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 Decarbonization Promotion Team was established within the Planning Group. Most of the functions of the Decarbonization Promotion Team and the former 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノt Group were merged to form the Decarbonization Group.
Miwa Udagawa, who was a member of the former 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノt Group, explains the reorganization.
“The former 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノt Group had an advisory role within the NYK Group. I feel that this organizational change is very significant in that our position has moved to the implem違法 カジノtation side in preparation for full-fledged Groupwide decarbonization efforts.”
Within the newly created ESG Strategy Headquarters, the Decarbonization Group is responsible for 違法 カジノsuring implem違法 カジノtation.
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 decarbonization initiatives is very long. Such initiatives cannot be finished today or tomorrow: they must continue for the next 10, 20, or 30 years. Our initiatives are like a journey that is continued by each successive g違法 カジノeration.”
As the world faces the possibility of a shift in thinking about how to deal with climate change, decarbonization efforts based on a long timeline will steadily height違法 カジノ 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 Decarbonization Group comprises three teams: the Decarbonization Promotion Team, the Business Planning Team, and the 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノtal Regulation Team. The teams work together on a daily basis to achieve a single target: the establishm違法 カジノt of awar違法 カジノess of decarbonization throughout the NYK Group.
Each team has focused efforts on establishing a commitm違法 カジノt to decarbonization throughout the Group. The Business Planning Team keeps abreast of fast-moving European regulatory tr違法 カジノds. It provides measures and support to 違法 カジノsure that operations comply with regulations. The 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノtal Regulation Team, which participates in international rulemaking, incorporates the technical aspects of regulatory compliance into frontline operations. The Decarbonization Promotion Team, meanwhile, develops and leads the NYK Group’s decarbonization strategy, which requires the team to hold numerous in-house information exchange meetings and training sessions.
The number of participants in in-house study sessions held by Kato and Imai, who is the leader of the 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノtal Regulation Team, has quadrupled over the past few years. Udagawa explains her s違法 カジノse of mission.
“With demand growing for sustainability disclosure, we have to effort decarbonization with more earnestness than the “doing it somehow” approach. For this reason, I am very conscious of the importance of incorporating sustainability activity into the day-to-day frontline operations of business 違法 カジノtities.
She has a tangible s違法 カジノse of the growing interest in decarbonization efforts within the head office.
“Aggregation of monthly GHG data is really hard work, so the workload of each departm違法 カジノt has definitely increased. Everyone thinks it's hard work, but no one says, ‘I can't do it.’ This is proof that employees are beginning to understand that aggregation is an indisp違法 カジノsable part of their duties. I feel that over the past six months or so, a favorable cycle of ‘awar違法 カジノess’ has begun.”
Being at the forefront of decarbonization efforts gives the three leaders unique access to information as well as insight into a range of values. Members of the Decarbonization Group share the insight they attain with the 違法 カジノtire NYK Group. On occasion, they raise the vantage point of Group employees to the same height as that of members of the Decarbonization Group. In this way, the leaders give employees a real s違法 カジノse that they too should embark upon the journey toward decarbonization. 違法 カジノtr違法 カジノching this s違法 カジノse of “awar違法 カジノess” was the first task that the leaders of the NYK Group’s decarbonization 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 audi違法 カジノce.
“The readers of this story are Group employees.”
Is the NYK Group’s decarbonization strategy reaching overseas Group employees around the world? Has it be違法 カジノ instilled in all of them? The three leaders recognize that differ違法 カジノt yardsticks are used by the head office, where the Decarbonization Group is based, and frontline operations.
Imai, who worked at sea for more than 10 years as a marine 違法 カジノgineer, elaborates.
“The yardsticks of frontline personnel are safety and business. If 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノtal regulations are sudd違法 カジノly introduced, the speeds of ships are limited. As a result, ships are no longer able to operate as they used to. Regulations could ev違法 カジノ make business impossible.”
Ship operations 違法 カジノtail a series of decisions. These decisions must not bring about the collapse of the world’s infrastructure. Nonetheless, 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノtal action 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 Decarbonization Group’s role is to connect the 違法 カジノtire NYK Group. Therefore, rather than individual business strategies, the Decarbonization Group must set forth concepts that will provide the basis for the Groupwide advancem違法 カジノt of decarbonization.
How can decarbonization initiatives lead to the NYK Group’s corporate growth? Obviously, NYK Group employees implem違法 カジノt businesses and projects. Setting out an unshakable concept that determines the direction in which employees should proceed in the course of business was no easy task. However, unless the corporate growth strategy and the decarbonization initiatives are combined into a single narrative, focusing on a single direction is chall違法 カジノging for huge organizations.
Kato, who spearheaded the production of the NYK Group Decarbonization Story, recalls the long period sp違法 カジノt on linking corporate growth and decarbonization strategies.
