Since the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were adopted by the United Nations in September 2015, there has been growing social interest in achieving them by 2030. The UN has called on the world's major news organizations and other bodies to participate in the SDG Media Compact, which was signed by Nikkei Inc. in December 2019. We will proactively propose solutions for companies and individuals through news coverage as well as by holding numerous types of events. We will also promote internal responses to fulfill our social responsibilities.
SDG Media Compact
To bolster media exposure of the SDGs and promote action aimed at their achievement, news organizations and other forms of media from across the globe are working together as signatories to the SDG Media Compact. According to the UN, more than 100 companies are participating worldwide. Collectively, they can deliver SDG-related content to an audience of more than 2 billion people in 160 nations.
Nikkei Group Human Rights Policy
Human rights can not exist without freedom. To be happy, people need the freedom to think, the freedom to decide how they live their lives. In this sense, the history of human rights is the history of protecting freedom. At the Nikkei Group, not only do we place respect for human rights at the center of our own code of conduct, but we also robustly pursue and draw attention to any violations of human rights that come to our notice, in Japan and overseas.
Based on this concept, the Nikkei Group hereby sets out the “Nikkei Group Human Rights Policy” (this “Policy”) to affirm that we respect the human rights of all people affected by the Group’s business activities. In accordance with this Policy, and by carrying out our corporate purpose—“Better insights for a better world”—the Nikkei Group will contribute to realizing a society in which respect for human rights is firmly embedded.
Nikkei joins the Valuable 500 to support disability inclusion
Nikkei Inc. has joined the Valuable 500, a global organization dedicated to promoting disability inclusion. Launched at the 2019 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, the Valuable 500 collaborates with business leaders to promote social transformation through business activities in which people with disabilities can realize their potential.
Nikkei’s Valuable 500 Commitment
Nikkei’s group purpose is “Better insights for a better world.” To realize this better world, we believe that each person must be able to value their own individuality, and value and respect the individuality of others. We are working towards a society where richness is derived from diversity, where differences are respected, and where each individual, with disability or without, can flourish.
Our initiatives
Diversity and Inclusion at Nikkei
Nikkei is promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives that are in accordance with the Nikkei Code of Conduct.
- We proactively organize events related to diversity and inclusion.
- We provide training to ensure that if any discrimination or harassment is detected, it will not be ignored.
- Young personnel are included as members of the project team, and they are promoted to leadership positions based on ability, regardless of age or gender.
- We have introduced a system that easily enables everyone to become a member of a two-earner family, raise children, and care for the elderly.
- Taking sexual minority employees into consideration, we have installed bathrooms on all floors of the Tokyo Head Office that can be used by anyone. Such employees are also covered by a congratulatory and condolence payment system.
- In-house announcements are written in multiple languages. We have also established an English-language consultation service.
By 2023, over 50% of Nikkei's new graduate hires were women.
Nikkei’s empowerment of women
In 2013, the Nikkei Group launched the "Nikkei Womanomics Project" to support women's activities and revitalize the economy. In 2020, it expanded its efforts by establishing the "Nikkei Women’s Empowerment Project" to consider gender equality and diversity from a management perspective. This initiative also has the goal of contributing to the development of other companies and organizations, as well as the Japanese economy as a whole. Large-scale events and consortiums are planned, and information is disseminated throughout the year.
The SDGs Festival
July 2018 saw the emergence of another Nikkei Group project, the Nikkei SDGs Forum. Together with the Nikkei and other Nikkei Group media members, the forum will serve as an engine for acceleration of networking among partner companies, local and national government bodies, educational and research institutions, and private organizations. In collaboration with Nikkei BP and the Financial Times, Nikkei Inc. holds the SDGs festival four times a year. Featuring the Nikkei SDGs Forum Symposium, the SDGs Festival is one of Japan’s largest and most significant SDG-related events.
Carbon Zero Targets
The Nikkei Group aims to achieve carbon zero status for Scopes 1 and 2 by 2030.
(Note) The Nikkei Group is made up of Nikkei and its consolidated companies. “Scope 1” and “Scope 2” cover emissions from fuel combustion, energy consumption, and other activities of the Nikkei Group.
The Nikkei Group strives to reduce the environmental impact of all its business activities as part of its corporate social responsibility. In December 2022, we set a carbon zero target to achieve virtually zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and we are further promoting group-wide efforts to achieve virtually zero emissions for Scopes 1 and 2 (approximately 45,000 tons in 2019) by 2030. We are also working to realize a state of virtually zero emissions including value chain emissions (Scope 3) by 2050.
