Based on its corporate mission of "contribute to society through the development of superior, original technology and products," Hitachi promotes its Social Innovation Business with the aim of contributing to the realization of a sustainable society. As part of this, to play its proper role as a global corporation, Hitachi actively participates in international initiatives and groups addressing social issues on a global scale.
| Initiative or Group | Activities | |
|---|---|---|
| United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) | Became a participant in 2009. Joined workshops organized by the Global Compact Network Japan (GCNJ) on ten different topics in fiscal 2022, including ESG, SDGs, and WEPs (the Women's Empowerment Principles) |
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| World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) | Became a member in 1995 Adopted SOS 1.5 project in 2020 |
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| Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) | Became a member in 2007 and has participated in the Human Rights Working Group (HRWG) since 2016 |  |
| World Economic Forum | Participated in Davos Forum since 2014 | — |
| Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) | Announced support for TCFD in 2018 and disclosed climate-related information based on the TCFD recommendations |  |
| Japan Climate Initiative (JCI) | Became a member in 2018 Joined the JCI Race to Zero Circle established in 2021 |
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| The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) | Obtained accreditation of "Targets for 1.5℃" in 2020 |  |
| Business Ambition for 1.5℃ | Became a member in 2020, along with SBT1.5℃ certification |  |
| Race To Zero campaign | Joined in 2020, along with Business Ambition for 1.5℃ commitment |  |
| The Valuable 500 | Became a member in 2021 |  |
| ESG Disclosure Study Group (EDSG) | Participated as a founder and start-up member since 2020 |  |
As part of developing Hitachi's Social Innovation Business on a global scale, Hitachi views government institutions and private bodies in each country and region of the world as important partners. Our Government & External Relations Group leads our efforts to strengthen ties with these bodies. We collaborate with business locations worldwide to develop mutual relationships with local communities, working with governments and international organizations in each country. At the same time, the Group seeks new business opportunities for Hitachi, creating value based on the various regional social issues and policies.
More frequently, governments are asking for our opinions. We also contribute to building better societies by making requests directly and proposing solutions through discussions in economic organizations and industrial bodies.
| Council/Group | Participant | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Panel discussion regarding Infrastructure System International Expansion Strategy 2025 (Cabinet Secretariat of Japan) | Executive Chairman Toshiaki Higashihara (attended as a private sector member) |
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| Japan Business Federation (Keidanren) |
Executive Chairman Toshiaki Higashihara (attended as the Vice Chair) |
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| Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) | President & CEO Keiji Kojima (attended as the Chairman) |
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| Japan Electrical Manufacturers' Association (JEMA) | Vice President Kenji Urase (attended as the Director) |
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| Japan Machinery Federation (JMF) | Executive Chairman Toshiaki Higashihara (attended as the Chairman) |
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| World Economic Forum (World Economic Forum) | Executive Officers centered on Executive Chairman Toshiaki Higashihara and President & CEO Keiji Kojima |
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| Japan-U.S. Business Council | Executive Chairman Toshiaki Higashihara (attended as an Executive Committee member) |
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| National Association of Manufacturers | Hitachi Corporate Office in Washington DC |
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| Japan Business Council in Europe (JBCE) | Hitachi Europe Government Relations Office |
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Hitachi considers international standardization as an activity to define the international rules necessary for achieving sustainable societies. Hitachi recognizes that International standards are standards or criteria endorsed through fair discussion and international agreement by members representing specialized fields and diverse stakeholders.
To this end, Hitachi strives to solve social issues from a global perspective. Hitachi also engages in collaborative creation with a diverse range of stakeholders, including national and regional governments, academic and research institutions, corporations, NGOs and NPOs, and users around the world to create new social norms (rules) and contribute to sustainable societies through our Social Innovation Business.
Hitachi believes international standardization is as important as R&D and intellectual property. Hitachi participates actively in standardization activities at international standardization organizations that include IEC*1, ISO*2, and ITU-T*3. Hitachi also participates in consortia established in various regions and industrial fields around the world.
Hitachi is engaged in international standardization activities in various fields including efforts concerning the circular economy (ISO/TC*4 323), the environmental standardization for electrical and electronic products and systems (IEC/TC 111, smart community infrastructures (ISO/TC 268/SC*5 1), and unmanned aircraft systems (ISO/TC 20/SC 16). Providing solutions consistent with international standards through these international standardization activities, Hitachi supports the development of sound global markets and facilitate innovation to resolve social issues.
Hitachi employees received the1906 Award from the IEC and a certificate of appreciation from the IEC Activities Promotion Committee (IEC-APC) in fiscal 2022. In addition, since January 2023, our colleague has served members of the SMB*, which is an upper-level committee that oversees IEC standardization activities. Hitachi professionals hold several other key international positions, including chairperson and executive secretary. Many participate in the technical committees of international standardization organizations.
The Hitachi Group Standardization Committee has been established to engage with international standardization activities involving groupwide cooperation. The Steering Committee* for the Standardization Committee selects areas for Hitachi to prioritize over the medium to long term. Each working group engages in detailed discussions and strategic activities toward international standardization.
One of the principal topics selected by the Hitachi Group Standardization Committee was Society 5.0, an initiative spearheaded by the Japanese government aimed at creating human-centered, sustainable societies. The ISO/IWA* 39 (gap analysis for standardization on sustainable human-centered societies enabled with cyber physical systems) agreement was completed in fiscal 2021. Based on the conclusions of the agreement, Hitachi will continue developing activities to create place for various stakeholders to discuss specific issues and build an international consensus toward the creating Society 5.0.
