SDGs Subcommittee Activities

The city has been chairing the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Subcommittee of City Net, an intercity network in the Asia-Pacific region since Reiwa 5 (2023), and together with City Net Yokohama Project Office (CYO), the SDGs field We are promoting international cooperation.

▶Promotion of SDGs in the next generation (e.g. exchange programs on the theme of SDGs)
　-　Initiatives in FY2023 (exchange projects, etc.)
　-　Initiatives in FY2022 (exchange projects, etc.)
▶Sharing knowledge through international conferences, seminars, visits, etc.
　-　Initiatives in FY2024 (SDGs Subcommittee Seminars, etc.)
　-　Initiatives in FY2023 (SDGs Subcommittee Seminars, etc.)

Students held three online exchange meetings between Minatomirai Honmachi Elementary School in Yokohama City and Ulaanbaatar 23 School in Mongolia, with the aim of taking the SDGs as part of everyday life and taking the initiative in implementing sustainable actions. This year, the second year of this year, we will have a deeper knowledge and lively exchange of opinions on the SDGs of both parties, and share these efforts with citizens and other cities through related events such as international conferences. The aim was to raise awareness of actions to realize a sustainable world.

Theme
“Introduction of SDGs Initiatives and Determination of Themes”

■Introduction of SDGs Initiatives
On October 10, 2023, the first online exchange meeting was held between Minatomirai Honmachi Elementary School and Ulaanbaatar 23rd School. Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School performed a school song "The Future of Irotoridori" with the theme of SDGs. The lyrics were created with inspiration from last year's exchange meeting. Ulaanbaatar 23rd School explained about the Eco Club, which is engaged in SDGs activities such as garbage separation and recycling, tree planting, and garbage collection.

■Determination of the theme for this fiscal year
After discussions on garbage issues in Mongolia's grasslands and the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle) to be tackled in Yokohama, the students became interested in each other's schools and initiatives in the area where they live. Therefore, we will discuss the issue of garbage and plastic at the next exchange meeting about questions such as "What kind of initiatives are being taken in Mongolia and Japan", "What are the issues", and "What measures can be taken?" Was decided.

Theme
"SDGs activity report and exchange of opinions on their efforts to address garbage issues"

■SDGs Activity Report
At the beginning, a video introducing the school song "The Future of Irotori" was shared at an international conference called the Asia Smart City Conference held in Yokohama City at Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School. The lyrics contain the hope that the global environment will be improved and everyone will live happier. Ulaanbaatar students gave friendly comments such as "I was impressed with the very positive content" and "I think it's a good song that reflects my desire to preserve a beautiful earth."
(You can see the presentation at the Asia Smart City Conference from the archive video (outside site).)
From Ulaanbaatar 23rd School, students who participated in the SDGs Future City and Environmental Picture Diary Exhibition (outside site) shared a video message introducing their works. There were works that touched on the issue of global warming, Ecotourism, and Japanese culture, and students from Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School sent words of appreciation for drawing their thoughts on Japan, giving them an opportunity to learn about each other's culture and deepen friendship.
(All works received from Mongolia at the Environmental Picture Diary Exhibition can be viewed here (outside site).)

■Exchange of opinions on efforts to address garbage issues
Ulaanbaatar No. 23 School has announced that there is no system for separating garbage in Mongolia at present, but schools separate plastic, general garbage, plastic bags, and collect used batteries. .
Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School announced the group's efforts by theme, such as how to collect used books, reuse plastic, recycle Japanese, reduce plastic bags, and survey of living things and garbage in the sea. From the Mongolian side, "Mongolia does not have the sea, but the sea garbage problem is a global issue, so thank you for providing information," "What kind of shop is a recycle shop specifically?" And asked questions, and I was able to gain hints to tackle their issues while deepening their understanding of each other's current status of garbage issues and SDGs activities.

Theme
"Let's decorate the SDGs tree-I've done so far! I can do it from now on! You can do it at school! Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School and Ulaanbaatar 23rd School Proposal of SDGs-"

■Proposal of SDGs Initiatives
Students shared their opinions by applying the SDGs activities they have conducted so far and the initiatives they would like to do in the future to 17 goals. These proposals were color-coded to complete the SDGs tree. Based on the experience so far and the knowledge gained from the exchange meeting, it was a lively exchange of opinions utilizing a wide range of perspectives and flexible ideas from familiar things to the world situation.

