── Could you tell us how you found out about Zeroboard and why you were considering introducing the calculation system?

Kazuma Imai (hereinafter referred to as Imai): Following the policy of our company's chairman, Mr. Odaka, we began taking environmentally conscious measures 10 years ago. Specifically, we switched from heavy oil to propane gas, converted factory lighting to LED, and installed solar panels for self-consumption. However, it ended with us saying, "They're doing good things," and all of these were "point" measures. We wanted to visualize those "points" and make them public as a "surface."

One day, our chairman, Odaka, approached us with a request to start calculating GHG emission amount. At that time, I happened to read an article about the launch of Zeroboard Service in the Nikkei newspaper. That's when we first consulted with our business partner, Iwatani Corporation Corporation (a Zeroboard partner company).

──Why did you decide to get involved in this from such an early stage?

Imai: Odaka serves as chairman of the All Japan Confectionery Industry Cooperative Association and the Japan Confectionery Export Promotion Council (JAPAN TACOM). He wanted to take the lead in decarbonizing management, educate the entire association, and expand the initiative within the association. A confectionery manufacturer that nurtures children's dreams must not destroy the future with GHG emissions.

When we started calculating GHG emission amount with Zeroboard , we also decided to obtain ISO-14001(*) certification at the same time. Settings targets for reducing emission amount, continued to make improvements, and aimed to incorporate them into our environmental management system and business operations.

──You probably do business with many major companies, but do you feel any pressure from your business partners or the market to decarbonize?

Imai: Yes, I can feel it. Major Retail are asking us to respond to CDPs surveys and to Manufacturing sustainable confectionery. Our company undertakes many OEM Manufacturing, so we need to respond to requests from major companies, and the pressure is growing.

Financial Institution also ask about our environmental efforts. When they do, we explain that we are working under the international standard ISO-14001, and that we use Zeroboard to calculate Scope 1 to 3, which helps them understand our efforts. Being able to provide such reliable answers is one of the benefits of working on this initiative.

To understand the scope for reduction, we will refine emission amount by calculating physical quantities.

── Zeroboard has completed calculations for two periods covering Scopes 1 to 3. Based on these results, what kind of reductions will you be making, and what calculation methods will you be using going forward?

Mr. Imai: By calculating using Zeroboard, we were able to grasp the GHG emission amount for each raw material. Currently, calculations are based on purchase amounts, but in the future we plan to switch to calculating physical quantities using IDEA and refine emission amount.

Regarding reductions, although the impact of Scope 1 and 2 is small, I believe we must work to reduce them. We have already taken some "point" measures, such as switching to LED lighting and solar power, and are currently considering future initiatives.

As for Scope 3, we believe that we must work to reduce emissions primarily with the cooperation of our suppliers of raw materials and materials.
In particular, it is difficult to switch from plastic to paper packaging because of issues with strength and quality retention, and dust that is generated during Manufacturing. The cost is too high, making the transition difficult at present.

-Did using the system solve the Issue you had?

Mr. Imai: When we introduced Zeroboard, the concepts of Scope 1 to 3 didn't even exist. At the same time, we started receiving requests from our business partners to respond to CDPs, so we realized that now was the time to start working on decarbonization.

Converting the data at first is a very time-consuming process. Also, when calculating by weight, you have to sort the categories. Once you've done this, it becomes much easier to calculate with the system. Zeroboard provided us with great support in Settings this up, which was really helpful. It makes a huge difference if they can do this for you. We're really grateful.

The calculation work is carried out by members of the 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) Promotion Committee, which spans across departments. The committee meets once every two months, and I oversee the committee, including the ISO committee.
We input data into Zeroboard once a month, and we operate it so that everyone on the committee has the opportunity to use the system.

We want to move customers' hearts not only with the quality of our products but also with our "stories"

──What benefits do you see from working on calculations?

Mr. Imai: The results calculated with Zeroboard can now be easily disclosed in graphs, which makes it very easy to report to outside the company, which is a great advantage.

Although we haven't actually seen an increase in business, I think that by taking the initiative, we have reached a stage where we will be chosen in the future, when society becomes more selective. I think that this is important for the future.

Vice President Imai is also keen to develop plant-based sweets in the future.

──Please tell us your future goals.

Imai: Our goal is to reduce CO2 emission amount by 2% compared to the previous fiscal year. If sales increase, the total amount will increase. However, we believe we need to strive for realistically achievable targets, so we have set a goal of reducing CO2 emissions per 100 million yen (Scope 1 to 3). I don't think 2% is a low target.

While generating solid sales, we would like to invest in equipment upgrades and other measures to reduce CO2 emissions and improve Intensity.

──How do you promote your efforts outside the company?

Imai: We're thinking about renewing our website. We donate cornstarch that can't be reused to chicken farms, and use it to produce eggs. We're trying to recycle resources. These eggs aren't used for our products, but they are used in the menu of our employee cafeteria. We also donate any surplus products that we have to unavoidably produce to various organizations, and are working to reduce waste as much as possible.

We plan to post these initiatives, along with our decarbonization efforts, on our website. We believe that letting people know about our company, including these aspects, will add depth to our business.

I hope that customers will buy not only the product itself, but also the "story" behind it.
We believe it is important to be sensitive to social changes and respond to social demands.
Also, in terms of recruitment, we feel that students are also interested in environmental initiatives, so we believe that clearly disclosing what we are working on will give us an advantage.

Our company's factory is located in Azumino City, Nagano Prefecture, an area with abundant clean water. It is very important to continue our business while protecting the natural environment, and we would like to continue our business while contributing to the local community.

(Left) Marshmallows, the main product (Right) The nature of Azumino City, where the factory is located

--Thank you for your time today. We will continue to support you.

(*) ISO-14001: An international standard for organizations to manage their environmental impact and improve their environmental performance. It specifies requirements for organizations to establish environmental policies and to build, operate, and improve environmental management systems.

The Contents provided is based on an Contents conducted in July 2025.