Resource conservation is an important issue in passing on a rich global environment to children, the exchange students from the future. The Benesse Group works to conserve water, plastic, paper, and other resources to realize a sustainable society.
Based on our Group Environmental Policy, the Benesse Group (1) promotes climate change countermeasures, biodiversity restoration and environmental considerations in products, services and sales activities,(2) promotes energy conservation, renewable energy, waste reduction, recycling of resources, as well as efficient use of resources and conservation and efficiency of water resources, with the aim of combating climate change and restoring biodiversity, (3) promotes environmental education by utilising business characteristics, (4) engages communities and society through collaboration with stakeholders.
The Benesse Corporation works to reduce its burden on the environment through business. We are working to reduce paper usage through digitizing educational materials in our core education business.
Fiscal year ended March 31 of each year
| Units | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricity | GJ | 112,324 | 126,773 | 117,746 |
| (Thousands kWh) | (11,303) | (12,757) | (11,810) | |
| Steam | GJ | 5,066 | 5,640 | 6,420 |
| City gas | GJ | 2,025 | 1,810 | 1,910 |
| Diesel oil, Heavy Oil A, Gasoline | GJ | 147 | 280 | 214 |
| Hot and cold water | GJ | 7,630 | 6,457 | 4,034 |
| Total energy use★ | GJ | 127,192 | 140,960 | 130,324 |
★Third-party assuarance items (third-party assuarance has been received from Socotec Certification Japan K.K.)
We are involved in recycling and resource circulation by reducing paper resources through the digitization of products and services, the procurement of FSC-certified paper resources, and the use of 100% used paper in packaging.
We are promoting the reuse of student tablets used in Shinken Seminar, a program offered by the Benesse Corporation.
See the following website for details of this initiative.
Teaching equipment is taken and recycled after being used in Kodomo Challenge. Collected play materials are reprocessed into oil and used as energy. This is a chance for children to learn about the environment while having fun.
See the following website for details of this initiative.
We contribute to the community and environment through tree planting based on the paper resources that are used to submit and return work with Akapen Sensei no Mondai, problems for correction in Shinken Seminar.
See the following website for details of this initiative.
Benesse Corporation's commercial magazines for pregnancy and child-rearing, “First Tamago Club," "Mid-Term Tamago Club,” and "Late-Term Tamago Club," use environmentally friendly ink (vegetable oil ink ) and paper (FSC® certified paper) (with some exceptions).
See the following website for details of this initiative.
An inspection is carried out quarterly to ensure thorough waste product separation.
Results are consolidated by floor and the information is shared through the company's internal website, with deficient floors being pointed out. Floors are encouraged continually throughout the year and in an average year, most floors are no longer deficient by the end of the year. We also host the Environmental Poster Contest for employees and their families during the summer holidays each year as a statement meant to encourage awareness. In addition to announcing winning posters in each age category online, submitted works on waste product processing that encourage caution are posted within the company.
The Benesse Corporation has established comprehensive green procurement guidelines for the procurement of raw materials. Environmental considerations are also undertaken in cooperation with clients. More specifically, we are involved in the following activities:
* SGEC forest certification is mutually recognised with the Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) forest certification, an international certification system.
● Benesse House's sustainability initiatives
Benesse Holdings and the Fukutake Foundation promote good community development through contemporary art and cultural promotion. Art activities collectively known as Benesse Art Site Naoshima have been taking place on islands in the Seto Inland Sea for about 30 years. Every year, many people visit Benesse Art Site Naoshima, which is characterised by activities that utilise history and culture, bring in new contemporary art, and revitalise the relationship with the local residents.
Benesse House, a facility based on the concept of 'symbiosis between nature, architecture and art' at Benesse Art Site Naoshima, aims to contribute to the realisation of a sustainable society, and promotes sustainability in various areas such as environmental considerations (landscape protection, energy conservation and decarbonisation, water conservation, recycling and various other environmental protection measures), health and safety.
Detailed information on Benesse House's initiatives can be found below.
Please see the details below.
Benesse Holdings endorses the Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosure (TNFD), which calls for the disclosure of business opportunities and risks in terms of natural capital and biodiversity, and participates in the TNFD Forum, which was created to establish a framework for risk management and disclosure with regard to natural capital by endorsing companies.
As organisations willing to promote disclosure in line with TNFD recommendations, we have registered on the TNFD website as 'TNFD Early Adopters'.The companies registered as TNFD Early Adopters as announced on 16 January 2024 can be found below.
Keidanren Biodiversity Declaration Initiative
Benesse Holdings endorses the Keidanren Biodiversity Declaration Initiative and is promoting biodiversity initiatives.
* The Keidanren Declaration on Biodiversity Initiative communicates and introduces the logos, future-oriented action policies and examples of activities of companies and organisations that are involved in more than one of the seven items of the Keidanren Declaration on Biodiversity and Action Guidelines (revised version), or that support the overall aims of the initiative, on a special website for internal and external use.
Last updated : 2024/04/11