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The Sustainable Development Goals as a Tool for Analysis:
SCP Linkages with Economic, Social, and Environmental Agendas
Cosmo TAKAGI1*, Masachika SUZUKI2, Mahesti OKITASARI2,
Tarek KATRAMIZ1, Ranjeeta MISHRA2, Hiromi MASUDA2
and Norichika KANIE1
1

Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University,
5322 Endo, Fujisawa-shi, Kanagawa 252-0882, Japan
2
United Nations University, Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability,
5-53-70 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-8925, Japan*E-mail: cosmo@sfc.keio.ac.jp

Abstract
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their 169 targets are not independent of each other but
have mutual impacts. These connections are referred to as interlinkages or cohesive actions. To achieve theSDGs, integrated solutions across sectors are needed with them in mind. Sustainable consumption andproduction (SCP) is a key to connect multiple goals and targets of the SDGs. The objectives of this article are
twofold. The first is to identify approaches for visualizing and analyzing the interrelationship between
corporate activities and the SDGs based on the results of joint research with Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd,
especially regarding SCP. The second is to consider the interlinkages in three thematic areas: housing, energy
and agriculture, suggesting policy approaches to manage the interlinkages within each theme in Asia. First, as acase study on corporate activities, this article demonstrates how the activities of Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd., aJapanese company famous for its MUJI brand, are connected with the SDGs, particularly focusing on SCP. The
results indicate a potential for linking corporate activities with a broad range of SDG targets. Second, thisarticle examines the three thematic areas of housing, energy and agriculture. These three thematic areas werechosen for analysis, as they are key areas in the management of SCP. This part of the article illustrates theinterlinkages within each theme and suggests policy approaches as to how to manage them within each theme.
To address the challenges of SCP, the article concludes that as there are potentials in linking not only specificgoals of the SDGs but also the broader goals and targets, it is essential to have cohesive actions to address thechallenges.
Key words: energy, food and agriculture, housing, sustainable consumption and production (SCP),
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

1. Background and Purpose
At the United Nations Summit held at the UN
Headquarters in New York in September 2015, theSustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted
through the consensus of all 193 member countries asshared global goals to be achieved by 2030. The SDGs
include 17 goals, but they are not to be consideredisolated as if in silos. Tasaki and Endo (2017) discussed
various aspects, such as how promoting energy efficiency
increases the consumption of rare earth metal resources,
recognized the interconnections among multiple sectors,
and examined the nexus concept, which advances
Global Environmental Research
25/2021: 101–111
printed in Japan

initiatives in multiple sectors in integrated ways.
When multiple components are linked to one another,
one can imagine the contrasting impacts of synergies andtrade-offs. Understanding these synergies and trade-offs iscrucial in order to minimize the trade-offs, maximize thesynergies, avoid resource depletion and secure equitablepartnerships (Hegre, 2020). The 2030 Agenda itself
emphasizes the importance of considering the 17 goals
and 169 targets as one package, describing the 17
Sustainable Development Goals as “169 associated targets
which are integrated and indivisible” (para. 18).
The SDGs and sustainable consumption andproduction (SCP) are intimately linked as well. Hotta &2021 AIRIES102

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Kanie (2019) point out that poverty and inequality are
increasing as consumerism rises along with mass
production, and that environmental degradation issues are
arising as a result of increased waste. They describes SCP
as a policy concept that aims to address these issues byfocusing on the relationship between consumption andproduction.
Links among the SDG goals facilitate mainstreamingof dimensions which previously suffered from not having
strong sectoral anchoring in the development arena,
especially considering the existence of many links
between SDG 12 on SCP and other goals. SCP is an
essential requirement for sustainable development, as
recognized in Johannesburg at the 2002 World Summit on
Sustainable Development, and in Rio de Janeiro, at the2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development(Rio+20). However, until recently, SCP has suffered frombeing weakly integrated with other areas of work. A
publication by Le Blanc in 2015 illustrates theinteractions between SCP and social and environmental
agendas (Le Blanc, 2015). According to this illustration,
SCP is connected to the agendas through linkages such as
hunger, poverty, health, education, climate change, energy
and infrastructure development.
Agenda 2030 itself emphasizes that the achievementof SCP is an integral part of the SDGs. The text adopted
by the United Nations focusing on the SDGs covers SCP
in paragraph 28 as follows: “We commit to making
fundamental changes in the way that our societies produce
and consume goods and services. Governments,
international organizations, the business sector and othernon-state actors and individuals must contribute tochanging unsustainable consumption and production
patterns, including through the mobilization, from all
sources, of financial and technical assistance to strengthen
developing countries’ scientific, technological andinnovative capacities to move toward more sustainable
patterns of consumption and production. We encourage
the implementation of the 10-Year Framework ofProgrammes on Sustainable Consumption and Production
Patterns. All countries should take action, with developed
countries taking the lead, taking into account thedevelopment and capabilities of developing countries.”(UN, 2015).
Indeed, there are strong connections between SCP
and each target under SDG 12 (responsible consumption
and production). The UN (2020) warns that the current
global consumption of natural resources is unsustainable.
For example, the global material footprint increased from73.2 billion tons in 2010 to 85.9 billion tons in 2017. As
implied in the popular “Build Back Better” concept often
mentioned in the context of recovery from the COVID-19
pandemic that has affected the world since 2020, theworld needs to develop plans to enable the realization of
SCP. Meanwhile, there are linkages with not only SDG 12
but also several other goals and targets. In other words,

