ESG INVESTING

November 2, 2020
Part of the Nichibei Global Talks Video Series

Investors are increasingly paying attention to how companies are addressing Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors. On October 26, 2020, Prime Minister Suga announced Japan’s aim to achieve zero carbon emissions by 2050. “This is expected to greatly transform the Japanese economy,” said Mari Yoshitaka, Ph.D., of Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd., who joins Billy Nauman of Financial Times in this episode on ESG investing and the important role that U.S. and Japanese private companies and financial institutions can play to create a new, sustainable economic market. Though still in the early stages of development, ESG investing has become increasingly popular in the United States and Japan. The dialogue addresses ESG investment trends in the two markets, government policies affecting those trends, impact of COVID-19, examples of U.S. and Japanese companies ranking high in terms of ESG, shared challenges regarding ESG data disclosure and accuracy, and more.

(動画内のスライドの日本語版はこちらです）： Japanese language slides

Billy Nauman Reporter, Financial Times Billy Nauman is a reporter with the Financial Times and producer of Moral Money, the new digital platform and newsletter from the FT featuring news and analysis about the fast-expanding world of socially responsible business, sustainable finance, impact investing, environmental, social and governance (ESG) trends. Before joining Moral Money, Nauman worked in the FT’s Specialist division for nine years as a reporter and editor. Most recently, he was Managing Editor of FundFire, the FT’s daily publication covering the U.S. institutional investment industry.

Mari Yoshitaka Principal Sustainability Strategist, Deputy General Manager of Corporate Planning Dept., Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd. (MURC) Mari Yoshitaka, Ph.D., is Principal Sustainability Strategist, Deputy General Manager of Corporate Planning Dept., Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd. (MURC). In 2000, Yoshitaka joined Mitsubishi UFJ Morgan Stanley Securities to start up the Clean Energy Finance Committee, and transferred to MURC in May 2020. Her area of expertise is climate change policy, especially climate finance and mitigation projects, in the fields of ESG investment and SDGs business. Yoshitaka is a member of the UN Women-We Empower Japan Advisory Group and the Global Environment Committee of Central Environment Council. .

 brilliant continuity at sugo's ministerial steam

plus one new post shinki in charge of expo 2025- vital to unite celebrations of rising sun - reiwa era-  in every way that corona-beaten olympics could not

 https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/wpro---documents/events/full-programme-with-bio-0915-(2).pdf

the First Innovation Forum in the WHO Western Pacific Region (15-17 September 2020) aims to provide policy support to countries on innovation to identify, test and advance innovative approaches to pressing health problems including COVID-19.

During the 3-day virtual event, high-level policymakers and thought leaders will discuss how innovation can help countries to future-proof their health systems, and the role of WHO in supporting them. The interactive panel sessions will provide an opportunity to discuss key topics such as innovation for healthy life course, environment for health, impact-driven solutions, and harnessing digital tools for health.

Forum objectives: 

1. Lay out a vision for innovation in health systems with societies adapting to the challenges of climate change, health security, ageing populations, chronic disease, and the aftermath of COVID-19
2. Explore ways in which WHO could set up a platform to assist Member States to conceptualize innovative solutions, put them into action, apply them at scale, and sustain them

Participants:

1. Top-level policymakers who make decisions on research, development and innovation
2. Senior managers and public health practitioners who generate and manage innovation projects
3. Advisers,experts, and thought leaders in areas relating to innovation who can support WHO and Member States (non-health official participants)
4. Community leaders, representatives of civil society, academia, professional associations, media and private sector.
5. General public from the Western Pacific with interest in public health and innovation.

Confirmed speakers (Full list of speakers and short bios can be found in the programme here):

• Samira Asma, Assistant Director-General, WHO
• Seth Berkley, CEO, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
• Sandro Galea, Dean, Boston University School of Public Health; Chair, Emergency Task Force on Coronavirus & Equity, Massachusetts Public Health Association
• Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief, The Lancet
• Kathy Jetñil-Kijiner, Co-founder and Director, Jo-Jikum
• Ilona Kickbusch, Founding Director and Chair, Global Health Centre at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva
• Shiao-yin Kuik, Co-founder and Director, The Thought Collective
• Yinuo Li, China Country Director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation