LOADING

Type to search

Ex-Goldman Matsui Says ESG in Japan Still a Box-Ticking Exercise

Ex-Goldman Matsui Says ESG in Japan Still a Box-Ticking Exercise

Many firms and people in Japan still consider ESG a “box-ticking exercise,” resulting in cases of greenwashing, according to former Goldman Sachs Japan vice chair Kathy Matsui. 

“ESG isn’t just a compliance exercise,” said Matsui, speaking to Bloomberg Television. “I believe that many companies, many people still believe it’s a box-ticking exercise, and hence we have seen greenwashing incidents here and there.”

Matsui is known for her “Womenomics” research that explores the economic benefits of encouraging more female participation in the workforce. After stepping down from her post at Goldman in 2020, Matsui last year launched a venture capital fund that aims to invest $150 million in sectors including health care, fintech, education and the environment. 

While Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has highlighted green investment as a key part of his government agenda and pledged to double existing funding for green technology, Matsui said more needs to be done. 

“Japan is very dependent on imported fossil fuels, but it has this very ambitious target at the same time to reach carbon neutrality by 2050,” said Matsui. “You will not be able to get there if you don’t invest in innovative technologies.”

Regarding Japan’s energy imports, Matsui said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was causing headaches for Japanese companies.

“We’ve already been seeing companies in the automobile sector or the technology sector either halt or pull back their presence in Russia for instance,” said Matsui. “Japan is wholly reliant on imports for its fuel supplies, these fossil fuel supplies, so it always has to walk this delicate balance between geopolitical considerations but also economic realities.”

Source: Bloomberg

Topics

Related Articles

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

LOADING

Type to search

Blog

Image of official Toronto Climate Week logo nad icon in reverse white text over blue background
PwC Survey Finds Rising Pressure and Value in Corporate Sustainability Reporting
IBM Launches API to Embed Emissions Data into Corporate and Vendor Tools
Founder Group to Build $2.76B Solar and Storage Complex in Sarawak
Germany Delivers Nearly $14 Billion in Climate Finance for 2024
Standard Chartered Backs L&T with $700M Sustainability-Linked Trade Financing
MAS Appoints Abigail Ng as New Chief Sustainability Officer
ESG News WEEK IN REVIeW 21 Sept - 28 sept
OXCCU Secures $28 Million to Scale Carbon-to-Fuel Technology for Aviation
Dutch Startup Brineworks Secures $7.3M to Scale Direct Air Capture for e-Fuels
Becky Park-Romanovsky on Building Toronto Climate Week and Canada’s Climate Future
DHL, Hapag-Lloyd Expand Use of Sustainable Marine Fuels to Cut Supply Chain Emissions
EU Pushes Back Supply Chain Deforestation Rules by One Year
California Names 4,000+ Companies Facing Mandatory Climate Disclosures
Levi Strauss and Schneider Electric launch supply chain renewable energy accelerator in India
EFRAG Maps Digital Tools to Advance SME Sustainability Reporting
Watershed Launches AI-Driven Product Footprints to Tackle Scope 3 Supply Chain Emissions
PRI Awards 2025 Spotlight Responsible Investment Leaders
Frontier Launches Rail-Based Carbon Management Platform for Ethanol Sector
UK Signs Contracts for First Commercial Carbon Capture Projects
","session_id":"ep-sess-1760337768-kN0tAXn2","page_url":"https:\/\/esgnews.com\/ex-goldman-matsui-says-esg-in-japan-still-a-box-ticking-exercise\/","post_id":"9008","tracking_enabled":"1","original_referrer":"","has_embedded_content":""}; /* ]]> */