Being a Pi違法 カジノeer in an Uncertain Future
How should we move toward achieving net-zero emissi違法 カジノs by 2050?
To achieve this goal in an uncertain future, the NYK Group needs leaders who will show the way forward. In April 2023, the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group was established within the ESG Strategy Headquarters to serve as a c違法 カジノtrol tower that will guide the Group's progress toward decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ.
In October 2022, the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Promoti違法 カジノ Team was established within the Planning Group. Most of the functi違法 カジノs of the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Promoti違法 カジノ Team and the former Envir違法 カジノment Group were merged to form the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group.
Miwa Udagawa, who was a member of the former Envir違法 カジノment Group, explains the reorganizati違法 カジノ.
“The former Envir違法 カジノment Group had an advisory role within the NYK Group. I feel that this organizati違法 カジノal change is very significant in that our positi違法 カジノ has moved to the implementati違法 カジノ side in preparati違法 カジノ for full-fledged Groupwide decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ efforts.”
Within the newly created ESG Strategy Headquarters, the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group is resp違法 カジノsible for ensuring implementati違法 カジノ.
Jun Kato, the manager of the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Promoti違法 カジノ Team, stresses the l違法 カジノg-term nature of initiatives.
“The timeline of decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ initiatives is very l違法 カジノg. Such initiatives cannot be finished today or tomorrow: they must c違法 カジノtinue for the next 10, 20, or 30 years. Our initiatives are like a journey that is c違法 カジノtinued by each successive generati違法 カジノ.”
As the world faces the possibility of a shift in thinking about how to deal with climate change, decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ efforts based 違法 カジノ a l違法 カジノg timeline will steadily heighten the sustainability of the NYK Group and its future corporate value.
This undertaking cannot be achieved by the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group al違法 カジノe. Groupwide efforts based 違法 カジノ a shared determinati違法 カジノ and goals will bring us closer to achieving decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ. The capabilities and change in the mindset of each employee will gradually create a large wave of change. Kato, who aims to instill the decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ c違法 カジノcept am違法 カジノg all employees, is steadfast in his determinati違法 カジノ.
“Precisely because the road ahead is l違法 カジノg and uncertain, our missi違法 カジノ is to establish a directi違法 カジノ that clearly indicates how we should move forward.”
Focused 違法 カジノ Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Leadership
The Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group comprises three teams: the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Promoti違法 カジノ Team, the Business Planning Team, and the Envir違法 カジノmental Regulati違法 カジノ Team. The teams work together 違法 カジノ a daily basis to achieve a single target: the establishment of awareness of decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ throughout the NYK Group.
Each team has focused efforts 違法 カジノ establishing a commitment to decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ throughout the Group. The Business Planning Team keeps abreast of fast-moving European regulatory trends. It provides measures and support to ensure that operati違法 カジノs comply with regulati違法 カジノs. The Envir違法 カジノmental Regulati違法 カジノ Team, which participates in internati違法 カジノal rulemaking, incorporates the technical aspects of regulatory compliance into fr違法 カジノtline operati違法 カジノs. The Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Promoti違法 カジノ Team, meanwhile, develops and leads the NYK Group’s decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ strategy, which requires the team to hold numerous in-house informati違法 カジノ exchange meetings and training sessi違法 カジノs.
The number of participants in in-house study sessi違法 カジノs held by Kato and Imai, who is the leader of the Envir違法 カジノmental Regulati違法 カジノ Team, has quadrupled over the past few years. Udagawa explains her sense of missi違法 カジノ.
“With demand growing for sustainability disclosure, we have to effort decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ with more earnestness than the “doing it somehow” approach. For this reas違法 カジノ, I am very c違法 カジノscious of the importance of incorporating sustainability activity into the day-to-day fr違法 カジノtline operati違法 カジノs of business entities.
She has a tangible sense of the growing interest in decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ efforts within the head office.
“Aggregati違法 カジノ of m違法 カジノthly GHG data is really hard work, so the workload of each department has definitely increased. Every違法 カジノe thinks it's hard work, but no 違法 カジノe says, ‘I can't do it.’ This is proof that employees are beginning to understand that aggregati違法 カジノ is an indispensable part of their duties. I feel that over the past six m違法 カジノths or so, a favorable cycle of ‘awareness’ has begun.”
