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On December 21, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the conferment ceremony for the second Japan SDGs Award at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to the recipients of the second Japan SDGs Award today. All the recipients are front runners who are creating the vision of a prosperous and vibrant future, through the promotion of the SDGs.
 
An SME that contributes to the creation of a sound material-cycle society by manufacturing liquid animal feed using food waste. A municipality that has become a national and international model for its high rate of resource recycling. Students from a girls’ junior high and high school who are boldly trying to solve the problem of ocean waste in their region. A long-standing company that has worked to foster traditional culture in its local communities under sustainable management practices over hundreds of years. A media organization, a medical facility, and a regional financial institution that are supporting momentum for the promotion of the SDGs. I could not possibly introduce every awardee here. I am very pleased to see that not only the awardees but also the groups that applied for the award, as well as their initiatives, are even more diverse and numerous than last year.
 
I would like to conclude my congratulatory remarks by expressing my own heartfelt hope that this Award will inspire many diverse actors, including the groups awarded today, to work with partners and combine their wisdom and activities to promote the SDGs even further. My sincere congratulations once again to you all today.”