The 4th Kitakyushu SDG Training was held during March 6-10, 2023. 10 undergraduate and graduate students with diverse nationalities joined us.
This five-day programme visited 2 front-runner zero-carbon cities in the Kyushu region; Kitakyushu City in Fukuoka Prefecture, and Goto City in Nagasaki Prefecture. Those cities have the first commercial-base offshore wind farms in Kyushu. The participants witnessed ground actions where socio-economic synergetic effects are created from the renewable energy projects. They also listened to the actual stories and challenges from a diverse range of stakeholders including local governments, wind power maintenance companies, and fishery associations, etc.
DAY 1 (March 6th, 2023) @ Kitakyushu City
The training kicked off with the “2030 SDGs Game”to experience the interconnectivity of environment, economy, and society, as well as human behavioral change.
Dr. Leslie Mabon, the Open University UK, talked about Just Transition with the case studies in Japan, and a need of social interventions to secure workers’ rights and fair industrial shift.
Mr. Shunsuke Nakayama from the the City of Kitakyushu City introduced the “Green Growth Strategy of Kitakyushu City”, which utilises renewable energy such as wind and hydrogen to promote economic growth.
Ms. Honoka Fukunaga of MOL Techno-Trade, Ltd. shared a new business plan to run a hydrogen-fuel ship “MOTENA-Sea” –hospitality on the sea- in the Moji port of Kitakyushu.
The co-organizer, Mr. Yoshimasa Ito, NPO Satoyama, gave us a walking tour in the Higashida Hydrogen Town, where used to be the Japan’s first steel blast furnaces operated.
Next Page: Day 2