when considering issues related to SCP, strategies andsolutions must be considered with an awareness of theinterlinkages between the broad range of challenges
represented in the goals of the 17 SDGs.
Against this background, this article examines
several approaches that can be used to visualize andanalyze how corporate activities and the SDGs, including
SCP, are closely connected with each other. In this article,
we focus on four case studies in different countries and try
to draw lessons from these case studies on effective
approaches for realizing SCP.
Case studies are chosen based on our group of
scientists’ capacity and network. Therefore, this study is a
first step towards more comprehensive research. Still, we
believe that these case studies can verify our approach to
examining these matters. Based on a case study with aretail company, Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd., this article first
analyzes how corporate activities relate to SCP, indicating
a potential to link corporate activities with a broad rangeof SDG targets. Next, the article examines the threethematic areas of housing, energy and agriculture in Asia.
These three thematic areas are chosen for analysis, as they
are highly dependent on natural resources and thus havehigher merit to be aligned with SCP. Chapter 2 of ourarticle illustrates the interlinkages among the SDGs withineach theme and suggests policy approaches as to how tomanage them in Asia.

2. Interlinkages among the SDGs within Each
Theme
2.1 Linkages between Corporate Activities and theSDGs in the Context of SCP
Despite the publication of a number of corporate
guidelines such as the “SDG Compass,” jointly developedby the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), UN Global
Compact (UNGC) and World Business Council for
Sustainable Development (WBCSD); the “SDGs Guidefor Management” by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Tradeand Industry (METI); and “Guidelines for All Companies
to Develop Sustainably” by the Ministry of theEnvironment (MOE), which all indicate steps orprocedures to take in the pursuit of implementing theSDGs, these publications do not clarify in detail whatkinds of corporate activities would help achieve the SDGs.
In fact, during the past several years, SDG initiatives havespread rapidly among Japanese companies. The Japan
Federation of Economic Organizations revised its
Keidanren Charter of Corporate Behavior in 2017 toemphasize delivering on the SDGs through the realizationof “Society 5.0.” This charter was one factor that
accelerated SDG-related initiatives by major corporationsin Japan.
Thus, while consideration of the SDGs is evident
among major corporations, 99.7% of companies in Japanare small- or medium-sized enterprises. Among

The Sustainable Development Goals as a Tool for Analysis

companies responding to a 2018 survey by the Kanto
Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, more than 80%
replied, “We know nothing about the SDGs,” while only
2% replied “We are already taking action” or “We areconsidering taking action.” Regarding “Topics for action
on the SDGs,” 30.2% of small- and medium-sizedenterprise respondents answered, “We have no idea whereto start.”
Conscious of these issues, the xSDG Consortium:
Financial Assessment Platform Working Group (2020)
developed and published the “SDGs Action List for
Companies, Version 1.0” (referred to below as the “SDGs
Action List”), which summarizes examples and key
considerations regarding concrete initiatives bycompanies tackling the SDGs. By concretely presenting
corporate actions that can be taken to achieve the SDGs,
they enable connections to be made to provide yardsticks
or criteria for actors, including financial institutions andinvestors that evaluate corporate actions on the SDGs.
The SDGs Action List presents corporate actions,referred to as the “SDGs Actions,” to contribute toachieving the 169 targets of the SDGs. These SDGs
Actions are then provided in combination with a list of“Specific Examples of Actions” applicable by companies
at the functional level. According to the SDGs Action List
for Companies, Version 1 Userʼs Guide, three points must
be kept in mind with respect to the Specific Examples of
Actions. First, the examples do not cover actions that are
already required by laws and regulations. Second, theexamples do not cover corporate social responsibility(CSR) since CSR in recent years has tended to be appliedin the context of corporate information disclosure andsocial contribution activities. Finally, what the examples
do cover is corporate actions that contribute to theachievement of the SDGs through a company’s corebusiness (xSDG Consortium: Financial Assessment
Platform Working Group, 2020).
For each division or department in a company toidentify its own roles and to facilitate initiatives in the
SDGs Actions, tags have been assigned in the four
categories of “management,” “labor and human rights,”“environmental management” and “climate action.” In
addition, each SDGs Action comes with an indication ofwhich stage of the supply chain process is involved,
whether it be procurement, distribution, production, sales
or crosscutting.
For example, Target 12.5 of SDG 12 (Responsible
Consumption and Production) says: “By 2030,
substantially reduce waste generation through prevention,
reduction, recycling and reuse.” For this target, the SDGs
Actions include “Practice the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle, Refuse) throughout the life cycle.” Brought tothe practical level in a company, some of the proposed
specific examples of actions include reducing the use of
shopping bags; recovering used products, parts andcontainers; and using direct-to-consumer sales from103

