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​​Introduced in 2015, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with their 169 specific targets, provide a comprehensive roadmap for nations to address urgent global challenges, from eradicating poverty and hunger to fostering sustainable communities and combating climate change. Since 2016, Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) have provided a...

This article examines the implications of demographic decline for local governments, with a focus on small Japanese municipalities that are already navigating the challenges of population loss. Drawing on examples like Yubari, Suzu, and Manazuru, it explores how some towns are rethinking growth-oriented planning and experimenting with alternative...

This presentation examines how cities are implementing SDG 5 (Gender Equality) within the broader framework of the 2030 Agenda, highlighting both opportunities and limitations. Through examples from Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Barcelona, it explores how local policies can promote gender equity, while also questioning whether the SDG framework...

As the 2030 deadline for achieving the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) draws near, the lack of measurable progress is cause for concern. However, qualitative advancements at the local level provide a hopeful perspective for continued development beyond 2030. Cities, in particular, are pivotal in driving the global...

The "EU-Japan Region-to-Region Innovation Cooperation Community of Practice" project, conducted from February to August 2024, was a transitional initiative designed to explore future directions for decentralized cooperation between European regions and Japanese prefectures. Building on the momentum established by previous phases of the...

Kotchen et al. find that the greenhouse gas mitigation potential identified by the IPCC in its latest assessment report is larger and cheaper than what is found in widely used integrated assessment models, like DICE, FUND, and PAGE. They suggest that the discrepancy between the various curves could be resolved by excluding the What worries us most...

A report issued by the UN-convened Expert Group on Climate and SDG Synergy presents a number of recommendations urging governments to break down fragmentation and silos at national and international levels, to tackle the climate and sustainable development crises in tandem and achieve transformative change. The report is being launched before...

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide a blueprint for achieving social, economic and environmental sustainability. However, at the midpoint of its implementation period (which runs from 2015 to 2030), progress has been insufficient due to crises such as climate-related disasters, the...

Ageing and depopulation threaten the survival of many of Japan’s small towns and villages. To address this challenge, the Japanese government is encouraging municipalities to adopt a pro-growth agenda to reverse decline. Launched in 2018, the “SDGs Future City” initiative supports local government’s revitalisation efforts through the implementation...

This presentation explores how cities can use Voluntary Local Reviews (VLRs) as strategic tools to guide sustainable urban revitalisation. Highlighting Kitakyushu’s green transition and the diverse approaches in Korean cities like Dangjin and Suwon, it shows how VLRs foster policy integration, stakeholder engagement, and long-term alignment with...