No.41 Development and application of local SDG indicators: The case of local governments in Japan

Since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were launched in 2015, there has been growing attention on how countries and municipalities can localize the SDGs within their respective contexts. Accordingly, scholars have investigated theoretical frameworks to operationalize SDG localization. However, few studies have explored ways of developing and applying local SDG indicators within local government administrations. Therefore, this research aims to investigate how local governments can develop and apply a localized indicator framework by reviewing cases of local governments in Japan. Through a quantitative analysis of the indicators created by Japan’s local governments—as presented in the SDG Future City plans—as well as interviews with officers from local governments, the research identifies clear characteristics of local indicators. These include a tendency for local governments to disproportionately focus on specific SDG goals and targets, often using subjective measures and developing their own local indicators for specific goals and targets. The research suggests that these imbalances are due to the voluntary selection process by which local governments prioritize their own goals, targets, and indicators. In addition, a lack of appropriate indicators for some targets is another potential reason for the imbalance in the selected targets. Based on these findings, the research culminates in an agenda that central and local governments should consider when developing and applying local SDG indicators. This agenda is expected to serve as a reference for other countries.

Keywords: Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Localization of SDGs, Local SDG indicators, Japan, Local government