producers. Actions such as these are tagged as“environmental management” functions within thecompany. Next, from the supply chain perspective, theactions are tagged as “crosscutting” since they can beconsidered at all stages, as shown above.
The first half of this article attempts to examine
approaches to visualizing and analyzing theinterrelationships between corporate activities and theSDGs, including SCP, based on the SDGs Action List.
Kosaka (2020) analyzed how the international
certification programs and Fairtrade Standards willcontribute to achieving the SDG targets. However, thestudy focuses only on whether a particular initiative
conforms to the wording indicated in the SDGs in order todetermine whether or not the initiative follows the SDGs.
Determining which corporate activities contribute to the
SDG targets is highly challenging for private companies
because it requires specialized knowledge.
2.2 The Case of Corporate Activities
As explained above, we now know that company
actions are closely related to contributing to theattainment of the SDGs. Therefore, this study uses the
SDGs Action List as a tool to provide clear standards onwhether specific actions of private companies contributeto the SDGs. This article focuses on the efforts of Ryohin
Keikaku Co., Ltd. as a case study to identify clearly thelinkages between corporate activities and the SDGs, using
the SDGs Action List.
From 2018 to 2020, utilizing this SDGs Action List,
the xSDG Laboratory conducted a joint research projectwith Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd. to analyze therelationships between corporate activities and the SDGs
and consider how to visualize the content. Ryohin
Keikaku Co., Ltd is a Japanese company that plans,
manufactures and sells “MUJI” brand products including
apparel, household goods and food items. It has stores inJapan and abroad. The company is particularly
appropriate as a case study for this research, as it isinvolved in various business activities at each stage of the
supply chain, from the procurement of raw materials tothe disposal of products, including the collection of
products for recycling.
The SDGs Action List breaks down the various
corporate activities into the components of practical SDG
actions. Within all of that, many SCP-related actions
become evident. For example, the SDGs Action List
contains the action “Practice the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle, Refuse) throughout the life cycle.” Ryohin
Keikaku dubbed these SDGs actions as “100 Good
Things,” and was already spreading word about theminside and outside the company. For example, the “100Good Things” include actions like recycling textile
products and wool, and these also apply to the “Practicethe 4Rs” action in the SDGs Action List. However, the“100 Good Things” did not specify exactly which of the

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SDG targets were being helped toward completion bywhich actions. Issues like these could probably be
identified in many companies.
Any of these individual actions are also connected to
the SCP action to “use recycled materials in company
products.” This action is not only connected to Target 12.5,
with which an interlinkage was confirmed above. When
analyzed using the SDGs Action List, it is also linked withthe action of “adopt business methods that prioritize theenvironment and production efficiency,” under Target 9.4.
In this way, the SDGs Action List for Companies (Version1.0) is useful as a basis for determining whether or notcorporate actions are contributing to SDG targets and if so,to which ones.
Even companies that have not gone as far as Ryohin
Keikaku in terms of summarizing their own actions in“100 Good Things” can use the SDGs Action List for
Companies to summarize and analyze their actions that
contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. In other words,
the SDG actions in the SDGs Action List can be used as acommon standard that can be applied by many companies(Fig. 1).
Further, in the joint research with Ryohin Keikaku, a
web tool was developed to visualize the interlinkages
between the “100 Good Things” and each of the SDG
targets and to show the linkages with components of eachof the SDGs (Fig. 2). This specific example is in a format
that reflects the “100 Good Things” of Ryohin Keikaku,
but using the SDG actions in the SDGs Action List, it
would also be possible to apply the format moregenerally.
An example of something similar to the SDGs Action
List discussed above is the “new framework (supportmodel) to support local small- and medium-sizedcompanies in their SDGs initiatives” (referred to below as
the “Support Model”), introduced by the Kanto Bureau of
Economy Trade and Industry under METI (2019). A
major difference between the two is that whereas the
SDGs Action List shows concrete initiatives that
contribute to achieving the targets one by one, the Support

