SDG Impact Japan

We are pleased to announce that SDG Impact Japan Inc. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Co-CEO: Mari Kogiso, Shohei Maekawa) has been appointed as an ambassador for the Global Innovation Conference "SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025", which will be held in Tokyo, Japan, from May 8 (Thursday) to May 10 (Saturday), 2025. Overview of "SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025" What is "SusHi Tech Tokyo"? "SusHi Tech Tokyo" (Sustainable High-City Tech) is a Tokyo-based global conference aimed at creating "sustainable new value" to address global urban challenges through cutting-edge technologies, diverse ideas, and digital expertise. The event showcases innovations designed to create sustainable urban environments. Event Details Dates: May 8 (Thursday) – May 10 (Saturday), 2025 (3 days) Venue: Tokyo Big Sight East Halls 4–6 (3-11-1 Ariake, Koto-ku, Tokyo) Hybrid event: In-person and online participation Organizer: SusHi Tech Tokyo 2025 Executive Committee Programs: Keynotes, sessions, booth exhibitions, pitch contests, business matchmaking, and more URL: SusHi Tech Tokyo Official Website Projected Scale Total Participants (Online and Offline): Over 50,000 attendees Exhibiting Startups: Over 500 companies Startup Representatives: Over 5,000 attendees Website and Social Media Event Website: https://lnkd.in/gTNs6dv5 X (formerly Twitter) JP: https://lnkd.in/gyAqsvWS X (formerly Twitter) EN: https://lnkd.in/gyVfKhYW LinkedIn: https://lnkd.in/gPcRJM89

Thank you for inviting me to speak at the panel. And thank you for selecting SDG Impact Japan as one of a EM Showcase! I believe FinCity is very involved in enhancing Tokyo to become a great financial center. #TAMF #asset_management #fincity_tokyo

Japan Agrifoodtech Exchange 2024 ~ Innovation Beyond Borders Are you a pioneering Japanese Agritech or Foodtech startup with an innovative solution in climate resiliency, health & nutrition, food waste valorisation, or supply chain efficiency? This is your chance to pitch your business to some of the world's top agrifoodtech investors and biggest names in the industry! We look forward to meeting you at "Japan AgriFoodTech Exchange 2024" hosted by AgFunder and SDG Impact Japan on the September 26th at CIC!

In September, global leaders will gather in New York for the Summit of the Future, focusing on "Multilateral Solutions for a Better Tomorrow." With only 17% of the Sustainable Development Goals on track for completion by the end of the decade, the urgency for action is evident. This crucial meeting aims to reaffirm our dedication to these goals and tackle pressing issues such as digital cooperation, development financing, peace, security, employment, gender equality, and youth involvement. The Summit will culminate in a Pact for the Future, reshaping worldwide governance to address current and emerging challenges. At SDG Impact Japan, we adopt a forward-looking approach, seamlessly incorporating sustainability research into our robust traditional financial analysis framework. We founded SDG Impact Japan to create, invest in, and achieve radical change. All of our investments, all of our energy, are guided by our vision to create a sustainable future for people and the planet. #UN #SDGs #Multilateralism #SummitOfTheFuture https://lnkd.in/dc9bSgS4

Japan has the potential to make significant strides in its energy transition according to a group of companies and NGOs. Recommendations include tripling renewables capacity and phasing out coal power by 2035. The Japan Climate Initiative, which includes prominent organizations like Rakuten Group and Panasonic Holdings, suggests recalibrating national targets to reduce emissions by two-thirds by the mid-2030s. Currently, Japan relies on coal for one-third of its electricity, but could increase renewable energy to make up 65% to 80% of its power mix. We believe Japan has capacity for this and that is why we invest and engage with Japanese companies! With our diverse expertise, we invest along a continuum – from early stage startups to listed companies. Each stage of growth helps inform the other and can help spark innovation and scale faster. https://lnkd.in/dyxXEfSB

