Why Japan’s Biggest Brands Just United to Protect the Future of Water｜Japan ESG Matters
ESG Matters
[{'start': '2.480', 'end': '6.320', 'text': 'Hello everyone, welcome back\xa0\nto our channel, I’m Silas,'}, {'start': '6.320', 'end': '10.640', 'text': 'and this is ESG Matters: Daily Updates from Japan.'}, {'start': '10.640', 'end': '15.760', 'text': 'Today’s headline is all about water — a\xa0\nresource that flows through every community,'}, {'start': '15.760', 'end': '21.680', 'text': 'every business, and every aspect of\xa0\nsustainable development. In Japan,'}, {'start': '21.680', 'end': '28.240', 'text': 'five major companies have come together to take\xa0\na coordinated step toward protecting that future.'}, {'start': '28.240', 'end': '35.440', 'text': 'On March 5th, five leading companies — MS&AD\xa0\nInsurance Group, Kurita Water Industries,'}, {'start': '35.440', 'end': '41.040', 'text': 'Suntory Holdings, Coca-Cola Japan, and\xa0\nYachiyo Engineering — joined forces'}, {'start': '41.040', 'end': '45.440', 'text': 'with the international certification\xa0\nbody Alliance for Water Stewardship,'}, {'start': '45.440', 'end': '52.960', 'text': 'or AWS, to officially launch the “Japan Water\xa0\nStewardship” initiative, also known as JWS.'}, {'start': '52.960', 'end': '57.120', 'text': 'This new working group is designed to\xa0\nstrengthen efforts within Japan to manage'}, {'start': '57.120', 'end': '63.200', 'text': 'water resources more responsibly, especially\xa0\nat the watershed level — while encouraging'}, {'start': '63.200', 'end': '69.600', 'text': 'cross-industry collaboration on risks that are\xa0\nincreasingly recognized across supply chains.'}, {'start': '69.600', 'end': '73.200', 'text': 'Japan is facing an increasing\xa0\nnumber of water-related challenges:'}, {'start': '73.200', 'end': '79.120', 'text': 'aging infrastructure, soaring water prices,\xa0\na shrinking workforce in forest maintenance,'}, {'start': '79.120', 'end': '82.000', 'text': 'and degraded water recharge zones.'}, {'start': '82.000', 'end': '86.800', 'text': 'Globally, droughts and floods are already\xa0\ndisrupting agriculture and raising raw'}, {'start': '86.800', 'end': '92.240', 'text': 'material costs. These realities are no\xa0\nlonger distant issues — they are here,'}, {'start': '92.240', 'end': '97.760', 'text': 'and they are affecting operations.\nBy forming JWS, these five companies'}, {'start': '97.760', 'end': '102.560', 'text': 'are responding to growing water-related\xa0\nrisks with a coordinated action plan.'}, {'start': '103.120', 'end': '109.680', 'text': 'The AWS, headquartered in Scotland and\xa0\nco-founded by organizations like WWF and The'}, {'start': '109.680', 'end': '116.400', 'text': 'Nature Conservancy, promotes the concept of “water\xa0\nstewardship” as a socially fair, environmentally'}, {'start': '116.400', 'end': '122.800', 'text': 'sustainable, and economically beneficial process.\nMore than 300 sites worldwide have already'}, {'start': '122.800', 'end': '128.480', 'text': 'received AWS certification, and\xa0\nover 200 organizations are members.'}, {'start': '128.480', 'end': '135.680', 'text': 'Starting in 2025, AWS will recognize Japan as\xa0\na strategic focus country. That means we can'}, {'start': '135.680', 'end': '142.800', 'text': 'expect to see more programs, training, and local\xa0\naction take root here — with JWS at the center.'}, {'start': '142.800', 'end': '148.160', 'text': 'The Japan Water Stewardship working group\xa0\nwill work with the AWS global office to'}, {'start': '148.160', 'end': '153.920', 'text': 'offer Japanese-language training programs,\xa0\norganize inter-company networking, and support'}, {'start': '153.920', 'end': '159.760', 'text': 'collaborative action across supply chains and\xa0\nwatersheds. It will also partner with government'}, {'start': '159.760', 'end': '166.480', 'text': 'agencies to strengthen long-term resilience.\nThe goal is not just regulatory alignment — it’s'}, {'start': '166.480', 'end': '172.800', 'text': 'shared leadership. And that begins with\xa0\ncoordination and shared responsibility.'