SoftBank has issued the declaration of a Carbon Neutral 2030. To do so, SoftBank will switch to 100% use of effectively renewable energy while reducing the energy consumption of its facilities and equipment by applying leading-edge technologies, such as Al and loT, to maximum effect.

Junichi Miyakawa
President & CEO

Establishing its internal foundation, Softbank has been steadfast in its efforts to uphold its corporate responsibilities in advancing sustainability, from combating climate change to defending the human rights of its employees with vigour and transparency.

Today, the telco continues to solve global challenges by supporting sustainable living. It continues to achieve its efforts driven by its corporate philosophy, the “Information Revolution”. Essentially, the telco’s philosophy empowers it to innovate and drive technological evolution into its ESG initiatives.

Environment: Achieving a Carbon Neutral 2030

The “Carbon Neutral 2030” declaration aims to reduce GHG emissions (Scope 1 and 2) from business processes and energy consumption to virtually zero by 2030. In addition, SoftBank is working to remove supply chain emissions (Scope 3), which include GHG emissions generated by business partners.

• Scope 1: Direct GHG emissions by the business themselves (fuel combustion, industrial process)
• Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the use of electricity, heat and steam supplied by other companies
• Scope 3: Indirect emissions other than Scope 1 & 2 (emissions of other companies related to the activities of the business)

Once Softbank has fully achieved carbon neutrality, it aims to enable and empower other major subsidiaries to set targets and follow suit.

Social: Helping people who are hard of hearing communicate

Bridging the gap between people who are hard of hearing and the listener, Softbank provides applications, such as SureTalk, to support communication.

SureTalk functions by:

• Learning and improving its language bot continuously
• Tracking manual articulations used in Signed Japanese
• Extracting characteristics and converting them into text

SureTalk enables two-way communication since people with regular hearing abilities can speak verbally, allowing SureTalk to perform all of the work. The application can also store large amounts of data, which it uses to enhance its language bot continuously. As a result, users can quickly start a one-on-one conversation by logging into SureTalk, tapping the “Start Talking” button and choosing their language mode (Sign Language or Voice) before entering a conversation room.

Government: Mapping Human-rights Risk of High Priority

Following the UN’s Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, Softbank conducts its practices under the obligation to respect all human rights. With that in mind, the telco has mapped out potential risks from its business activities or trade relations that could negatively impact human rights.

Softbank then works to identify and evaluate their potential impacts, enacting appropriate measures to reduce latent risks. The telco also works to resolve emerging risks quickly while applying appropriate remedial actions. In addition, the findings from yearly monitoring also empower Softbank to prevent risks and provide additional guidance for its ongoing training programs.

The telco continues to consider initiatives to expand human rights due diligence efforts, such as promoting action on human rights for business partners.

Eliminate scope 1 & 2 GHG emissions by sourcing/producing renewable energy

Fulfiling its responsibilities as the leader of the Information Revolution, Softbank envisions a sustainable-first future through its ESG initiatives. The telco will continue to promote ESG to enhance its vision while considering social demands and ensuring continuous improvements. Therefore, there are 3 takeaways from this study that every up-and-coming business leader and organisation should note moving forward.

• Create accountability by forming a dedicated ‘Carbon Neutral Working Group’
• Establish platfroms for the differently abled, such as SureTalk for hearing impairment
• Proactively identify and manage human right risks of high severity