Nature conservation activity of:
The Sumitomo Trust & Banking Co., Ltd.
| URL: | http://www.sumitomotrust.co.jp/ http://www.sumitomotrust.co.jp/IR/company/index_en.html |
| Liaison: | Corporate Social Responsibility Office, Corporate Planning Department |
| Address: | GranTokyo South Tower, 9-2, Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-6611 Japan |
| Telephone: | +81-3-6256-6251 |
| FAX: | +81-3-3286-8741 |
1. Policy and measures toward nature conservation
We adhere to two core management principles: "confidence and integrity" (the essence of the trust business) as well as "credibility and sound management" (Sumitomo's basic business principle). We are fully aware of our public mission since our business activities have a close relationship with society, the economy and the environment. In this respect, we always strive to fulfill our social responsibilities, implement our business model and achieve sustainable growth while paying due consideration toward society, the economy and the environment, in a mutually compatible fashion.
In June 2003, we established the Corporate Social Responsibility Office ("Office") as a control tower for the activities aimed at fulfilling our CSR activities in line with our Social Activity Charter, which provides basic behavioral guidelines for directors and employees to follow. In addition, the Office supervises our internal CSR promotion system and is in charge of planning our daily CSR activities.
Financial organizations, through their financial intermediary functions, are expected to take an active part in solving environmental problems. We have positioned our environmental financing at the core of our CSR strategy to engage in financial activities that contribute to addressing environmental issues as a priority.
2. Cooperation with NGOs
We maintain relations with NGOs through charitable trusts. A charitable trust is a scheme in which a benefactor sets up a trust fund intended for society's benefit such as the conservation of the environment. We took custody of our first trust of this kind in May 1977, and as of the end of March 2007, the cumulative number had grown to 137. We will continue our active promotion of charitable trusts with the goal of helping to create a better society and environment.
The Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund was entrusted to us by the Nippon Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation.
We also introduce appropriate organizations to our customers in the real estate business who wish to make donations to such NGOs.
At the company-wide level as well as the local branch level, we aim to engage in a wide range of social contribution activities, including collaboration with local NPOs through volunteer activities.
3. Environmental education and volunteer training for employees
At management meetings, external instructors or officers from the Corporate Social Responsibility Office give lectures on our social responsibility, including environmental conservation.
To enhance social consciousness among employees and to promote our CSR activities, officers in the Corporate Social Responsibility Office organize meetings at both head office and local branches.
In addition, we are planning to devote a section in our in-house news video to environmental issues.
4. Environmental education (for the public)
Our branches engage in various activities for the promotion of environmental awareness, such as lobby displays or seminars.
5. Practical use and preservation of company-owned real estate, etc.
N/A
6. Forest management, forestation, etc.
We support activities such as forestation through our charitable trust scheme.
Our environmental conservation activities include the creation of Sumitomo Trust's "Shintakun no Mori", a forest in Wakayama Prefecture, as part of the "Kigyo no Mori" ("Corporate Forest") Project being promoted by the prefecture. We are also focusing our efforts on the protection of the natural environment while improving employees' consciousness regarding environmental issues.
7. Others
Signing of UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Statements
In October 2003, we became the first Japanese trust bank to sign the UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) Statements on the environment and sustainable development. We are exerting efforts towards environmentally friendly-activities, which are the focus of our CSR. In every business operation, we consider the most optimized solutions for the environment and sustainability. We pursue and promote this spirit, and constantly strive to make our directors and employees conscious of the environment in their daily activities.
Participation in the UN Global Compact
In July 2005, we participated in the UN Global Compact. Within that context, we are promoting broad environmentally-friendly activities in association with many other companies and organizations not restricted to financial institutions.
Socially Responsible Investment (SRI)
We were entrusted with the management of SRI funds for the first time in July 2003 by a corporate fund, and began sales of investment trusts to individual investors in December of the same year. We are aiming at further social contribution by taking the initiative in establishing such SRI funds.
Signing the Principles for Responsible Investment
In May 2006, Sumitomo Trust signed the Principles for Responsible Investment, a set of investment standards jointly set by the UNEP FI and the GC. These Principles encourage the greater awareness of "Environment, Social and Governance" (ESG) issues when making investment decisions. As the SRI market leader in Japan, we actively support these principles.
Signing the Carbon Disclosure Project
In January 2007, Sumitomo Trust signed onto the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). The CDP is a group of international institutional investors and financial institutions that ask corporations to disclose information concerning their greenhouse gas emissions. We support the aims of the CDP.
Environmentally-conscious activities that leverage our financial capabilities
We have coined and have been actively promoting the term "Eco-Trustution," a combination of "Eco," "Trust" and "Solution," to describe "solutions for ecological problems using trust functions."
Through sales of housing loans for environmentally friendly houses, financing to environmentally-conscious projects, such as wind power generation, and consulting for environmentally-conscious construction projects, we are devoting great efforts toward environmentally-conscious activities leveraging our financial capabilities. In addition, we are endeavoring to save energy and reduce resource consumption at our headquarters and branch offices.