Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.: Set at the Osaka-Kansai Expo venue! Detailed program announced for the "OSAKA JAPAN SDGs Forum"

- A speech by the head of Schneider Electric Japan, ranked the world's most sustainable company, and an appearance by the Governor of Osaka Prefecture have been confirmed.
- The event will feature a variety of programs, including a panel discussion and a live performance by enka singer Mitsuko Nakamura


Osaka, Japan, July 29, 2025 - (JCN Newswire) - Osaka Prefecture has finalized the detailed program for the OSAKA JAPAN SDGs Forum to be held on Friday, September 5, 2025.

Under the Osaka SDGs Vision (formulated in 2020), Osaka Prefecture has set the goal of becoming a leading "SDGs advanced city" that contributes to achieving the SDGs on a global scale as the host city of the Osaka-Kansai Expo. To achieve this, Osaka is working collectively to create new SDGs initiatives. As part of these efforts, the OSAKA JAPAN SDGs Forum will be held at the Expo Hall "Shine Hat" located within the Osaka-Kansai Expo venue. This forum, traditionally organized as the National SDGs Forum by various local governments, will now take place at the Expo venue under the theme "EXPO for SDGs." Its aim is to share pioneering actions with domestic and international audiences and to encourage all participants to think together about the future beyond 2030, "SDGs + beyond." The forum's concept, "Connecting Everyone's Wisdom to Change the World," will bring together diverse stakeholders, including SDGs experts from the United Nations, private companies and local governments committed to SDGs, as well as members of the youth generation, breaking down barriers to collaborate toward a sustainable future.

The opening address will be delivered by Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura, and the keynote speech will be given by Professor Norichika Kanie, a leading authority on SDGs and one of 15 independent scientists appointed by the UN Secretary-General to contribute to the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR 2023). In addition, Ryoko Aoyagi, Country President of Schneider Electric Japan, will deliver a special lecture. Schneider Electric has been recognized as the world's most sustainable company for two consecutive years by TIME Magazine and Statista, and is renowned for its pioneering initiatives in advancing the SDGs.

The panel discussion will feature Toshihiro Michioka, Representative Director and Deputy President of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Ryuichi Kouno, Managing Director of Mandai Co., Ltd., and Yasumi Takahashi, Executive Officer and Head of SCM at Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd. The session will be moderated by Tsutomu Sasaki, Chief Specialist at the Japan Research Institute, Ltd. The discussion will focus on the "Genkotsu Project," a collaborative initiative by Osaka Prefecture and private companies aimed at promoting consumer behavior change toward decarbonization, along with the specific actions that government, industry, and the public can take. In addition, the program will feature a performance by Mitsuko Nakamura, an enka singer who has long supported assistance dogs-related initiatives.

The forum will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Toshihiko Ota, Mayor of Toyota City, the next host city of this forum, Yumi Otsuka, Chief Sustainability Officer for Toyota Motor Corporation, and Professor Norichika Kanie.

We invite companies, local governments, NGOs, and students who are interested in the SDGs to join us.

Please see this link for details: OSAKA JAPAN SDGs Forum. https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/o020050/kikaku_keikaku/sdgs/osaka_sdgs_forum.html

Overview

1. Date and Time: 13:00 to 17:30, Friday, September 5, 2025 (venue opens at 12:00)

2. Venue: Expo Hall "Shine Hat" (inside the Osaka-Kansai Expo site)

3. Eligible Participants: Students, academics, and groups such as corporations, local authorities, or NPOs interested in the SDGs

4. Capacity and Participation Fee: 1,300 persons

Participation Fee: Free (*please note that a separate ticket is required for entry to the Expo site)

5. Program (Tentative): *This is the current plan, but please note that the program is subject to change.

PROGRAM | Speakers/Overview

Part 1: 13:00 to 15:15

Opening Ceremony
- DAZZLE Dance Company
- BOTAN Dance Unit
- Approx. 70 people, including disabled persons, selected through open recruitment
They will put on a dance performance entitled "Hikari Musubi"

Greetings from Host
Osaka Governor Hirofumi Yoshimura

Greetings from Guests
United Nations agencies and others

Keynote Speech
Dr. Norichika Kanie, Deputy Director Keio STAR, Head of the SFC Laboratory xSDG Laboratory, Professor at the Graduate School of Media and Governance of Keio University
We will welcome Professor Norichika Kanie of Keio University, a leading researcher in SDGs in Japan, and one of the 15 independent scholars appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations

Speech
Ryoko Aoyagi, Country President of Schneider Electric Japan
Ryoko Aoyagi, Country President of Schneider Electric Japan, a company ranked No.1 for two consecutive years in TIME Magazine's "World's Most Sustainable Companies 2025," is confirmed to speak at the event

Panel Discussion
- Toshihiro Michioka, Representative Director and Deputy President of Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
- Ryuichi Kouno, Managing Director of Mandai Co., Ltd.
- Yasumi Takahashi, Executive Officer and Head of SCM at Ezaki Glico Co., Ltd.
- Koji Harada, Manager, Department of Environment, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Osaka Prefecture
- Moderator: Tsutomu Sasaki, Chief Specialist, The Japan Research Institute, Ltd.
Osaka Prefecture and private companies participating in the "Genkotsu" CO2 Reduction Project, which aims to promote consumer behavioral changes for decarbonization, will share insights on what industry, government, and citizens, can do

Break

Part 2: 15:25 to 17:30 (target)

Resumed Content
Enka singer Mitsuko Nakamura
Performance by Mitsuko Nakamura, and awareness-raising about assistance dogs

Speech
Dr. Shun Kawakubo, Associate Professor, Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, and Member of the Osaka Prefecture SDGs Experts Committee
Following an introduction of the results of a data analysis of Osaka Prefecture's "My SDGs Declaration Project," Dr. Kawakubo will present hints for further accelerating future actions towards achieving the SDGs

Presentation
Students from Kansai University Hokuyo Senior High School, Yamawaki Gakuen Senior High School, and others
Message from the youth generation
Presentations from the winning teams from the "6th Kansai SDGs Youth Action 2024," a program recognizing students' ideas and actions toward achieving the SDGs

Panel Discussion
- Toshihiko Ota, Toyota City Mayor
- Yumi Otsuka, Chief Sustainability Officer for Toyota Motor Corporation
- Professor Norichika Kanie
Special content about the city of Toyota, which will be the next host city for the SDGs National Forum. A panel discussion will be held on the theme of SDGs and partnerships.

Closing Ceremony

Profiles of Speakers

Keynote Speech

Norichika Kanie
Professor at the Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University Director, xSDG Laboratory, Keio Research Institute at SFC Deputy Director, Keio STAR

Specializing in international relations, sustainability studies, and earth system governance, Professor Kanie is one of 15 independent scientists appointed by the UN Secretary-General to contribute to the Global Sustainable Development Report (GSDR 2023). He also serves as a member of the Japanese Government's SDGs Promotion Headquarters Roundtable, an Earth Commission Ambassador, and actively engages in international and domestic research and policy initiatives related to SDGs and global environmental issues. Holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Media.

Speech

Ryoko Aoyagi
Country President, Schneider Electric Japan

Profile

Joined Schneider Electric in August 2018 as Vice President of the Power Systems Division. In May 2021, she was appointed Vice President of the Services Division. Expanding her responsibilities further, in April 2024, she also took on the role of Vice President for the Energy Management Segment Division, overseeing energy management business strategies for key focus industries. On October 1, 2024, she assumed the position of Country President of Schneider Electric Japan, where she is responsible for all of Schneider Electric's operations in the Japanese market, including affiliated companies and joint ventures. Concurrently, she was appointed Representative Director of Schneider Electric Japan, Inc. and Schneider Electric Holdings K.K.

6. How to Apply

Registration for the forum is now open. For details, please refer to this link: OSAKA JAPAN SDGs Forum https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/o020050/kikaku_keikaku/sdgs/osaka_sdgs_forum.html

Please note that, in addition to registering for the forum, visitors who already have an Osaka-Kansai Expo admission ticket must reserve their entry date and time for Friday, September 5, 2025, via the EXPO 2025 Digital Ticket website. Those who do not have a ticket will need to purchase one.

REFERENCE: About the SDGs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an international agenda unanimously adopted at the United Nations Summit in September 2015.
They consist of 17 global goals and 169 associated targets to be achieved by 2030, aimed at realizing a sustainable society that is inclusive and leaves no one behind.
The SDGs are universal goals that not only developing countries but also developed nations must work toward, requiring the involvement of various stakeholders, including local governments.
In Osaka Prefecture, initiatives are being promoted to become a leading city for SDGs based on the "Osaka SDGs Vision" formulated in March 2020.
Reference: Osaka SDGs Vision: The image of an "SDGs advanced city" that Osaka strives to achieve https://www.pref.osaka.lg.jp/documents/12984/osaka20sdgs20vision~20230409.pdf

Reference link: OSAKA JAPAN SDGs Forum

Inquiries about this matter
OSAKA JAPAN SDGs Forum PR Office
Kyodo PR Co., Ltd.
E-mail: [e-mail]

*Information about entering the event or reporting will be provided to members of the press separately.
AD certificates will not be issued by the hosts. Please contact the 2025 Japan Expo Public Relations Office for AD certificate issue.

Press release: https://www.acnnewswire.com/docs/files/2025729.pdf

Source: Osaka Prefecture

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