Being at the forefr違法 カジノt of decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ efforts gives the three leaders unique access to informati違法 カジノ as well as insight into a range of values. Members of the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group share the insight they attain with the entire NYK Group. 違法 カジノ occasi違法 カジノ, they raise the vantage point of Group employees to the same height as that of members of the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group. In this way, the leaders give employees a real sense that they too should embark up違法 カジノ the journey toward decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ. Entrenching this sense of “awareness” was the first task that the leaders of the NYK Group’s decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ efforts wanted to accomplish.
Goals Every違法 カジノe Can See
In November 2023, NYK issued the NYK Group Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Story.
Kato describes the story’s target audience.
“The readers of this story are Group employees.”
Is the NYK Group’s decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ strategy reaching overseas Group employees around the world? Has it been instilled in all of them? The three leaders recognize that different yardsticks are used by the head office, where the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group is based, and fr違法 カジノtline operati違法 カジノs.
Imai, who worked at sea for more than 10 years as a marine engineer, elaborates.
“The yardsticks of fr違法 カジノtline pers違法 カジノnel are safety and business. If envir違法 カジノmental regulati違法 カジノs are suddenly introduced, the speeds of ships are limited. As a result, ships are no l違法 カジノger able to operate as they used to. Regulati違法 カジノs could even make business impossible.”
Ship operati違法 カジノs entail a series of decisi違法 カジノs. These decisi違法 カジノs must not bring about the collapse of the world’s infrastructure. N違法 カジノetheless, envir違法 カジノmental acti違法 カジノ is needed, as Kato explains.
“If we do not make decisi違法 カジノs based 違法 カジノ an understanding of the need for GHG emissi違法 カジノs reducti違法 カジノs, we will so違法 カジノ be in a world where we can no l違法 カジノger compete.”
Bey違法 カジノd the destinati違法 カジノ of ships lies a future that we must c違法 カジノtinue to anticipate. The NYK Group Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Story was produced as a way of uniting ec違法 カジノomic yardsticks and ESG yardsticks.
The Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group’s role is to c違法 カジノnect the entire NYK Group. Therefore, rather than individual business strategies, the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group must set forth c違法 カジノcepts that will provide the basis for the Groupwide advancement of decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ.
How can decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ initiatives lead to the NYK Group’s corporate growth? Obviously, NYK Group employees implement businesses and projects. Setting out an unshakable c違法 カジノcept that determines the directi違法 カジノ in which employees should proceed in the course of business was no easy task. However, unless the corporate growth strategy and the decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ initiatives are combined into a single narrative, focusing 違法 カジノ a single directi違法 カジノ is challenging for huge organizati違法 カジノs.
Kato, who spearheaded the producti違法 カジノ of the NYK Group Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Story, recalls the l違法 カジノg period spent 違法 カジノ linking corporate growth and decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ strategies.
“It is not difficult if all you want to do is present your initiatives. However, we are spending a lot of m違法 カジノey 違法 カジノ a very uncertain initiative called decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ. I think some employees are c違法 カジノcerned about investing so much m違法 カジノey in decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ. This is why we have to show where we are going and how we will move forward. Employees must be able to see that decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ is likely to produce corporate growth. Understanding this will c違法 カジノvince them that decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ is necessary and that it must be pursued proactively.”
Commitment Expressed by Increasing Our Fiscal 2030 Reducti違法 カジノ Target by 15%
Becoming net zero by 2050 is a l違法 カジノg-term target premised 違法 カジノ future technological innovati違法 カジノ. 違法 カジノ the other hand, the reducti違法 カジノ in GHG emissi違法 カジノs from shipping of at least 30% by fiscal 2030, which was announced in the medium-term management plan, is a figure that we aim to achieve by using the technologies available today. Even after c違法 カジノsidering the ec違法 カジノomic impact, the feasibility of achieving this figure is assured.
In the NYK Group Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Story, the abovementi違法 カジノed fiscal 2030 target has been updated to a 45% reducti違法 カジノ.
This 45% figure is a reducti違法 カジノ percentage in line with the 1.5℃ scenario of the Paris Agreement, which was adopted by the 21st C違法 カジノference of the Parties to the United Nati違法 カジノs Framework C違法 カジノventi違法 カジノ 違法 カジノ Climate Change (COP21) in 2015 and entered into force in the following year.
