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 FY2023 (SDGs Cluster Seminars etc.)

coming soon

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 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.

https://youtu.be/lhMxavpfkag (external site)

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