The Third Symposium on Climate Change Adaptation Promotion by Private Business Operators-Climate Risk Management and Adaptation Businesses-was held.

The Third Climate Change Adaptation Promotion Symposium-Climate Risk Management and Adaptation Businesses-was held jointly by Ministry of the Environment and National Institute for Environmental Studies. This year, the event was held online due to the influence of the new corona. Initially, we planned to have a capacity of 200 people. However, since we received applications from a large number of people, we expanded the capacity to 300 people. On the day of the event, more people from all over Japan participated in the event, partly because the event was held online.

Symposium (at start)

[Part 1:The latest trends in adaptation of private businesses]

• Lecture 1 Ministry of the Environment "Climate Change Adaptation in Private Companies"
• Lecture 2 Ministry of the Environment, "Expansion of ESG-Finance and Initiatives in the Field of Adaptation."
• Introduction Ministry of the Environment "About the Environmental Infrastructure Overseas Expansion Platform (JPRSI)"
• Lecture 3 National Institute for Environmental Studies "Efforts to Adapt Private Businesses in National Institute for Environmental Studies"

State of the symposium

In Part 1 of the programme, Ministry of the Environment and National Institute for Environmental Studies gave lectures on various initiatives. In Parts 2 and 3, we introduced examples of actual efforts to each company.

[Part 2:Examples of Climate Risk Management]

• Lecture 4 Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Scenario-Analysis of TCFD Responses Implemented by the Ajinomoto Group
• Lecture 5 "AEON Co., Ltd.'s BCP Initiatives"
• Lecture 6 Taisei Construction Co., Ltd., "Heat Stress Countermeasures at Construction Site"

In Part 2, we introduced our efforts to manage climate risks, focusing on TCFD, BCPs, and measures against heat stroke. Mr. Nakamura of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. introduced TCFD response scenario-analysis conducted by the Ajinomoto Group and corresponding adaptation efforts. Mr. Tanaka of Aeon Co., Ltd. introduced the Aeon BCM Project, which comprehensively promotes all types of disaster prevention measures. In addition, Mr. Sato of Taisei Construction Co., Ltd. introduced the measures against heat stroke at the workplace, which is susceptible to the effects of global warming. The initiatives introduced in Part 2 were initiatives that could be used by all private businesses across industries as a reference.

Scene of the symposium (upper and lower left) and the management secretariat (@ National Institute for Environmental Studies) (lower right)

[Part 3: Examples of Adaptation Businesses]

• Lecture 7 Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. "Measures against Heat Neutrosis in a Collaboration Agreement with Prefectural Governments"
• Lecture 8 Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd. "Kraft Chuhi, a community-only connection between agricultural producers and consumers"
• Lecture 9 Sompo Japan Insurance Inc., "SOMPO's Initiatives for Climate-Change Businesses and SDGs"

In Part 3, we introduced the initiatives of the Adaptation Business on the theme of collaboration with local governments and local communities. Mr. Tsujino of Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. has concluded a partnership agreement with local governments and introduced the measures against heat stroke that Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. is pursuing as part of this agreement. In addition, Mr. Yoshida of Takara Shuzo Co., Ltd. introduced a case in which fruits that could be cultivated due to the effects of climate change were used as products to promote local communities. In addition, Mr. Tanabe of Non-Life Insurance Japan K.K. introduced "Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Services" developed for local governments. The initiatives introduced in Part 3 were interesting examples of how each company contributed to local governments and communities as well as bringing climate change back into business.

In addition, in each question and answer session, each lecturer answered questions collected from the participants.

State of the symposium

In the future, National Institute for Environmental Studies will continue to collect, organize, analysis information, and conduct R&D activities to enhance its A-PLAT so that information can be shared with you.