Model indicates multiple SDG targets to which theexamples contribute. With the Support Model, one can see
that, for example, “conducting proper waste management
and working to reduce waste” under “basic items
expected by the market and society from the SDGs
perspective” contributes to the achievement of not only
Targets 12.3, 12.4 and 12.5 under SDG 12 but also of
Targets 11.6 and 14.1.
It is essential to understand the economic, social andenvironmental impacts of corporate activities using theframework of the SDGs and promote businessdevelopment in ways that create a sustainable future,including the realization of SCP. For this to occur,
collaboration and partnership will be essential throughout
the entire supply chain, as indicated in the SDGs Action
List.
This section has described an analysis ofinterlinkages between corporate activities and targets of
the SDGs in a concrete manner as a case study of the
MUJI brand.
2.3 Housing Sector
2.3.1 The Case of the Housing Sector
Any failure to properly manage and develop housing
could constitute a significant threat to achieving the SDGs
through direct or indirect impacts on issues such as
climate change, ecosystems, energy security, urban
management and mobility. Some of the links between
achieving adequate, safe and affordable housing (Target
11.1) and several other SDGs are clear (e.g., SDG 1 onpoverty or access to basic services, SDG 3 on health,SDG 4 on education, SDG 6 on clean water and sanitation,
SDG 7 on affordable and clean energy, SDG 8 on decent
work, SDG 10 on reducing inequality, SDG 16 on good
governance and SDG 17 on partnerships and means of
implementation). Other targets—such as those linked toclimate change, financing, sustainable production andconsumption, gender equality, food security and nutrition,and migration—are also inextricably linked to adequate
housing.

Fig. 1 Detail from the analysis (excerpt from joint research with
Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.).

Fig. 2

Based on the SDG
Action List for
Companies(Version 1.0), it
shows thecorporate actions
that contribute to
the achievement of
the SDG goals
shown in thecenter of thecircle. By
reviewing thistable, the reader
can understandwhat targets of theSDGs thecompany’s actions
are related to.

This text explains the goals of the SDGs
and how corporate activities are related tothose goals.

Visualization of interlinkages between corporate activities and SDG 12 (excerpt from joint research with Ryohin Keikaku Co., Ltd.)

Ryohin Keikaku’s “100 Good Things” are placed on the periphery of the circle.
These are corporate actions that contribute to the SDGs, such as “Use recycledmaterials in company products”. The table clearly shows that corporate initiatives
are contributing to the achievement of multiple SDGs.

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SDG 1 is closely linked to housing issues, as trends
indicate that with humanity becoming increasingly urban,
poverty is becoming increasingly urban as well and isoften represented by a rise in numbers of slum dwellers incities who lack access to basic services and adequate
housing. It also covers land tenure security, which is
critical in housing provision and basic services. Housing
security also offers a foundation for access to primarymeans of economic production. SDG 3 on good healthand wellbeing is extensively interlinked with housing, as
health is often affected by the place of residence. Housing
quality plays a decisive role in the health status ofresidents. Many health problems are either directly or
indirectly related to housing quality due to factors such as
construction materials used, equipment installed and theindividual dwellings’ size or design (Bonnefoy, 2007).
Adequate, safe, and affordable housing equipped withaccess to basic services can help reduce communicablediseases and limit environmental hazards such as water
and waste pollution, contributing to better health.
Housing located accessibly to education facilities
helps to achieve SDG 4. In turn, attaining SDG 4 cancontribute to making cities inclusive and sustainable(SDG 11). Vulnerable groups such as slum dwellers often
face difficulties in accessing education. Education may
help these groups obtain adequate skills and decent jobs,
which is critical in achieving SDG 8 on decent work andeconomic growth. In many cases, such as in Mumbai,
when educational facilities are available in slum areas,
they are often limited to primary education (ODI, 2016).
Children who need to travel far for their education facefinancial disadvantages. Moreover, primarily throughhousing choices, poverty eradication (SDG 1), education(SDG 4) and drinking water (SDG 6) targets are notindependent endeavors.
Housing and basic services are inextricably linked.
Achieving SDG 6 promotes the availability andsustainable management of water, and sanitation for all
will help promote better housing and slum upgrading(Target 11.1). Housing accounts for much of human waste
and some urban solid waste, both of which are directly
linked to several other targets under SDG 6 and SDG 11.
Housing equipped with effective waste management
systems is crucial to ensuring access to safe drinking
water, sanitation and hygiene and to improving water
resources’ quality and sustainability. Along with water,food and other ecosystem services, the sustainable
provisioning of energy is a precondition for sustainable
cities (TWI2050, 2018).
SDG 7 promotes access to affordable, reliable,
sustainable and modern energy for all. Given the role ofenergy in addressing the economic, social andenvironmental dimensions of livelihood, SDG 7 isinterlinked with housing and, more broadly, with SDG 11
from various angles. Access to energy in housing—by
enabling people to heat or cool their homes and to use