Youths vs Titans: 16 young plaintiffs sue Japan’s Energy Giants Sixteen young people from across Japan have filed an unprecedented lawsuit against ten major power companies, demanding that they significantly reduce their carbon dioxide emissions to help secure a livable future. The lawsuit, filed on August 6 in the Nagoya District Court, marks Japan’s first nationwide climate action led by youth and underscores the growing global trend of young people taking legal action to combat the climate crisis. The plaintiffs, aged from their teens to twenties, argue that the continued high levels of CO2 emissions from these companies threaten their future, violating their human rights. The ten companies named in the lawsuit—JERA, J-Power, Kobe Steel, and the electric power companies of Hokkaido, Tohoku, Hokuriku, Kansai, Chugoku, Shikoku, and Kyushu—collectively account for roughly 30 percent of Japan’s energy-related CO2 emissions. In Japan, the plaintiffs are not only challenging the current emission reduction targets of these power companies, which they argue fall short of the IPCC’s recommendations. (Japan is the only G7 nation that has yet to commit to a specific year for phasing out coal-fired thermal power generation.) They are also questioning the companies’ reliance on uncertain and potentially unrealistic technologies, such as carbon capture and storage, hydrogen co-firing, and the continued operation of coal-fired power plants under the assumption of achieving zero-emission thermal power. The plaintiffs contend that these plans violate the companies’ duty of care to reduce emissions and protect the environment. At a press conference held after the lawsuit was filed, the young plaintiffs?made their motivations clear. “We cannot allow the fossil fuel industry to destroy our future for short-term profits,” one of the plaintiffs said. Another added, “We want to do everything we can now to leave the Earth in its current state for future generations.” Their words echoed the sentiments of youth climate activists around the world, who are increasingly vocal about the urgent need for action to address the climate crisis. https://lnkd.in/dqX8DSAy

Hiroshima marks 79 years since atomic bombing, as nuclear war fears rise. Raging conflicts across the globe are “reinforcing the public assumption” that military force — and nuclear deterrence — are needed to solve global issues, a view Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida emphasized in his own speech that the suffering that transpired in Hiroshima and Nagasaki “must never be repeated.” “It is our country's mission as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings in war to steadily continue our efforts toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons,” he said.“It is our country's mission as the only nation to have suffered atomic bombings in war to steadily continue our efforts toward realizing a world without nuclear weapons,” he said. https://lnkd.in/dtQUjesv

Japanese stocks have been the top performers among major developed markets this year, with the Topix index up 20%. That adds to the 25% return last year, when the gauge was the world’s best. Foreign investors, many of whom tuned out Japan for decades, have helped drive the gains, with inflows of 7.4 trillion yen in the 18 months to June, according to data from Japan Exchange Group. Foreign inflows last year were the most in records going back a decade. https://lnkd.in/dp7niFya

Japan delivers! Port Plus?is a training and education facility in Yokohama built by and for general contractor Obayashi Corp., a storied Japanese builder that traces its roots back to 1892. The firm has constructed some of the country’s most iconic structures, including?Tokyo Central Station, dating to 1914, and the Kenzo Tange-designed?Yoyogi National Stadium 2nd Gymnasium, completed in the 1960s.But Port Plus — which was finished last year and is composed mainly of 540 wooden rigid cross-joints that are 2.8 meters (9.2 feet) wide by 4 meters (13 feet) tall — may be its most ambitious. The structure offers a pivot away from the carbon-intensive building materials like steel and cement that dominated Japan’s postwar landscape and offers a new path for?modern mass-timber construction?in a country where, for centuries, wood has played a central role in temples, homes and workspaces. Port Plus exemplifies a global shift by architects and builders, who are?constructing everything from skyscrapers to?wind turbines?with one of the world’s oldest building materials in an attempt to reduce the climate impact of structures, which account for roughly a third of global emissions. Accelerating the shift are new engineered products such as cross laminated timber (CLT) and laminated veneer lumber (LVL), which stack layers of wood like a sandwich and are often sturdy enough to be used as structural components. https://lnkd.in/dg4kniJy

Among other things, this is the type of companies we invest in. Kyoto University and Sumitomo Forestry announced Tuesday the completion of LignoSat, the world's first wooden artificial satellite. With development beginning in April 2020, LignoSat is crafted from magnolia wood, selected for its strength and workability after space exposure tests were conducted on cherry, birch and magnolia wood chips. The wood was sourced from Sumitomo Forestry’s company forest.The 10-cubic-centimeter probe was assembled using a traditional Japanese technique that doesn't require any screws or glue and is equipped with external solar panels. Ground tests confirmed that the wood would not adversely affect astronauts' health and safety, as well as precision equipment and optical components. The LignoSat project?aims to combat space clutter and promote more environmentally friendly space activity. Current international rules mandate that satellites reenter the atmosphere after their missions to avoid them becoming space debris. Conventional satellites pose air pollution risks due to metal particles generated during reentry. Wooden satellites, which burn up upon reentry, are expected to mitigate this effect. https://lnkd.in/d9GMbgkW