Over the past six months or so, efforts have been underway by local governments and private businesses to promote the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Numerous speeches are being made about what Kansai might do to contribute to lofty ideals like ensuring the world has access to clean water and proper sanitation, that children have access to education and that gender equality is achieved and women and girls are empowered.

One senses that the interest has less to do with a sudden burst of altruistic spirit and more to do with political realities. Osaka's leaders want the 2025 World Expo and were wondering how to spin their bid to make it appeal to the international community. Somebody came up with the idea of tying it to helping achieve the 2030 U.N. goals, and an international marketing campaign was born.

However, Osaka and Kansai must now also think about the role of the SDGs in next year's Group of 20 leaders' summit in Osaka. This includes their own role in promoting and supporting those goals and pushing (very gently, of course) the Japanese government to consider whether SDGs of interest to Kansai-area firms could be put on the official G20 agenda.