■Baton touch for 4th and 5th graders
The baton of the exchange meeting was handed over to the 6th to 4th and 5th graders who are about to graduate. Toshio gave a presentation on activities to recycle vegetables discarded in school lunch to produce crayons and use them in kindergarten. In the future, he expressed his enthusiasm to convey his activities through the event. .
A fifth grader from Ulaanbaatar 23rd School introduced works using waste materials. Parachutes made of plastic bags and chocolate boxes, and works using plastic bottles included water purifiers, Christmas trees, traditional Mongolian nomadic gers, and pen stands. Some students turned their tea pack boxes into their own accessory boxes.
Finally, the students who completed the three exchange meetings were awarded a certificate of completion from the City Net Yokohama Project Office, and the student representatives expressed their gratitude. The representatives of Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School said that they learned that they had the same idea for the world even if they lived in different cultures and environments, and that they realized once again the connection between the world. . Students from Ulaanbaatar 23rd School commented that they were happy to have the opportunity to think more about the SDGs and to deepen exchanges. Through three exchange meetings, we discovered commonalities and recognized differences, thereby building a relationship that enhances the activities of the SDGs across national borders.

Based on the results of the exchange projects so far, Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School and Ulaanbaatar No. 23 School have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for educational cooperation on the SDGs with the aim of further developing cooperation in educational activities related to the SDGs. Was concluded.

Elementary and university students from Yokohama City and overseas cities perceive the SDGs as their own affairs, set goals that can be achieved by themselves, and work together while exchanging opinions.
By sharing these efforts widely with citizens at SDGs seminars, the aim was to make citizens aware of actions to realize a sustainable world.

~ Elementary school~　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
・Yokohama City Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School: "School Song Making"　　　
・Ulaanbaatar City No. 23 School: "Environmental Issues"　　　　
~University~　
・Kanagawa University: "Education and Discrimination"　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　
・University in Korea: Higher Education and Specialization
・John B. Laxon Foundation Maritime University: “Improvement of community disaster prevention capabilities”
・University in Nepal: "Mental health of persons with disabilities"　　　　　

As a place to announce the contents of the students' efforts, "SDGs Seminar Connecting to the Next Generation-Why don't you think about it from a familiar place with elementary and university students? "~" was held at the Atrium on the first floor of Yokohama City Hall on Friday, January 13, 2023. At this seminar, which was aimed at disseminating the SDGs to citizens, a lecture was given by Ryo Honda, an environmental manga artist and author of "Books that easily understand the SDGs that seem to be muddy at a glance."

Theme: "SDGs Seminar for the Next Generation-Why don't you think about it from a familiar place with elementary and university students? ～」
Sir: 1. Opening remarks　
　　　　2. Lecture on SDGs outline "SDGs unraveled with humorous illustrations" (Speaker: Ryo Honda)
　　　　3． Introduction and Report of Initiatives　

-　"Efforts of the 23rd School in Ulaanbaatar City"

-　"Efforts at Yokohama City Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School"

-　“Kanagawa University Student Group Initiatives”

-　“Initiatives of Korean University Students Group”

-　“Efforts of Student Groups of Maritime University in the Philippines John B. Laxon Foundation”

-　"Announcement of University Student Groups in Nepal"

◆Lecture on SDGs outline "SDGs unraveled with humorous illustrations"

Ryo Honda, an environmental manga artist and director of the United Nations WFP Association, gave a lecture by Ryo Honda, the author of "Books that easily understand the SDGs that seem to be muddy at a glance."
(Please refer to the archive video for the lecture.)

◆"Efforts of Ulaanbaatar City 23rd School" (introduction by video)

The children of Ulaanbaatar City No. 23 in Mongolia worked to reduce plastic waste. The problem was that there was a shortage of sanitary and reliable drinking water, insufficient facilities for it, and as a result, the use of drinking water from plastic bottles every day, and the problem of garbage was large. .
We installed filtered water tanks on each floor of the school, experiments on the reuse of plastic bottles, information on waste statistics in Mongolia, recycling plants, classification of waste, and the status of waste transport and recycling at supermarkets.
In addition, children participate in the “Eco School” program and conduct “Eco Club” activities in classrooms. Using Lastic garbage, we conducted experiments to make chairs, flowerpots, trash cans, etc., and installed signs for Eco Corners in the classroom.

~SDGs target number ~
・Goal 4 “High-quality education for everyone”
・Goal 6 “Safe water and toilets all over the world”
・Goal 12 “Responsibility to Create and Use”
・Goal 13 “Specific Measures for Climate Change”

(Please refer to the archive video for details.)

◆"Efforts of Yokohama City Minato Mirai Honmachi Elementary School" (Video and Online Report)

He introduced the state of interaction with the children of Ulaanbaatar City No. 23 school in Mongolia, and the creation of a new school song by incorporating the learning gained from the exchange experience. In addition, he introduced the melody of the school song being produced online, and announced what he noticed about the SDGs through school song making.

