In Nikkei Glocal‘s 4th survey on the progress of SDGs, eight ICLEI member local governments in Japan were ranked in the top 20. The survey was conducted between August and November 2024, covering 815 local governments across the country, and it is the fourth since the start of 2019.

• No.1 Toyota City: Promotion of biomass power generation and the sale of ‘Green Power Certificates’
• No.2 Kyoto City: Enhanced SDGs social implementation. Introduction of shared applications to improve the efficiency of waste collection.
• No.3 Kitakyushu City: Promotion of women’s activities and diversity
• No.4 Saitama City: Promoting sustainable urban development, local living conditions, and energy policies
• No.6 Kawasaki City: Environmental protection and sustainable use of energy
• No.10 Sapporo City: Unique system to certify companies that actively promote the SDGs; recycling of plastic bottles
• No.14 Itabashi City: Development of the SDG learning material ‘Itabashi Sanpo’; collaboration with diverse stakeholders through the ‘Itabashi SDG Platform’; statement of ‘Zero Carbon Itabashi 2050’ and initiatives to improve plastic recycling
• No.16 Hamamatsu City: Forest SDGs promotion; own carbon credit (emission allowance) project

The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2024, published by the UN in 2024, warns that only 17% of the SDG targets are on track to be achieved. It also points to increasing climate change as one of the factors significantly hindering this progress.

In addition, the Sustainable Development Report 2024, published by the international research organization Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), rated Japan’s achievement of the SDGs as 18th out of 167 countries. In particular, minimum ratings are indicated for Goal 5 ‘Gender equality’, Goal 12 ‘Responsibility to create and use’, Goal 13 ‘Climate action’, Goal 14 ‘Life below water and Goal 15 ‘Life on land’.

Under these difficult circumstances, it is significant that a large number of ICLEI member cities were ranked.