In July 2023, we set interim targets of 20,000 tons for Scopes 1 and 2 for the Group and 1,200 tons for Nikkei HQ on a non-consolidated basis by 2025 in order to steadily reach our goals. The Group's Scope 1 and 2 emissions were down to 20,000 tons in 2023, achieving the interim target ahead of schedule, and in July 2024 we set a new interim target of 15,000 tons for 2025. We will continue to refine the calculation of emissions, we will and keep fulfilling our responsibility as a media organization to promote the decarbonization of society as a whole.
GHG emission reductions
Calculated in accordance with the GHG Protocol and Ministry of the Environment guidelines,
except for CO2, which is omitted because it accounts for less than 5%.
Factors assumed in setting targets
▼ Changes in power source composition and population
Power source composition is based on International Energy Agency (IEA) scenarios, government forecasts, and the estimated future population of Japan.
▼ Achievement of reduction targets by each industry
The paper industry's long-term vision entails virtually zero CO2 emissions from production activities by 2050. We envision carbon neutrality (CN) in 2050 for the airline industry.
▼ Regulation of truck and motorcycle sales
Truck sales regulations require all new vehicles to be electric vehicles (EV) or fuel cell vehicles (FCV) by 2040. Tokyo regulations require no new sales of gasoline powered motorcycles by 2035.
▼ Conversion to electricity derived from renewable energy sources by our own group
We have aimed to switch 40% of electricity consumption in 2019 to renewable energy-derived electricity by 2022.
▼ We plan to use data centers and other facilities that operate using renewable energy.
Changes in GHG emissions of the Group
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 806,000 tons | 727,000 tons | 604,000 tons | 558,000 tons | 541,000 tons |
Notes:2021 includes a reduction due to more precise calculation. Emissions, including past emissions, associated
with the purchase of newsprint (applicable to Scope 3) were recalculated in July 2024 based on quantity purchased instead of purchase cost.
Endorsement of TCFD recommendations on climate change issues
The impact of climate change on the business environment and management of companies will only increase as time passes. Nikkei has expressed its support for the recommendations of the TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures), which calls on companies to analyze and disclose the climate-related impacts of their activities.
The TCFD was established in 2015 by the Financial Stability Board (FSB), an organization comprised of the financial authorities of major countries and other bodies. Its recommendations, published in 2017, were triggered by a sense of urgency that climate change could cause companies to take risks that do not appear in their financial statements. This has the potential to undermine the stability of the financial system.
The proposal outlines four items that are recommended for disclosure: “Governance," which identifies the company's internal structures for dealing with climate change; "Strategy," which includes a scenario analysis of financial impact; "Risk Management," which shows how risks are identified and assessed; and "Indicators and Targets," which are used to manage and assess risks. Nikkei Inc. will work to divulge information in line with the recommendations.
NIKKEI GX Conference
Since April 2021, we have been actively working towards the realization of a decarbonized society in collaboration with companies and experts who are proactively addressing climate change and green transformation. This initiative is chaired by Professor Yukari Takamura of The University of Tokyo Institute for Future Initiatives, who leads the NIKKEI GX Conference Advisory Board. We have been organizing study sessions, seminars, and symposiums with experts from various fields.
The Nikkei Environmental Declaration
In order to give more force to our drive to take on environmental issues, in November 2007, Nikkei Inc. set forth the Basic Environmental Principles and the Basic Environmental Guidelines, which included quantified targets for greenhouse gas reduction. This measure allowed us to become a leading company in terms of ecological considerations. The process of revising the Basic Environmental Guidelines began in 2017 and is still underway.
Basic Philosophy and Guidelines for the Environmental Declaration
Basic philosophy
Protection of the global environment is the most important aspect of the sustainable development of human society, and it is vital to consider this matter with the utmost care. Recognizing that the issue is among our corporate social responsibilities, Nikkei Inc. is committed to reducing the environmental impacts of all our business activities. Taking full advantage of our media capabilities, we will be able to provide requisite environmental information to all parties concerned. Working in an organization-wide manner, we will strive to harmonize economic and ecological concerns not just for our own benefit, but for that of the global community.
Fundamental Guidelines
1. To reduce the ecological footprint of our business activities to the greatest possible extent, we will take appropriate conservation action and monitor its effectiveness continuously to improve our environmental management framework.
2. We will strive to realize a recycling-oriented society using sustainable measures to take on environmental issues including resource and energy conservation, recycling, and waste reduction.
3. We will always remain in strict compliance with environment-related laws and regulations that have a bearing on our business activities, and we will honor all required agreements.
4. We will use our print and online capabilities as well as our various events to keep the world informed of the importance of environmental conservation.
5. Our employees will all deepen their awareness of environmental issues, and we will nurture environmentally conscious personnel with the ability to motivate themselves for appropriate action.
6. Recognizing that our energy consumption is a core source of greenhouse gas emissions, we will reduce it by an average of one percent each year. Moreover, we will respect international covenants such as the Paris Agreement and work accordingly from a long-term perspective.