The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) consist of many issues that developed countries, including Japan, should take the lead in addressing. These include global warming, biodiversity, sustainable urban development, employment and economic growth, and clean energy. In order to ensure that the MICE industry, which brings local employment and generates economic ripple effects, has a long-lasting positive impact, the efforts of local governments and businesses involved in MICE are crucial. The following are some examples of Japan’s pioneering cities.

World Expo 2025 will be held in Osaka. Also known as the SDG Expo, this event establishes a platform for the achievement of the SDGs and shares issues and solutions from around the world. The hosting of the Osaka Expo has also provided an opportunity to raise awareness and commitment to the SDGs in Japan. As MICE organizers increasingly demand sustainability from their events, the SDGs for MICE Sustainable Event Evaluation System has been launched by the Osaka Convention & Visitors Bureau as the first evaluation system and guide of its kind in Japan. This system is focused on “visualisation of efforts and results” and “support system by advisors”. This certification system enables organizers to show that their MICE events have addressed the SDGs.

Yokohama is one of the top hosting facilities of international conferences in Japan and aims to be Asia's No. 1 sustainable MICE facility. For example, rainwater collected on the roof of the exhibition hall is used to conserve water. The accumulated rainwater is used as cooling water for private generators and as drainage water for the toilets in the conference center, significantly reducing water consumption. In addition, electricity generated from the incineration of industrial waste generated at the associated incinerator is reused to power the neighbouring Rinko Park. Organizers who wish to do so are provided with a waste report that enables them to understand recycling rates, increase or decrease in waste volume, etc. So far PACIFICO Yokohama has achieved a 93% recycling rate, the highest among MICE facilities, as well as an overall reduction in waste.

The city of Sapporo, located in western Hokkaido, was one of the early adopters of the GDS-Index framework and has been working on sustainability measures for many years. Thanks to the high snow fall in winter, the city uses snow and ice melt to reduce its CO2 emissions. An example of this can be found at the Glass Pyramid in Moerenuma Park, a unique venue in Sapporo. Snow is stored in a warehouse on site in the winter, and from June to September, the cold water from the snow is used to cool the glass-walled atrium area using a heat exchange cold water circulation system. In 2023, the Adventure Travel World Summit, the world's largest business meeting for experiential tourism, will be held in Hokkaido. It is expected to provide a great opportunity to present Hokkaido's natural, culinary, cultural and adventure tourism attractions to the rest of the world.

Kitakyushu has transformed itself from one of Japan’s leading heavy industrial cities to a “Green Growth City”. Industry, academic institutions, government, and citizens have been working together to overcome pollution-related issues. This experience became the driving force for Kitakyushu's later promotion of the Future Environmental City, including international environmental cooperation, and for the creation of a city advanced in the SDGs. Kitakyushu was recognized by the OECD as the first model city in Asia for urban green growth, and its efforts have been highly acclaimed both in Japan and abroad. Kitakyushu is now promoting its industry as a comprehensive supply base for a variety of renewable energies, including wind power, mega solar, and biomass power generation.