Consulting on decarbonization management
With the commitment of the international community to limit the rise in the average global temperature to below 2˚C under the Paris Agreement, and the acceleration of the movement to realize the pathway to 1.5˚C, the ability of a company to respond to business risks and opportunities that arise from climate change is beginning to affect how companies are evaluated. The proliferation of ESG investment and lending—which first arose in the US and Europe—is progressing in Japan as well, and many institutional investors are placing an increased emphasis on corporate standards for managing climate risks and opportunities as one of the metrics for determining a company's sustainability and growth potential over the long term.
In their management strategies, companies are expected to reduce lifecycle CO2 emissions from their products and services, and to develop products, services and technologies that contribute to the reduction of CO2 in society. Depending on the industry, companies are required to transition their business portfolios while working to acquire business opportunities. Due to the globalization and growing complexity of corporate activities, companies must be aware not only of the necessity of decarbonizing their own consolidated group, but also that of suppliers and customers in their value chains.
In light of this, proactive companies are beginning to set scenarios of what the future might look like for their business, identifying and evaluating all potential business risks and opportunities to use these as a basis for establishing a transition plan that is aligned with their management strategy. The requirement to develop a transition plan, encompassing a target for CO2 reduction, as well as capital deployment for concrete measures and investment plans to reach the target, means that companies are now being held accountable for the viability and feasibility of their decarbonization management. By incorporating climate risks and opportunities into the management strategy, they are expected to realize business growth and CO2 reduction, thereby communicating the evolving nature of their business and their own sustainability as a going concern.
Primarily by leveraging the strengths of Mizuho Research & Technologies, which has expertise in climate action, Mizuho provides a range of solutions, from information services to consulting, for creating and implementing a decarbonization strategy that is completely in step with the overall management strategy.
Environmental business matching
Mizuho Bank has established a solution network to support customer environmental management and provides business matching to introduce customers to the most suitable environmental management partners.
Business matching pairs Mizuho Bank customers with companies with consulting capabilities or that possess environmental and energy solutions (in compliance with the Scope 1, 2, and 3 standards of the GHG Protocol). Specifically, we introduce companies with abilities to visualize CO2 emissions, support TCFD/CDP measures, assist in strategy and plan creation, provide products and services related to reducing CO2 emissions, and assist in introducing renewable energy equipment, such as solar and small wind power generators. Our business matching activities can help companies in all aspects of environmental management.
In addition, Mizuho Bank participates in the Local Partnership for Energy Efficiency, launched by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy to build a system for helping local SMEs to save energy, with the aim of supporting clients’ efforts to improve energy efficiency.