Developing national frameworks for inclusive sustainable development incorporating lifestyle factor importance

Sustainable development is an important United Nations agenda, and the determination of which of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) should be prioritized is left up to each participating nation. Stakeholder engagement including all members of society can engender a nationally representative priority SDG set. This research investigates inclusive sustainable development which incorporates an approach to stakeholder engagement. The study assesses precedential scholarship of stakeholder engagement and sustainability evaluation, identifying a gap in terms of the inclusion of householder perceived importance of lifestyle related factors in sustainable development policy making and evaluation. Utilizing a case study of the aging, shrinking population of Japan, a representative, national survey of householders is undertaken, demonstrating that lifestyle relevant factors of sustainability approximate jurisdictionally important United Nations SDGs and help to identify priority targets within these goals. Perceived importance variety across household generations is also identified, providing guidance for policy makers in terms of age-relevant policy making and jurisdictionally important cultural factors. The framework proposed has applications in the case-study nation and is also readily applicable to other jurisdictions and for use in comparative studies.