lighting and cooking facilities—interacts positively withhealth targets that unfold over multiple years (Nilsson etal., 2018). In turn, SDG 11, through access to moresustainable housing as one component of urban
infrastructure, creates the conditions for achieving SDG 7.
If the costs of new energy policies for housing fall
disproportionately on the poor, poverty eradication could
be impaired (Sovacool et al., 2016). Direct energy
consumption and embedded energy in housing andservices in urban areas have various environmental
impacts. Thus, unsustainable consumption patterns forenergy could hamper the achievement of SDG 12 andSDG 13. Conversely, better housing and waste
management could contribute to a circular economy (SDG
12).
2.3.2 Management of Interlinkages in the Housing
SectorHousing is increasingly developed, financed andmanaged by a mix of public agencies, markets, third
sector organizations and cooperative or community actors,
leading to various hybrid forms of governance (Van
Bortel et al., 2019). The development of housing requires
synergies among all parties and sectors involved
throughout the building life cycle in order to achieve thedesired outcomes. The concept of “green” development,
including energy efficiency, needs to be implemented
throughout the housing life cycle so that multi-agent andmulti-sector synergies can be extended to all aspects ofhousing production, from policy development to planningand design, construction and transportation, operation andmaintenance, as well as demolition and disposal (Zhang etal., 2018).
Housing is a complex construct and requires complex
approaches. Given the variety of synergies and trade-offs
across numerous goals and targets, it is necessary toapproach housing in a cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary
way. Any research on housing, therefore, needs toembrace a holistic concept of housing. The impacts ofhousing factors such as energy provision and basic
services need to be evaluated against actual housing
conditions and the broader urban environment.
Interlinkages between housing frameworks and otherframeworks need to be considered; for example, housing
and health issues should be considered within a publichealth framework. To reorient the relevant policies,
normative and governance frameworks need to be
adjusted to enable concrete actions by governments toattend to housing as a priority.
2.4 Energy Sector
2.4.1 The Case of the Energy Sector
Energy is a central component of the United Nations’2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) (Lu, Nakicenovic et al., 2015). SDG 7 (Energy
for All) aims to “ensure access to affordable, reliable,
sustainable, and modern energy for all” (UN, 2015).

The Sustainable Development Goals as a Tool for Analysis

According to the 2021 Tracking SDG 7 Report, thenumber of people without access to electricity dropped
from 1.2 billion to 759 million between 2010 and 2019
(IEA, 2021). Increasing access to electricity and raising
the share of renewable energy is central to world
development. The ways energy is produced and consumed
will impact the prospects for other development issues(social, economic, political and environmental). Moreover,the provision of sustainable, low-carbon energy and anincrease in energy efficiency, can contribute to sustainableconsumption and production (SDG 12).
First, progress toward the achievement of SDG 7 canhelp achieve crucial progress on welfare and wellbeing.
Energy plays a vital role in poverty eradication (Practical
Action, 2014), with many studies showing that theprovision of modern energy services (SDG 7. Target 1) torural communities can increase economic productivity
and contribute to improved household income (SDG 8),
which can help reduce poverty (SDG 1) (Barnes et al.,2015; Eggoh et al., 2011). Increasing energy access canalso contribute to improvement in living standards
through positive impacts on basic services such as
healthcare (SDG 3), education (SDG 4) and water andsanitation (SDG 6). For example, increased electrification
rates in homes and schools can help with education for all(SDG 4), particularly target 4.2, which aims to ensure thatall girls and boys have access to good quality education(Daka & Ballet, 2011; UNDESA, 2014).
Second, there are numerous interlinkages between
SDG 7 and infrastructure (both agricultural and industrial).
Indeed, energy is a core component in enhancing theresilience of urban infrastructure, which means making
cities safe and sustainable (SDG 11). In rural areas, using
clean energy to upgrade cooking facilities can generate
positive impacts on living standards. For instance,increasing the global share of renewable energy (SDG 7
and Target 7.2) can eliminate associated health problems(SDG 3) arising from the use of traditional sources ofenergy (biomass, coal, charcoal, kerosene) that releaseindoor air pollution (Torres-Duque et al., 2008). Similarly,
the provision of energy is essential for the operation andmaintenance of food systems (SDG 2), medical facilities(SDG 3) and water treatment facilities (SDG 6) (Mushtaq
et al., 2009). Improvements in energy infrastructure to
power these systems cannot be achieved without access tofinancial tools and international cooperation (SDG 9 andSDG 17). Reliable energy systems are also important forresilient and sustainable industrialization (SDG 9). In
contrast, the reconfiguration of energy systems and theuse of natural resources is closely linked to sustainableconsumption and production patterns (SDG 12) and,notably, the sustainable management and efficient use ofnatural resources (Target 12.2) (Howells et al., 2013).
Indeed, efforts to improve resource efficiency require
more effective use of natural resources by, for example,
the deployment of renewable energy and other107

