As a result of a rigorous screening process, the following companies have been selected as winners of the Tokyo Financial Award 2023 in the Innovation Category!
| Company | Outline of initiatives |
|---|---|
| 【The Governor's Special Prize for Green Finance*】 Kayrros SAS |
• Kayrros develops and provides service that can measure and monitor methane emissions of oil and gas businesses by analyzing satellite imagery, and detect such emissions at the source level. • Data is used for reduction measures by emitters and decision-making by investors engaged in ESG investment. |
| ANRI Inc. |
• A venture capital specializing in long-term investments for startups in the climate tech (technology focusing on addressing impacts of global warming) sector • Aims to contribute to decarbonization through supporting the launch and growth of businesses pursuing technology which can take years to realize, including technology for nuclear fusion and battery materials |
| Nature Innovation Group Inc. |
• Provides the umbrella sharing service “Aikasa.” Users can use the Aikasa app to borrow and return shared umbrellas at locations nationwide • Contributes to reducing CO₂ emissions, preserving resources, and combatting waste and marine plastic pollution with a business model designed to cut down the use of disposable plastic umbrellas |
| TBM Co., Ltd. |
• Develops a plastic alternative LIMEX, an innovative new material mainly made from limestone that can be found in various regions around the world, including Japan • TBM not only reduces GHG emissions, particularly with its material LIMEX, aims to realize a biodegradability capable of addressing marine plastic pollution |
* The Governor's Special Prize for Green Finance, a new award created this fiscal year, will be awarded to a business from the ESG Investment Category that is particularly outstanding in its green finance initiatives.
Award-winning companies will have presentations at the awards ceremony to be held on Tuesday, March 5.
For more information about the award ceremony and to register to participate, click here.
ESG Investment
Have you heard of "ESG investment" that has been in the news lately?
ESG stands for Environmental, Social, and Governance. ESG investment is a general term for investments made by investors, etc., who consciously consider ESG-related information in addition to financial information when making corporate investment decisions.
ESG investment was advocated by the United Nations in 2006 and has been attracting interest as a new evaluation index to measure corporate value, especially among investors in Europe and the United States.
In ESG investment, attention tends to be focused on environment, which is of high general interest and where it is easy to grasp the concrete details of a company's efforts; and on society, which includes the improvement of diversity and human rights issues. However, governance is also an important aspect of ESG investment, as a survey* indicated that the most important aspect of ESG investment is governance, which ensures the sound operation of a company.
One of the most notable aspects of ESG investment in recent years has been the expansion of "green finance," which is financing to improve energy efficiency, reduce waste emissions, and introduce renewable energies.
SDGs
In 2015, around the same time as the spread of ESG investment, the UN Summit adopted the SDGs, international goals to solve global social issues and realize a sustainable world. In an effort to attract ESG investment by incorporating the SDGs into their business management, companies are starting to take actions to achieve the SDGs.
For more information on the 17 goals of the SDGs, please refer to the website of the UN.
Overview of the ESG Investment Category
In the "ESG Investment Category", "ESG Investment Subcategory" invites financial businesses (Asset owners, Asset managers, Rating agencies, etc.) that are promoting ESG investment; and the "SDGs Subcategory" invites businesses (including financial businesses) that are practicing SDG management. "SDGs Category" invites businesses (including financial businesses) that are practicing SDGs management initiatives.
The Governor's Special Award will be presented to a business that is particularly outstanding in its green finance initiatives from among the applicants (about three institutions) selected as the most excellent businesses.
※Source:2020 Annual ESG Manager Survey
Submission of applications
First-stage screening
Final screening
Award Ceremony
Thank you for submitting your initiatives to the “ESG Investment Innovation Category”. Applications closed.
Please contact the Secretariat at tokyo.financial.award@jp.ey.com for any questions.
The "ESG Investment Category" of the Tokyo Financial Award is divided into two subcategories : the ESG Investment Subcategory and the SDGs Subcategory.
The ESG Investment Subcategory is intended to invite financial businesses that promote ESG investment in accordance with the themes of the ESG Investment Subcategory.
The SDGs Subcategory is intended to invite businesses that are implementing SDGs initiatives to improve their corporate value in accordance with the themes of the SDGs category.
The solutions submitted will be examined in terms of consistency with the theme, uniqueness of the initiatives, results, and other factors.
At the award ceremony, the ESG Investment Category as a whole will award approximately three outstanding applicants.
Among those awarded applicants, one business that is particularly outstanding in its green finance initiatives will be awarded with the "Governor's Special Prize for Green Finance".
Committee Chair
YAMAOKA Hiromi : Board Director, Chief Sustainability Officer, Future Corporation
Committee Members
OE Kayo : President and CEO, Office Libertas
ARAI Masaru : Chair, Japan Sustainable Investment Forum
KATO Yasuyuki : Professor, Kyoto University of Advanced Science; Research Professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University; Adjunct Professor, Kyoto University
NEMOTO Naoko : Professor, Waseda Business School (Graduate School of Business and Finance)