~SDGs target number ~
・Goal 4 “High-quality education for everyone”
・Goal 17 “Achieve Targets through Partnerships”

(Please see the archive video for the video of the initiative and the announcement on the day.)

◆“Kanagawa University Student Group Initiatives” (Video and report by seminar venue)

The student group at Kanagawa University proceeded with discussions with a wide range of issues, including poverty, climate change, food problems due to culture such as halal, and discrimination, and finally focused on education and discrimination. At the seminar, we introduced videos of our efforts so far, and reported on our efforts based on the results of questionnaires and interviews conducted by ourselves.

~SDGs target number ~
・Goal 4 “High-quality education for everyone”

(Please see the archive video for the video of the initiative and the announcement on the day.)

◆“Korea University Student Group Initiatives” (Video and Online Report)

A group of university students from Korea introduced employment after graduating from university, especially the high level of employment competition among liberal arts students, and presented the results of surveys and interviews. They tackled the challenge of whether a more standardized early learning experience or a diverse learning experience is suitable for preparing students until their professional debut.

~SDGs target number ~
・Goal 4 “High-quality education for everyone”

(Please see the archive video for the video of the initiative and the announcement on the day.)

◆“Efforts of Student Groups of Maritime University, Philippine John B. Laxon Foundation” (introducted by video)

The John B. Laxon Foundation Maritime University in the Philippines engaged in disaster prevention simulation training for local communities, youth education on disaster risk, and beach cleanup activities.
It has been pointed out that the city of Iroiro, where the university is located, has a high risk of high tides, where more than half of the population lives in areas susceptible to flood damage and is susceptible to ground shaking.
Students say, "It is impossible to prevent natural disasters from occurring, but by increasing the ability of people to respond to natural disasters and acquiring the power to recover, we can minimize risks."
Another student said, "I'm talking about my experience of being hit by a typhoon, and I need to know what all the people living there should do to reduce the risk and damage to the community."
Based on the belief that prevention is better than recovery, training on emergency measures, training assuming a disaster, activities to educate young people using game boards, and overseas after disasters The state of cleaning is introduced.
"The activities have just begun," he concluded, and he felt enthusiasm for continuing efforts in the future.

~SDGs target number ~
・Goal 4 “High-quality education for everyone”
・Goal 11 “Creating a Town Where Lives”
・Goal 14 "Let's protect the richness of the sea"

(Please refer to the archive video (English) for details.)

◆"Announcement of University Student Groups in Nepal" (introduction in video)

Nepalese students interviewed visually impaired people and asked questions about the ease of mental health-related facilities and their services.
Interviews showed that many people with disabilities did not know that there were facilities to take care of their minds, and it was difficult to use them. When asked, "What should I do to make it easier to use?", "In the case of a visually impaired person, they are isolated at the time of gathering of family and friends, and gradually impair mental health. There is a problem that there is no sign language interpreter or no Braille block on the way to the hospital even if you try to get counseling. "
Regarding the question, "What happened when I was unjustified or isolated due to disability and was affected by my heart?", "Playing and singing guitars, I wrote down my feelings and thoughts in poetry and changed my negative feelings. "
Interviews revealed that although they had access to sports, literature, and music, it was difficult to use mental care services.

~SDGs target number ~
・Goal 3 “Health and Welfare for Everyone”
・Goal 4 “High-quality education for everyone”

(Please refer to the archive video (English) for details.)

　The 13th Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC) hosted by Yokohama City was held on October 23 and 24. In order to realize a sustainable green society, including decarbonization, we deepened cooperation among cities in Asia and gathered various stakeholders from Japan and overseas, including government, companies, international organizations, and universities, to share knowledge and ideas.

On October 24, “Synergies between SDGs and climate change countermeasures” – The City Net SDGs Subcommittee Seminar was held under the theme of "Utilization of City Net Networks". City Net member cities and organizations, including Yokohama City, and related international organizations took the stage to introduce their knowledge on SDGs and initiatives to combat climate change using City Net's network. In addition, discussions focused on the synergy between the SDGs and the localization of climate change measures in each city, and emphasized the importance of not only strengthening the network with member cities but also further promoting SDGs and climate change measures initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region, including members of City Net.

In addition, on October 22, networking was held for City Net members, and progress reports on the implementation of VLR* by City Net member cities were made.

*VLR (Voluntary Local Review) ：An international initiative in which local governments voluntarily review their own SDGs initiatives and publish the results as reports that can be compared with other local governments.