energy-efficient technologies to replace fossil fuels. Suchefforts can positively influence consumption patterns,
resulting in responsible production and a reduction inenergy-associated waste.
Finally, the implementation of SDG 7 is closely
related to and complementary with climate action (SDG
13), as increasing the share of renewable energy in theenergy mix and enhancing end-use energy efficiency(Targets 7.2, 7.3, 7.A) are seen as vital pathways tocombat global warming (Target 13.2) (IEA, International
Renewable Energy Agency, United Nations Statistics
Division, The World Bank, & World Health Organization,2019). Indeed, increasing the share of low-carbon energy
systems will be crucial to staying within the target oflimiting warming to 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius based on the2015 Paris Agreement on climate change. Achieving SDG
7 can also slow deforestation caused by the use of
fuelwood and thus contribute positively to life on land
(SDG 15) (Odihi, 2003). Sustainable access to energy
services is imperative to avoid further ecosystem loss anddegradation.
2.4.2 Management of Interlinkages in the Energy
SectorAt the institutional level, the promotion of
low-carbon and efficient energy resources faces
challenges relating to governance as a result ofinteractions among multiple levels of government(Ahlborg, 2017). Efforts to optimize interlinkages withother SDGs can add multiple layers of complexity toexisting governance modes. Policymakers need to design
energy policies based on an understanding of thepathways and directions of SDG interactions, which candiffer depending on contexts, resources and capabilities. It
is also imperative for policymakers to design energy
policies that utilize a systematic approach in coordination
with different agencies (responsible for education,
agriculture, forestry health, etc.) that can simultaneously
advance the implementation of other development targets.
Efforts to advance energy targets also need to bealigned with climate action targets. To achieve thetemperature targets of the Paris Agreement, countries needto decarbonize their energy systems by increasing energy
efficiency and the share of renewables. Policymakers
should start from the pledged Nationally Determined
Contributions (NDCs) and make steady improvements at
different stages of related policy processes. Additionally,
policymakers need to design integrated policies that
promote the sustainable management of natural resources(e.g., the food-energy-water nexus). The nexus approach
can help planners at the national and local level toconceptualize and quantify trade-offs and synergies inorder to make informed decisions. It can also help
prioritize certain actions (relating to SDG targets) thatconnect policy processes across multiple levels, including
local, national and global.

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2.5 Agriculture Sector
2.5.1 The Case of the Agriculture Sector
Sustainable agricultural development is the
management and conservation of the natural resource baseand the orientation of technological change in such amanner as to ensure the attainment of continued
satisfaction of human needs for present and future
generations (FAO, 1988). Historically, agriculture has
been associated with food, a point also recognized in the2030 Agenda through ending poverty (SDG 1), ending
hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition,and promoting sustainable agriculture (SDG 2). Apartfrom its direct impact on hunger and malnutrition, thefood system is also linked to other development-related
challenges addressed in the SDGs, including poverty,
water and energy use, climate change and unsustainableproduction and consumption. Reaching the SDG targets
will not be possible without a strong and sustainableagricultural sector.
Major improvements in agricultural productivity
have sometimes come with social and environmental costs,
including water scarcity, soil degradation, ecosystemstress, biodiversity loss, decreased fish stocks and forest
cover, and higher levels of greenhouse gas emissions.
Therefore, sustainable production and consumption of
resources (SDG 12) in the agricultural sector is importantto guarantee the achievement of global goals as a whole.
This means that the focus should not be solely on the end
goal but also on the means used to achieve it.
With respect to achieving zero hunger (SDG 2) andending poverty (SDG 1), the role of agriculturaldevelopment in poverty reduction is well established in
the economic literature. As most of the poor in developing
countries depend heavily on agriculture, ending poverty islinked to increasing returns from agriculture. Much of theworld’s agricultural production takes place on small
farms; currently, 90% of 570 million farms worldwide aresmall and cultivated by 1.5 billion of the world’s poor
(Rapsomanikis, 2015).
With respect to water (SDG 6) and energy (SDG 7),
water is a vital resource and a key input for agriculture.
Also,
agricultureisconsideredthelargestwater-consuming sector and, at the same time, a majorwater polluter. Global projections indicate that demand
for freshwater, energy and food will significantly increaseover the coming decades, mainly due to the increased
pressures of population growth and mobility, economic
development,international
trade,
urbanization,
diversifying diets, cultural and technological changes, andclimate change (Hoff, 2011). Climate change and its
impacts on water resources and crop production are major
forces the agricultural sector will have to cope with in thetwenty-first century.
Efforts to address food loss (SDG 12) and waste
reduction in agriculture are seen as a means towardachieving other SDGs, including improving food security