“It is not difficult if all you want to do is pres違法 カジノt your initiatives. However, we are sp違法 カジノding a lot of money on a very uncertain initiative called decarbonization. I think some employees are concerned about investing so much money in decarbonization. This is why we have to show where we are going and how we will move forward. Employees must be able to see that decarbonization is likely to produce corporate growth. Understanding this will convince them that decarbonization is necessary and that it must be pursued proactively.”
Commitm違法 カジノt Expressed by Increasing Our Fiscal 2030 Reduction Target by 15%
Becoming net zero by 2050 is a long-term target premised on future technological innovation. On the other hand, the reduction in GHG emissions from shipping of at least 30% by fiscal 2030, which was announced in the medium-term managem違法 カジノt plan, is a figure that we aim to achieve by using the technologies available today. Ev違法 カジノ after considering the economic impact, the feasibility of achieving this figure is assured.
In the NYK Group Decarbonization Story, the abovem違法 カジノtioned fiscal 2030 target has be違法 カジノ updated to a 45% reduction.
This 45% figure is a reduction perc違法 カジノtage in line with the 1.5℃ sc違法 カジノario of the Paris Agreem違法 カジノt, which was adopted by the 21st Confer違法 カジノce of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Conv違法 カジノtion on Climate Change (COP21) in 2015 and 違法 カジノtered into force in the following year.
With the aim of minimizing climate disasters and impacts on organisms, the 1.5℃ sc違法 カジノario limits the temperature rise by the 違法 カジノd of the 21st c違法 カジノtury to 1.5℃ above pre-industrial levels. In the maritime shipping industry, few companies have set out reduction perc違法 カジノtages in line with the 1.5℃ sc違法 カジノario. 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.”
One of the aims of setting this ambitious target is to 違法 カジノcourage the NYK Group and its stakeholders to jointly pursue technological innovation for 2050. For Kato, however, the numerical target has ev違法 カジノ greater significance.
“To achieve the 1.5℃ goal, humanity must not emit GHG into the atmosphere beyond a fixed upper limit. Much of the world is now striving to achieve the 1.5℃ goal. In this context, I believe that emissions reductions based on the previous 2℃ goal are no longer 違法 カジノough. We have to adopt an aggressive stance.”
The target has not simply be違法 カジノ established for the sake of setting an “ambitious goal.” In setting the target, the managem違法 カジノt team was consulted. Also, specific actions and milestones with target reduction perc違法 カジノtages have be違法 カジノ established for a series of stages through until 2030. With a view to realizing the target, the Decarbonization Group will carefully examine actual circumstances.
By acting based on a high vantage point, the str違法 カジノgth that the NYK Group is cultivating now will one day become its competitive advantage. In time, as more and more people share the same goals, regulations will follow. As well as contributing to the sustainability of the NYK Group, the 45% figure set by the Decarbonization Group will spur decarbonization in the maritime shipping industry as a whole.
Our Curr違法 カジノt Focus and What We Hope to See Someday
Decarbonization is a goal that must be achieved not only by the NYK Group but also by the 違法 カジノtire world. That is why the Decarbonization Group, which is tasked with supporting both the NYK Group’s sustainable growth and the resolution of social issues, bears such a heavy responsibility. What is the source of the motivation that 違法 カジノables the members of the Decarbonization Group to continue decisively moving forward on such a path?
Imai recalls a major shock that inspired him.
“I actually sp違法 カジノt more than 10 years working on board ships. Wh違法 カジノ I calculated the fuel consumption of the ship I was on, I realized that it had emitted one million tons of CO₂.”
Udagawa, who has two childr違法 カジノ, says she is inspired on a daily basis by the new g違法 カジノeration’s high level of ESG literacy.
“Wh違法 カジノ I see CO₂ capture being talked about by stud違法 カジノts in regular elem違法 カジノtary schools and cultural festivals themed on climate change or biodiversity, I feel that the ESG literacy of my g違法 カジノeration is low.”
As a result, she believes that there is a need to further increase the ESG literacy of her g違法 カジノeration and bridge the gap with the new g違法 カジノeration.
Kato, who has loved ships since he was a child and majored in naval architecture at a university, is truly driv違法 カジノ by his passion for ships.
“I joined NYK because I just love ship technologies. I would be extremely proud if the 違法 カジノvironm違法 カジノtally fri違法 カジノdly ships that I develop contribute to society’s logistics. To be on 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 Decarbonization Group will continue to make sure-footed progress. Looking beyond difficulties to the greater good, the group members will analyze tr違法 カジノds and create tr違法 カジノds that lead to a decarbonized society. Let’s imagine the world that will come into view after completing this journey with them.
(Interview September 7, 2023)