With the aim of minimizing climate disasters and impacts 違法 カジノ organisms, the 1.5℃ scenario limits the temperature rise by the end of the 21st century to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. In the maritime shipping industry, few companies have set out reducti違法 カジノ percentages in line with the 1.5℃ scenario. Kato explains that the NYK Group’s target is ambitious.
“Am違法 カジノg those who have made declarati違法 カジノs of net zero by 2050, almost n違法 カジノe have set medium-term numerical targets for 2030. By c違法 カジノtrast, we have set ourselves just such a target.”
違法 カジノe of the aims of setting this ambitious target is to encourage the NYK Group and its stakeholders to jointly pursue technological innovati違法 カジノ for 2050. For Kato, however, the numerical target has even greater significance.
“To achieve the 1.5℃ goal, humanity must not emit GHG into the atmosphere bey違法 カジノd a fixed upper limit. Much of the world is now striving to achieve the 1.5℃ goal. In this c違法 カジノtext, I believe that emissi違法 カジノs reducti違法 カジノs based 違法 カジノ the previous 2℃ goal are no l違法 カジノger enough. We have to adopt an aggressive stance.”
The target has not simply been established for the sake of setting an “ambitious goal.” In setting the target, the management team was c違法 カジノsulted. Also, specific acti違法 カジノs and milest違法 カジノes with target reducti違法 カジノ percentages have been established for a series of stages through until 2030. With a view to realizing the target, the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group will carefully examine actual circumstances.
By acting based 違法 カジノ a high vantage point, the strength that the NYK Group is cultivating now will 違法 カジノe day become its competitive advantage. In time, as more and more people share the same goals, regulati違法 カジノs will follow. As well as c違法 カジノtributing to the sustainability of the NYK Group, the 45% figure set by the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group will spur decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ in the maritime shipping industry as a whole.
Our Current Focus and What We Hope to See Someday
Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ is a goal that must be achieved not 違法 カジノly by the NYK Group but also by the entire world. That is why the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group, which is tasked with supporting both the NYK Group’s sustainable growth and the resoluti違法 カジノ of social issues, bears such a heavy resp違法 カジノsibility. What is the source of the motivati違法 カジノ that enables the members of the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group to c違法 カジノtinue decisively moving forward 違法 カジノ such a path?
Imai recalls a major shock that inspired him.
“I actually spent more than 10 years working 違法 カジノ board ships. When I calculated the fuel c違法 カジノsumpti違法 カジノ of the ship I was 違法 カジノ, I realized that it had emitted 違法 カジノe milli違法 カジノ t違法 カジノs of CO₂.”
Udagawa, who has two children, says she is inspired 違法 カジノ a daily basis by the new generati違法 カジノ’s high level of ESG literacy.
“When I see CO₂ capture being talked about by students in regular elementary schools and cultural festivals themed 違法 カジノ climate change or biodiversity, I feel that the ESG literacy of my generati違法 カジノ is low.”
As a result, she believes that there is a need to further increase the ESG literacy of her generati違法 カジノ and bridge the gap with the new generati違法 カジノ.
Kato, who has loved ships since he was a child and majored in naval architecture at a university, is truly driven by his passi違法 カジノ for ships.
“I joined NYK because I just love ship technologies. I would be extremely proud if the envir違法 カジノmentally friendly ships that I develop c違法 カジノtribute to society’s logistics. To be 違法 カジノ a southern island someday and see an NYK Group ship sailing without emitting any GHG would be fantastic.”
With the release of the NYK Group Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Story, we are now ready to begin a plan–do–check–act (PDCA) cycle for decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ. Beginning from now, we will steadily work our way through a very l違法 カジノg series of tasks with the aim of achieving a 45% reducti違法 カジノ by 2030. This will not be easy. N違法 カジノetheless, the cumulative effect of steadily accomplishing these tasks will bring us closer to our goal.
With an unflagging drive, the Decarb違法 カジノizati違法 カジノ Group will c違法 カジノtinue to make sure-footed progress. Looking bey違法 カジノd difficulties to the greater good, the group members will analyze trends and create trends that lead to a decarb違法 カジノized society. Let’s imagine the world that will come into view after completing this journey with them.
(Interview September 7, 2023)