Building an environment to accelerate the drive to sustainability
Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. (President & CEO: Tatsufumi Sakai) and Mizuho Bank, Ltd. (President & CEO: Koji Fujiwara) have become the first Japanese financial institutions to join the Advisory Group of the Impact Management Project (hereinafter: ‘IMP’), a forum for building global consensus on how to measure, manage and report impact. In participating as the first Japanese financial institutions (and indeed the first Asian financial institutions), Mizuho will be providing specific strategic guidance and insight alongside an Advisory Group of asset managers, asset owners, foundations and government that are playing a leading role in promoting the implementation of impact management.
The IMP is the world's largest forum for building global consensus on how to measure, manage and report impact, including global bodies such as the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Organization for Economic Co–operation and Development (OECD). It has over 2,000 participating institutions who, since 2016, have been working together to build consensus for how impact is measured and managed. In 2018, the IMP began facilitating the IMP Structured Network, an unprecedented group of standard–setting organizations that are working together to provide complete standards for impact measurement and management. The 13 members of the Structured Network include the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI), GRI, and B Lab.
Private firms are expected to play a role in the achievement of SDGs by managing ESG risks and maximizing the positive social and environmental impacts of their business activities. Recognizing the responsibilities of this sector, Mizuho is taking an active role in the IMP as it works to support the market in measuring and disclosing impact.
Mizuho is also working with K-three Inc. (CEO: Masaki Kochi), the first Japanese Strategic Partner to the IMP, to contribute to the dissemination and development of impact management from Japan through the establishment of an SDG platform that aims to formulate and implement impact management principles.
In order to pursue sustainability and expand our positive social impact, Mizuho is actively working with external partners to contribute to the achievement of SDGs, based on the "Open & Connected" action principle of its Five-Year Business Plan.