNet Yokohama Project Office, and student representatives gave a speech to share their gratitude. The representative from Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School spoke about being reminded of the connection between people around the world through our shared ideas, even though we live in different cultures and environments. The students from Ulaanbaatar expressed their happiness to interact with the students in Japan and have a chance to think more deeply about the SDGs.

By discovering commonalities and acknowledging differences through the three exchange meetings, a relationship was established to enhance SDGs activities across borders.

Based on the success of the exchange program thus far, Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School and Ulaanbaatar 23rd School signed a Memorandum of Understanding for collaboration in SDGs education with the aim of further developing collaboration related to SDGs education activities.

The aim of this project is to contribute to the SDGs, or Sustainable Development Goals, by having elementary and university students from Yokohama and overseas discuss the SDGs in order to apply them to their daily lives and come up with simple targets to help achieve them.
By sharing this initiative with residents in Yokohama and overseas through the SDGs seminar, we aim to further spread awareness of the SDGs within the communities.

・Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School, Japan
・Ulaanbaatar 23rd School, Mongolia
・Kanagawa University, Japan
・John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University, Philippines
・University students living in Seoul, South Korea and Kathmandu, Nepal

The SDGs seminar was held on January 13, 2023 in the 1st floor atrium of Yokohama City Hall as a venue for students to present their projects, with the aim of spreading awareness of the SDGs to residents. The seminar also featured a lecture by Mr. Ryo Honda, an environmental cartoonist and the author of a book with illustrations explaining the SDGs in an easy-to-understand manner.

1. Opening remarks
2. "Overview of the SDGs” Lecture
3. Initiative introduction/report

A lecture on the SDGs was given by Mr. Ryo Honda, an environmental cartoonist and a board member of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). The lecture included illustrations from his book explaining the SDGs in an easy-to-understand manner.

(Please see the archived video)

Aiming to decrease the amount of plastic waste, the students of Ulaanbaatar 23rd School researched Mongolia’s waste statistics and participated in “Eco School” programs.
The project focused on the following goals:
Goal 4 “Quality Education”
Goal 6 “Clean Water and Sanitation”
Goal 12 “Responsible Consumption and Production”
Goal 13 “Climate Action”

(Please see the archived video)

The students of Minatomirai Honcho Elementary School are working on creating their school song. The video and presentation showed their interactions with students in Mongolia and how they included what they learned from the exchange in their new school song.
The project focused on the following goals:
Goal 4 “Quality Education”
Goal 17 “Partnership for the Goals”

(Please see the archived video)

The Kanagawa University students focused on discrimination and education, pointing out that Japan ranks very low in a ranking indicating the level of gender equality. In the seminar, they gave a presentation on their findings through surveys and interviews.
The project focused on Goal 4 “Quality Education”

(Please see the archived video)

A group of South Korean university students came together to research problems regarding South Korea’s university entrance system. They explained about the high competitiveness of the entrance exams, questioning how much of the knowledge needed to pass the exams is actually useful after graduation.
The project focused on Goal 4 “Quality Education”

(Please see the archived video)

Iloilo City in the Philippines suffers from natural disasters such as earthquakes and storm surges. To minimize the damage caused by natural disasters and to accelerate recovery, the students of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University worked to enhance disaster prevention in the local community.
The project focused on the following goals:
Goal 4 “Quality Education”
Goal 11 “Sustainable Cities and Communities”
Goal 14 “Life below Water”

(Please see the archived video)

The Nepalese team focused on the problems regarding mental health of people with disabilities. They interviewed people with visual impairments and found out that many people are not aware of the fact that facilities providing mental care are available to them. Making those facilities more accessible is a challenge that must be addressed.
The project focused on the following goals:
Goal 3 “Good Health and Well-Being”
Goal 4 “Quality Education”

(Please see the archived video)

　
The City of Yokohama organized the 13th Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC) in PACIFICO Yokohama North from the 23rd to the 24th of October 2024. A variety of stakeholders from Japan and abroad, including governments, businesses, international organizations, and universities, gathered to share knowledge and ideas to create a sustainable green society (decarbonization, etc), as well as to deepen cooperation among Asian cities.
On October 24th, the CityNet SDGs Cluster Seminar was held under the theme of “Synergies of SDGs and Climate Action – Through the Network of CityNet -.” CityNet member cities and organizations, such as the City of Yokohama, and relevant international organizations introduced their knowledge on the SDGs and climate change action initiatives through the CityNet network.
A networking event for CityNet members was also held on October 22nd, where progress reports on VLR* implementation by CityNet member cities were presented.

