As a social initiative in 2018, consumer co-ops in Japan are promoting efforts aimed at achieving the SDGs (sustainable development goals) set forth in the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted at the UN General Assembly in 2015.

Towards this initiative, at the JCCU’s 68th General Assembly held on June 15, 2018, the "Co-op Action Plan for SDGs" was adopted.

In this exclusive interview, President of JCCU HONDA Eiichi, discussed with Ms. NEMOTO Kaori, Director of United Nations Information Centre in Tokyo, how consumer co-ops could contribute to the SDGs aiming at leaving no one behind through co-ops businesses and activities.

HONDA Eiichi (R), President of JCCU, Ms. NEMOTO Kaoru (L) Director of United Nations Information Centre in Tokyo

What are the SDGs that people everywhere from all sectors in society can act for as one’s own problem?

HONDA:

Under "The Ideal of Japanese Consumer Co-ops Movement for the 21st Century “ formulated in 1997, JCCU and member co-ops as an organization of mutual help, have been promoting efforts aimed at realizing a sustainable society. The quest for the SDGs "Leaving No One Behind" coincides with the Ideal of Consumer Co-ops that led to the approval and the adoption of the "Co-op Action Plan for SDGs".

NEMOTO:

I would like to express my gratitude to consumer co-ops, the various groups and individuals working enthusiastically towards achieving the SDGs.

HONDA:

Meanwhile, I’m worried that each Co-op member won’t take SDGs as their own matter even if we only simply match the Co-op’s businesses and activities with the 17 goals of the SDGs.

NEMOTO:

The SDGs were not decided solely by governments and the United Nations, but were created with the involvement of civil society organizations, youth, women, researchers, corporate managers and many other people so we can all share the same thoughts and I think that is the strength of SDGs.

HONDA:

We can learn through SDGs that other foreign countries are also making similar efforts like our local ones, and realize that there are common things in the daily life that we can globally share with other countries.  That’s exciting.

NEMOTO:

We can share experiences and knowledge with the people around the world with the SDGs as a “common indicator". Since the SDGs have no "single answer", I think through sharing the experiences and lessons learned from trial and error we can aim for even greater heights in our efforts in achieving the SDGs.

HONDA:

That means, the SDGs is an up-to-date tool for the modern society, and with access to the Internet, Co-ops are thinking of using it as a tool for co-op members to participate in activities with excitement.

The world action on SDGs, and the action by Japan

HONDA:

Please tell me about recent developments going on around the SDGs in the world.

NEMOTO:

The SDGs were adopted at the United Nations Summit in September 2015, and a follow-up High-level Political Forum (HLPF) will be held in September 2019, to discuss issues surrounding the SDGs since its adoption. I think 2018 becomes a very important year for consumer co-ops. Five goals are featured each year, and in 2018 "Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production" is included. I think there’s going to be a big discussion with the theme since it is closely related to consumer co-ops businesses and activities.

HONDA:

In April 2018, the Japan Co-operative Alliance (JCA)  was established by the ICA member organizations in Japan to promote cooperation among co-operatives in Japan. Of course cooperation has been promoted for years, but I hope that the formation of JCA can further enhance it. We are going to emphasize and raise the discussion of the goal 12 considering that it is in line with the cooperative philosophy that support consumers' livelihood from the perspective of both production and consumption.

NEMOTO:

That is something to look forward to.

HONDA:

How is the movement to achieve the SDGs in Japan?

NEMOTO:

The Japanese Government established the SDGs Promotion Headquarters in May 2016 and the guidelines for Japan’s implementation of the SDGs were approved. In June 2017 "Japan SDGs Award" was established and the SDGs Action Plan 2018 was approved. In 2019, two big international conferences, the G20 summit and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD7) will be held in Yokohama, Japan. Also the Olympic and Paralympic Games are scheduled to be held in 2020. Towards these international events we aim to disseminate the Japanese model of the SDGs which is based on these three pillars, regional revitalization, empowerment of youth and women and the contribution of science and technology.

(proceed to the latter part)