■Meeting name: Synergy between SDGs and climate change measures – (CITYNET SDGs Subcommittee Seminar)
■Date and time: Thursday, October 24, 2024 13: 10-15: 10
■Location: Pacifico-yokohama North
■Host: Yokohama-shi
■Number of participants: Approximately 120 people (including 12 cities and organizations of City Net members)
■Program
　・Opening
　　Mr. Hiroki Sato, Deputy Mayor of Yokohama City
　　Mimner Mohammed Sharif, Mayor of Kuala Lumpur City

　・Keynote speech synergistic and co-benefit effects of localization of SDGs and climate change measures at each region level
　　Sustainable Urban Development Division, Environment and Urban Development Department, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) Omar Sidik, Chief of Climate Change Countermeasures and SDGs Localization in cities

　・Moderator
　　Junichi Fujino, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute for Global Environmental Strategy (IGES) / Program Director of Sustainability Integration Center

　・Speaker
　　Mr. Tadahiro Saegusa, Director of International Bureau, International Affairs Bureau, Yokohama
　　Mr. Alan Ma, Evaluation Manager, Planning and Coordination Department, Seoul.
　　Mr. Mohamad Azlan Shabin Abdullah, Deputy General Manager of Transportation Bureau City, Kuala Lumpur City
　　Mr. Neja, Senior Project Officer of the All-India Local Government Association (AIILSG)
　　Mr. Nadica Amarasinha, General Manager, Urban Development Department, Urban Resources Center (HELP-O)

　・Panelist
　　Senior Program Officer, Citinet Office Senior Program Officer Chris Digen Nalo
　　Bagio City Planning and Development Coordinator / Director of Planning, Development and Sustainability Office Dr. Dna Tabangin
　　＊In addition, speakers from ESCAP and SDGs subcommittee chair cities (Yokohama, Seoul, Kuala Lumpur) were on stage.

　・Closing
　　Mr. Rumi Kurita, Director, City Net Yokohama Project Office

■You can see the details of the seminar here.

　The 12th Asia Smart City Conference (ASCC) was held in Pacifico-yokohama North from November 13 to 15, as part of Y-SHIP 2023, an international convention aimed at realizing open innovation by domestic and international institutions and private companies, especially in the GX (Green Transformation).
On November 15, the City Net SDGs Subcommittee Seminar was held on the theme of "Promotion of SDGs through Intercity Networks - Starting with VLR*." Citinet members, international organizations, private companies, and academic institutions participated and introduced their respective SDGs initiatives and decarbonization initiatives.
Also, on November 14, a networking session for City Net members was held.
※VLR (voluntary local review) is a report in which local governments voluntarily publish the status of their efforts to achieve the SDGs.

■Meeting name: Promotion of SDGs through Intercity Networks – Starting with VLR―
■Date and time: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 13: 00-15: 00
■Location: Pacifico-yokohama North
■Host: Yokohama-shi
■Number of participants: Approx. 120 face-to-face participants (20 cities) and 32 online participants
■Program
　・Announcement of SDGs Initiatives by Opening Youth 6th graders at Minatomirai Honmachi Elementary School
　・Message from the organizer, Deputy Mayor of Yokohama City Hirotoshi Castle
　・Keynote speech Sanjivani Sing, Economic Officer, Sustainable Urban Development Division, Environment and Development Department, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP)
　・Announcement of SDGs initiatives by City Net members　
　　　　　　　　Climate Change Policy Headquarters, General Manager, SDGs Future City Promotion Department, Yokohama City
　　　　　　　　City of Yokohama, Urban Development Bureau International Horticultural Expo Promotion Division
　　　　　　　　No Nazaria Binti Kamardin, Deputy Director-General of General Affairs Bureau, Kuala Lumpur City
　　　　　　　　Mr. Le Min Tewon, Deputy Director-General of Da Nang Investment Bureau
　・Announcement of SDGs initiatives by companies in Yokohama city
　　　　　　　　Mr. Naoki Ishii, President of Ishii Landscaping Co., Ltd.
　　　　　　　　Mr. Masaru Okazaki, Chief of Support Group, Overseas Management Department, JFE Engineering Corporation
　・Commemorative photo taken
　・Discussion, Q&A
　　　　Moderator: Global Environmental Strategy Research Organization (IGES)
　　　　　　　　　　　Mr. Yatsuka Kataoka, Program Director, Urban Task Force
　・Closing remarks　　　　　Mr. Rumi Kurita, Director, City Net Yokohama Project Office
■You can see the details of the seminar here.