and nutrition (SDG 2), reducing greenhouse gas emissions(SDG 13), and lowering pressure on water and land
resources (SDG 6 and SDG 15), and can increase
productivity and economic growth (SDG 1 and SDG 8).
Factors influencing food loss in the food supply chain
include poor infrastructure and logistics; lack oftechnology; insufficient skills, knowledge andmanagement capacity of supply chain actors; and lack oftimely access to markets after harvest (Gustavsson et al.,2011). Considerable food loss occurs in low-income
countries due to the lack of proper harvesting, storage
capacity, poor storage conditions and lack of capacity totransport produce to processing plants or markets
immediately after harvesting (Gustavsson et al., 2011). In
developing countries, the lack of packaging andmarketing systems (Gustavsson et al., 2011) causes foodloss immediately after harvesting. This problem can betackled by strengthening the food supply chain, by
encouraging supermarkets to procure products directlyfrom farmers. With the expansion of multibrand retail
outlets in India, some cooperative retail chains and private
supermarket chains have begun to source some of theirfruit and vegetables from farmers via collection centers(Nuthalapati et al., 2020). However, these collection
centers are limited to areas near large cities.
2.5.2 Management of Interlinkages in the Agriculture
Sector
A fundamental requirement for delivering sustainable
food and agriculture, thus boosting their synergies withother goals, is the creation of an enabling policy
environment. Sectoral ministries also need to change theway they work and coordinate policies across government.
The transition to more sustainable agriculture and foodsystems calls for actions to build political alliances andcoalitions with other multi-stakeholder partners beyond
food and agriculture. Multi-stakeholder mechanisms andnew forms of participatory governance structures may
bolster policy ownership and at the same time help tomobilize capacities, information, technologies and accessto financial and production resources (FAO, 2018).
Addressing climate change and sustainableagriculture is a governance challenge that requires
multidimensional approaches involving all stakeholders.
Different tiers of government need to work together
toward this common goal, aligning their policies toaddress the challenges. The continuous involvement of
non-state actors such as the private sector andcommunities is also required. As the issues that affectclimate change and sustainable development are deeplyinterconnected at all levels, one-size-fits-all policies will
not be effective in addressing these issues.
Innovation and the adoption of suitable agricultural
practices are necessary in order to meet the criticalchallenges of climate change and sustainable development
in agriculture. Certain factors both enable and facilitate

The Sustainable Development Goals as a Tool for Analysis

109

innovation in the field of agriculture. Top motivating
factors are related to production and economic character(i.e., higher production results and, respectively, higher
economic effects), while social and particularly ecologicalfactors are secondary (Anastasova-Chopeva et al., 2015).
Factors that constrain the adoption of suitable agricultural
practices include a lack of resources, incompatibility andcomplexity of new technology, and socio-economic andcultural constraints. Inadequacies in extension
intervention, technical training and information are themain constraints that affect information andknowledge-sharing networks (Silva & Broekel, 2016). As
an example of how to address such constraints,
investment in rural market infrastructure could allow
small land holders to commercialize and enhance thesupply of perishable products, thereby increasing theirprofits and income. The linking of small farms to urban
food value chains could also provide promising new
avenues for small farmers and help in rural poverty
reduction. It is also important to link factors that enable
innovations with production and economic needs in waysthat encourage climate-friendly innovations, at the sametime as reducing barriers to adoption such as a lack ofresources and complexity of new technologies.

The second half of this article discussed interlinkages inbroader areas including the housing, energy andagriculture sectors. Our findings indicate that efforts aswell as activities from both policymakers and privatecompanies will be required in order to realize SCP and the
SDGs. As private companies’ activities are deeply
involved in policy-making processes towards SCP, it isnecessary for private companies to incorporate
SCP-conscious strategies at earlier stages of developing
their products and services.
One issue raised was how to increase the number ofcompanies targeted for analysis. By conducting casestudies featuring a broad range of sectors, further
evidence could be gathered regarding the remaining
issues.
This article also stressed that multi-stakeholder
involvement would be essential for development andimplementation of policies for achieving the SDGs,
through sharing of knowledge and promotion ofpartnerships. To achieve the SDGs and create asustainable future, government policymakers andcorporate strategists need fully to understand thecomplexities and integration of the SDGs through across-sectoral approach.

3. Conclusion

Acknowledgements

This article suggests that to resolve the challenges of
SCP, it will be necessary to have integrated approaches toaddressing the goals and targets broadly. The MUJI brandcase suggests the necessity of considering initiatives with
an awareness of synergies and trade-offs, as many
corporate actions are related to multiple goals and targetsof the SDGs. The cases from the three thematic areas
show that cross-sectoral approaches need to be taken atvarious levels of governance to integrate SCP issues
further in each area.
In addition, it is crucial to seek linkages among a
broad range of stakeholders through the entire supply
chain, because reflecting a variety of perspectives will
enhance sustainability of the products. In Policy Design
and Evaluation to Ensure Sustainable Consumption and
Production Patterns in the Asian Region (PECoP-Asia),
Hirao et al. (2021) have proposed 13 opportunities foraccelerated achievement of SCP for policy-making in
Asia and the Pacific in line with the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development, and the above-mentioned point
fits well with Opportunity 11 (enhancing collaboration).
The first half of this article analyzed how the privatecompanies’ activities could be linked to SCP and the
SDGs. By using the SDGs as a tool for analysis,companies are able to discover spaces for improving
sustainability, and thereby contribute to the SDGs as well
as differentiate actions in terms of sustainability. The
latter function is likely to be an appealing merit forcompanies as society must move towards sustainability.

