NOMURA GROUP 's Social Good (Part 1)

Based on the vision of "contributing to society more actively", NOMURA GROUP has focused on the four themes of "environment", "culture", "region" and "people" with "social good" as a keyword. We are undertaking various activities as And for four days from July 5th to 8th, 2021, "Social Good Week 2021" was held to introduce all the social good projects that NOMURA GROUP has been working on. nomlog editorial department will report on the entire program of this event.

* Click here for a list of report articles on “Social Good Week 2021”

Lecture 1｜Opening of Social Good Week

President and CEO Shuji Enomoto

Thinking about the future of NOMURA GROUP, society and the earth

Many companies are now working on the SDGs. In March, Apple announced that it would be carbon neutral by 2030. What's more, it's an epoch-making plan to realize this together with all of our suppliers, rather than aiming for this on our own. In the coming era, in order for companies to fulfill their social responsibilities, they will be required not only to cooperate with other companies, but also to create a sustainable society.

In the midst of these social movements, company-wide initiatives for social good are very important. However, it is important not only to have requests from society and customers, but also to have the will to "make things with our own hands." I'm going to talk about that.

I believe that this initiative springs from the unchanging DNA of NOMURA Co., Ltd. Promoting social good will not only create a firm foundation for the future growth of NOMURA GROUP amid social changes, but will also refine the corporate culture of NOMURA GROUP for the future. I believe that it will also lead to personal growth through the work of each individual.

The idea of social good is in the management philosophy

Everyone remembers the management philosophy of NOMURA Co., Ltd., which was established in 1980. "Respect for people," "creation of new value," and "creation of a rich human environment," although the phrases used are harsh, I believe that the management philosophy expressed through these three words is exactly connected to the concept of social good. . What we have been aiming for since the days of our predecessors has always been to value people's diverse values and the humanity of our employees more than anything else, and to pursue the possibilities of space with the power of creativity and engineering. It is to deliver a human environment that enriches

We want to be a company that delivers a rich human environment to society, not just a company that designs and constructs spaces. Social good has the power to create new experiences and connections in people's daily lives through space, and deliver positive value to people's hearts. A happy impact that makes society and the future more enjoyable, isn't that NOMURA GROUP 's social good?

NOMURA Co., Ltd. 's social good entering a new phase

Beyond social good, there are infinite business possibilities. NOMURA GROUP 's social good is not just a social contribution initiative. In the rich human environment created by space, it is an initiative to connect client companies and consumers and create a happy impact to realize a sustainable society.
Precisely because we live in the age of the corona virus, there is a demand for proposals that focus on the future of people and society with the theme of social good.

Let's take advantage of what we've learned during this Social Good Week and think again about whether we can make proposals that lead to social good in our current work, and take on the social good challenge. From today, the social good of NOMURA GROUP will enter a new phase. In the four days from today, you will surely find new things.

Lecture 2 | Global Movements and SDGs

Social Good Strategy Office Ryo Sugaya

Joined in 2008. As a salesperson, he worked on creating a communication space centered on branding centered on major private companies. In 2019, he was appointed president of the labor union. In 2020, completed SDGs new business project research (Tokyo, 4th term) at Business Concept Graduate University. 2021 Current position (Sales and Social Good Strategy Office)

SDGs are initiatives aimed at harmonious coexistence with the earth

In 2019, former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said, "We don't have Planet B. We must act now." in his keynote speech on International Day of Peace. It is a strong message that there is no plan B on the planet we live on and action must be taken now.

And there is the idea of planetary boundaries (earth limits) advocated by a Swedish environmentalist. This charts the health of the planet, already in the high-risk red zone of extinction rates in biosphere integrity, biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen and phosphorous entering the biosphere. In human terms, it is a state of immediate hospitalization level.

(From the website of the Ministry of the Environment)

Next, if we put the age of the earth, which is about 4.6 billion years, into a one-year calendar, human beings were born about 6 million years ago, so on the calendar it is only the last five minutes of New Year's Eve. The reality is that human beings are causing great environmental destruction in just five minutes. SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) were born in such an urgent situation.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) unanimously adopted by United Nations Member States

From here, I will talk about the essence of the SDGs. The SDGs are goals that were unanimously adopted by 193 member states at the United Nations Summit in September 2015. A major feature is the pledge to "leave no one behind." There are 17 goals in the SDGs, which span three areas: society, the economy, and the environment. Furthermore, 169 targets and 232 indicators to evaluate them are set under the goal.

Prior to the establishment of the SDGs, the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) were set from 2001 to 2015 to solve the problems of poverty and social exclusion. But this goal was set by developed countries for developing countries. Therefore, in order to solve the global problems that are becoming more serious, the SDGs aim to leave no one behind, targeting all countries, both developed and developing countries.

Why companies are working on SDGs

Some of you may have the opinion, "Why do we have to do it?" However, the reason why companies work on the SDGs is not only to contribute to the future of the earth, but also to secure excellent human resources.

Today, the value standards of young people, such as generation Z*1 and millennials*2, who are newly entering the company, are changing significantly. The reason for choosing a company is not the size of the company, salary, benefits, etc., but rather how it contributes to resolving social issues. The SDGs will be taught in primary schools from 2020, middle schools from 2021 and high schools from 2022. Corporate social responsibility is very important for the younger generation.

In addition, until now, social contributions have been devoted to social contributions by raising expenses from a portion of profits. However, at present, our major goal is to use part of the cost to make improvements. Investors around the world also analyze and evaluate a company's future prospects and sustainability from the three perspectives of Environment, Social, and Governance, and then select investment destinations. Practicing ESG investment has become a natural trend. Here is a big reason why companies must work on the SDGs.

*1: Generation Z: A digital native generation born in the mid-1990s or later who has been using the Internet since birth.
*2: Millennial generation: Generation born after 1981 and reaching adulthood after 2000. Those who have high information literacy, seek spiritual wealth rather than material wealth, value connections with their peers, and are interested in jobs that contribute more to society.

Develop people and create new businesses

The essence of the SDGs is that nothing will change unless people change. No matter how good a goal or system is, if people don't change, nothing will move. So why can't we change? This is probably because the goals of the SDGs are too big and difficult to imagine, and it is not possible to make them your own.

Also, companies have traditionally operated top-down because they are connected by leadership. However, from now on, each employee is required to think and act on their own through connections based on ideas.

I believe that what NOMURA Co., Ltd. has been doing is "emotional design." I would like to switch the hearts of all people inside and outside the company, create people, and create businesses.
Currently, there are 17 SDGs goals, and I have added the 18th goal, "Creative and Switch to People's Hearts." As the president mentioned earlier, I believe that if we can switch people's minds with the power of creativity and the power of engineering, we can change people even more.

This event started with President Enomoto's powerful words, "Realize a sustainable society and make a happy impact." In response to the global trend of SDGs, I talked about how the power of creative and engineering works on people's minds, and how such connections between people lead to the essence of SDGs. In the second part, we will deliver a concrete image of the "social good" that NOMURA GROUP is working on, starting from spatial creation, from a strategic perspective.
Continued on Part 2 (nomlog Editorial Department)

Text: Sho Iwasaki/Photo: Yui Yasuda