*VLR (Voluntary Local Review): A process in which local and regional governments (LRGs) voluntarily initiate an assessment of their progress of implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.

■ CityNet SDGs Cluster Seminar
■ Location: PACIFICO YOKOHAMA North
■ Date: 24th (Thu) Oct 2024, 13:10-15:10 (JST)
■ Host: City of Yokohama
■ Participants: Approx.120 people (12 CityNet member cities/organizations)
■ Program
-Opening Remarks
Deputy Mayor of Yokohama: Mr. Hirotaka Sato
Mayor of Kuala Lumpur: Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif
-Keynote Speech
“Towards a Just Transition: Synergies and co-benefits for SDG localization and subnational climate action”
Lead, City Climate Action and SDGs Localization, Sustainable Urban Development Section, ESCAP: Mr. Omar Siddique
-Moderator
Affiliation Principal Researcher/Programme Director of Integrated Sustainability Centre, IGES: Mr. Junichi Fujino
-Speakers
Director General of the International Affairs Bureau, City of Yokohama: Mr. Tadahiro Saegusa
Manager of Evaluation, Planning and Coordination Department, Seoul Metropolitan Government: Ms. Arang Ma
Deputy Director, Urban Transport Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall: Mr. Mohd Azlan Shah bin Abdullah
Senior Project Officer, AIILSG: Ms. Neha
Director (Urban Planning), HELP-O: Ms. Nadeeka Amarasinghe
-Panelists
Senior Program Officer, CityNet Secretariat: Mr. Chris DiGennaro
City Planning and Development Coordinator, City of Baguio: Ms. Donna R. Tabangin
*Speakers from ESCAP, SDGs Cluster Leads (such as Yokohama, Seoul, and Kuala Lumpur) also joined the discussion.
-Closing Session
Head of Office, CityNet Yokohama Project Office: Ms. Rumi Kurita

A recording of the seminar will be available here.

The City of Yokohama organized the 12th Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC) in PACIFICO Yokohama North from 13th to 15th November 2023, as part of "Y-SHIP 2023," an international convention focused on open innovation, by attracting both domestic and international organizations and private companies especially in the Green Transformation(GX) field.
On 15th November, the CITYNET SDGs Cluster Seminarwas conducted, with the aim of promoting Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through city networks, starting with Voluntary Local Review (VLR*). CITYNET members, international organizations, private companies and academic institutions introduced their SDGs and decarbonization initiatives.
Furthermore, the Networking session among CITYNET memberswas conducted face-to-face on 14th November, aiming for valuable networking and relationship-building.

*VLR (Voluntary Local Review) : A process in which local and regional governments (LRGs) voluntarily initiate an assessment
of their progress of implementation of the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs.

■ Location: PACIFICO YOKOHAMA North G301

■ Date: 15th (Wed) Nov 2023, 13:00-15:00 (JST)

■ Host: City of Yokohama

■ Participant: Approx.120 people/face-to-face, Approx.30 people/on-line

■ Program

-Opening Initiatives announcement by youth
Minatomiraihoncho Elementary School

-Opening speech from organizer

Mr. Hirotoshi Shiro -Deputy Mayor, City of Yokohama

- Keynote Speech

Ms. Sanjeevani Singh -Economic Affairs Officer, Sustainable Urban Development Section, Environment and Development Division, ESCAP

- Presentations by CITYNET members

Mr. Takuya Endo -Executive Director for SDGs Future City Promotion, Climate Change Policy Headquarters, City of Yokoham

Ms. Xuanxuan Kumazawa -World Horticultural Exhibition Promotion Division, Urban Development Bureau, City of Yokohama

Ms. Nor Nazariah binti Kamardin -Senior Deputy Director, Administration Department, Kuala Lumpur City Hall

Mr. Le Minh Tuong -Vice Director of Department of Planning and Investment, Da Nang City

Mr. Naoki Ishii -President of Ishii Zouen Landscape Co.,Ltd.

Mr. Noboru Okazaki -Deputy manager, Overseas administration department, JFE Engineering Corporation

-Discussion

Ms. Yatsuka Kataoka -Program Director of City Taskforce, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies(IGES)

-Closing

Ms. Rumi Kurita -Head of CITYNET Yokohama Office

A recording of the seminar will be available here.

Contact details
Global Networks Division, International Affairs Bureau
Tel: (+81)-45-671-4703
Fax: 045-664-7145
e-mail: ki-citynet@city.yokohama.jp