This research was supported by the Environment
ResearchandTechnology
Development
Fund(JPMEERF16S11612 and JPMEERF20181001) of theEnvironmental Restoration and Conservation Agency ofJapan. Part of this work was carried out under cooperative
research with Keio University and Ryohin Keikaku Co.,
Ltd.: Creating strategic models for attaining the SDGs
towards “A Pleasant Kind of Society” (FY2018 –FY2020). This article presents some of the project’s
findings.
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The Sustainable Development Goals as a Tool for Analysis

111

Cosmo TAKAGI

Ranjeeta MISHRA

Cosmo Takagi is a project research associate at
the Graduate School of Media and Governance,
Keio University. His research interests include
policy spillover effects among the local
government in the context of the Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). He is also a
research associate at the United Nations University Institute for the
Advanced Study of Sustainability—Operating Unit Ishikawa/Kanazawa(UNU-IAS OUIK). He has been appointed advisor on SDGs byvarious local governments including the cities of Kamakura, Kameoka
and Kawasaki. He worked previously as a municipal government officer
in Yamato City, Japan. He received his Master’s in Public Policy from the
Graduate School of Governance Studies, Meiji University.

Ranjeeta Mishra has been a consultant at theUnited Nations University Institute for the
Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
for Governance for Sustainable Development
and Water for Sustainable Development
projects. She is also a project consultant at the Asian Development Bank
Institute (ADBI), Tokyo. Her research interests include development
economics, new institutional economics and applied econometrics. She
particularly focuses on issues such as urbanization and slum
redevelopment, food security, energy and the Sustainable Development
Goals. She specializes in both quantitative and qualitative research. Prior
to joining ADBI, she was a UNU-JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow at the United
Nations University Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability(UNU-IAS), Tokyo.

Masachika SUZUKI
Masachika Suzuki is a professor at the Graduate
School of Global Environmental Studies, Sophia
University. His area of research interests includes
clean energy technology innovation anddevelopment, sustainable finance and banking,and sustainable tourism and community
development. Apart from his academic career, he
has work experience in the field of environmental and energy consultancy.
His positions have included senior analyst at Mitsubishi Securities inTokyo and Innovest Strategic Value Advisors in New York as well as
consultant at the UN headquarters, the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change and UNU’s Institute for the Advanced
Study of Sustainability.

Mahesti OKITASARI
Mahesti Okitasari is a research associate at theUnited Nations University Institute for the
Advanced Study of Sustainability (UNU-IAS)
based in Tokyo, Japan. She is interested inunderstanding institutional architecture fortransformative change and pervasive linkages
between development policies and global
sustainable development frameworks. Her
current works include assessing multilevel governance arrangement andpolicy processes to implement the 2030 Agenda, researching gaps andopportunities in the urban development–Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) nexus, and building knowledge on partnerships and financing for
the SDGs.

Tarek KATRAMIZ
Tarek Katramiz is a project assistant professor
at Keio University’s Graduate School of Mediaand Governance. He was previously a Japan
Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS)
postdoctoral fellow at the United Nations
University Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability (UNU-IAS). His main interest isin the politics of sustainability and development, local community andenvironmental policies. His current research focuses on implementation of
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at the national and local
levels in Japan. He holds a B.A. in Japanese Studies from Damascus
University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Media and Governance from Keio
University.

Hiromi MASUDA
Hiromi Masuda was appointed programme
coordinator of the Governance for Sustainable
Development project at the United Nations
University Institute for the Advanced Study of
Sustainability (UNU-IAS) in 2018. Prior tojoining UNU, she worked for the government ofJapan developing policies towards sustainable development locally andglobally. She played an active role as a senior negotiator on mitigation andtransparency in the process towards the adoption of the Paris Agreement.
Her experience also includes designing domestic climate change policy
and establishing new projects with various stakeholders in relation to town
planning and regional revitalization.

Norichika KANIE
Norichika Kanie is a professor at the Graduate
School of Media and Governance, Keio
University. He is also a representative of thexSDG Laboratory, Keio Research Institute at
SFC, and an Adjunct Professor at the United
Nations University Institute for the Advanced
Study of Sustainability (UNI-IAS). He serves on
various committees and steering groups, including as a commissioner ofthe Earth Commission, a member of the SDGs Promotion Roundtable
Meeting established by the Japanese government under the SDGs
Promotion Headquarters, and a member of the Expert Study Group for the
Promotion of SDGs by Local Governments for the Japanese Cabinet
Office. His research focuses on International Relations, Sustainability and
Earth System Governance. He has been appointed by the UN
Secretary-General as one of fifteen independent scientists to prepare the2023 Global Sustainable Development Report.

(Received 17 August 2021, Accepted 5 October 2021)