}, {'start': '172.800', 'end': '177.200', 'text': 'Each member brings a different strength\xa0\nto the table, grounded in their business,'}, {'start': '177.200', 'end': '183.120', 'text': 'but focused on the same mission: to secure\xa0\na healthier future for Japan’s water.'}, {'start': '183.120', 'end': '188.880', 'text': 'MS&AD Insurance Group is taking a\xa0\nnature-based approach to resilience.'}, {'start': '188.880', 'end': '193.440', 'text': 'Through its “Green Resilience” initiative,\xa0\nthe company has worked on integrated river'}, {'start': '193.440', 'end': '199.360', 'text': 'basin management along the Kuma River and\xa0\npromoted water circulation strategies in'}, {'start': '199.360', 'end': '204.080', 'text': 'industrial regions like Kumamoto.\nTheir research institute also helps'}, {'start': '204.080', 'end': '210.000', 'text': 'other companies manage natural capital and\xa0\nwater risks using science-based methods.'}, {'start': '210.000', 'end': '214.800', 'text': 'Kurita Water Industries brings deep technical\xa0\nexpertise to the group, with decades of'}, {'start': '214.800', 'end': '220.080', 'text': 'experience in water treatment solutions.\nSince 2020, they’ve been part of the Water'}, {'start': '220.080', 'end': '224.400', 'text': 'Resilience Coalition and are engaged in\xa0\nbasin-level collective action projects'}, {'start': '224.400', 'end': '232.000', 'text': 'across Colorado, Brazil, and Indonesia.\xa0\nIn 2024, they officially joined AWS and'}, {'start': '232.000', 'end': '238.640', 'text': 'are now focused on implementing sustainable\xa0\nwater practices across their own facilities.'}, {'start': '238.640', 'end': '245.040', 'text': 'Suntory was the first company in Japan to earn\xa0\nAWS certification — awarded in 2018 to its'}, {'start': '245.040', 'end': '250.880', 'text': '“Buna Forest” factory in Oku-Daisen.\nToday, three Suntory factories hold'}, {'start': '250.880', 'end': '257.840', 'text': 'the top-tier Platinum AWS certification, a\xa0\nlevel no other Japanese company has reached.'}, {'start': '257.840', 'end': '263.520', 'text': 'Since 2021, Suntory has been in\xa0\nformal agreement with AWS and'}, {'start': '263.520', 'end': '270.240', 'text': 'works closely with WWF Japan to promote water\xa0\nstewardship across Japan’s corporate sector.'}, {'start': '270.240', 'end': '274.480', 'text': 'As a global AWS member, Coca-Cola\xa0\nJapan is helping to raise the bar'}, {'start': '274.480', 'end': '280.240', 'text': 'for water management in manufacturing.\nAs of March 2025, 19 of its global'}, {'start': '280.240', 'end': '286.000', 'text': 'locations — including the Hakushu Plant\xa0\nin Japan — have earned AWS certification.'}, {'start': '286.000', 'end': '289.840', 'text': 'Coca-Cola aims to scale these\xa0\npractices throughout its operations,'}, {'start': '289.840', 'end': '296.400', 'text': 'while also building stakeholder partnerships\xa0\nto embed stewardship at the community level.'}, {'start': '296.400', 'end': '302.000', 'text': 'Founded in 1963, Yachiyo Engineering\xa0\nhas decades of experience advising'}, {'start': '302.000', 'end': '307.760', 'text': 'governments on water policy, circulation\xa0\nplans, and regional water ordinances.'}, {'start': '307.760', 'end': '314.560', 'text': 'They’ve also been supporting private companies\xa0\nwith water risk assessments and AWS integration,'}, {'start': '314.560', 'end': '318.960', 'text': 'contributing engineering knowledge to\xa0\nimprove watershed health across Japan.'}, {'start': '318.960', 'end': '324.000', 'text': 'The initiative reflects a shift toward\xa0\nrecognizing water as a shared responsibility,'}, {'start': '324.000', 'end': '329.280', 'text': 'not just a resource. This approach\xa0\nemphasizes collaboration, transparency,'}, {'start': '329.280', 'end': '336.160', 'text': 'and ecological awareness. The Japan Water\xa0\nStewardship initiative is still young. But'}, {'start': '336.160', 'end': '340.080', 'text': 'it carries the potential to serve as\xa0\na model for other sectors and regions.'}, {'start': '340.080', 'end': '346.320', 'text': 'Thank you for joining us today. I’m Silas,\xa0\nand this was ESG Matters. I’ll see you again'}, {'start': '346.320', 'end': '356.400', 'text': 'tomorrow — until then, take care, and may the\xa0\nfuture flow gently in the right direction.'}]