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Progress toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has been insufficient, partly due to weak policy follow-up and review (FUR) at all government levels. While local governments are key to implementing the SDGs, the country-centric design of the 2030 Agenda hinders effective local-level FUR. To address this shortcoming, local governments...

This article explores how genuine stakeholder engagement can drive sustainable development by fostering trust, empowering communities, and strengthening governance. Drawing on experiences from Santa Rosa City in the Philippines and Shimokawa Town in Japan—two places facing vastly different challenges—it illustrates how meaningful participation can...

National adaptation plans (NAPs) in general and in Asia in particular often focus primarily on domestic climate risks, but the increasing significance of transboundary climate impacts calls for a broader, interconnected perspective. For example, disruptions in agricultural production in food-exporting countries, such as India, caused by climate...

The grand design has been formulated recently for the ‘Growth-oriented Carbon Pricing’ concept in Japan. The blended approach, combining voluntary participation of the businesses with phased regulatory enforcement, deserves attention due to its potential to serve as a model for other countries in Asia. This paper gives an overview of the latest...

Critical energy transition minerals (CETMs) are vital for clean energy technologies, but their life cycle is associated with substantial environmental, social, and governance risks. These risks disproportionately affect local communities and countries in the Global South, where much of CETM extraction takes place. Despite bearing the burden of...

China, the world largest emitter of greenhouse gases, committed to realize carbon neutrality before 2060, accordingly, the country’s climate policies have been highly concerned. China’s emissions mitigation measures focused on regulations and financial support in the past. Along with a growing recognition on the advantages of market mechanisms, the...

Key Messages • The timely provision of high-quality data across all SDGs and regions is essential to the evidence-based decision-making needed to achieve the 2030 Agenda. • However, significant data gaps for SDG 5 (Gender), SDG 13 (Climate) and SDG 16 (Peace & Institutions) as well as across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region have...

Environmental education (EE) in Japan has evolved significantly since the 1960s, shifting from a primary focus on pollution control to a more comprehensive approach that addresses both environmental and social issues. This evolution is exemplified by the current emphasis on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Despite the implementation of...