Yonex Co., Ltd. was impressed by the number of functional updates after adopting Zeroboard to their system. What measures are Yonex taking to achieve carbon neutrality in the entire supply chain by using Zeroboard?
Yonex Co., Ltd. was impressed by the number of functional updates after adopting Zeroboard to their system. What measures are Yonex taking to achieve carbon neutrality in the entire supply chain by using Zeroboard?
Person in charge (department and title at the time of interview)
Head of the Environmental Measures Promotion Office Sustainability Committee, Environmental Working Group Leader
Mr. Shinichiro Chiba
Environmental Measures Promotion Office Chief Sustainability Committee, Environmental Working Group, Energy Subgroup, Sub-Leader
Mr. Yosuke Takatani
Currently, the calculation of GHG emission amount in the Manufacturing industry is mainly done by using "secondary data" (industry average value of Emission factor ) Create and published by the Ministry of the Environment and others from input-output tables, but in order to promote carbon neutrality in the supply chain, the use of "primary data" (values specific to the company) that can reflect the effect of the company's efforts to reduce GHG emission amount is attracting attention. However, obtaining "primary data" poses many Issue , as it requires collaboration with other departments within the company and communication with domestic and overseas suppliers. This time, we visited Yonex Co., Ltd. that Manufacturing and sells sporting goods, and spoke to Mr. Chiba and Mr. Takaya, members of the Sustainability Committee, about the reasons for introducing " zeroboard," the effects it has had, and their accounting efforts involving suppliers.
Issue and background to introduction
CO2 emission amount data was sent in Excel format from all business locations, and it took time to compile it.
There was little knowledge about carbon neutrality.
There was no clear path to calculating Scope 3.
Reasons for choosing Zeroboard
Good functionality and Action
Zeroboard calculation support
Satisfied with the cost
Reduction support system including partners
Introduction effects and expected effects in the future
The speed of aggregating figures for each office has increased.
Frequent feature updates have made it possible to manage not only CO2 emission amount but also water and Energy usage, waste and hazardous substances.
We now have a clear path to accounting involving suppliers and zero emissions at our factories.
In order to set a company-wide CO2 emission amount reduction target, we introduced "zeroboard" to grasp the current situation.
--Please tell us about the mission and role of your department.
Mr. Chiba: I work in the Environmental Measures Promotion Office. I also lead the Environmental Working Group, which activity on environmental measures as a company-wide project.
Takaya: I am the sub-leader of the Energy Sub-Group, which is responsible for Energy related matters within the Environmental Working Group.
Mr. Chiba: The Environmental Measures Promotion Office is responsible for researching and building the fundamental technologies, including New developments and information gathering required to advance environmental measures across the company. For example, we deal with things that we have no previous knowledge of, such as how to quantify CO2 emission amount. In the case of "zeroboard ," the Environmental Measures Promotion Office takes the lead in gathering information and implementing the system. The activity to actually use " zeroboard" to quantify the emissions and reduce CO2 emission amount are carried out by a working group of the Sustainability Committee.
--Please tell us the background to the introduction of "zeroboard." What Issue did you face?
Mr. Chiba: From 2020 to 2021, many companies in Japan began declaring CO2 emission amount reduction targets, and it was natural that Yonex Co., Ltd. needed to set targets as well. At the time, the mainstream approach was to set numerical targets by building up from the current situation. So we started by exploring what percentage reduction in CO2 emission amount was realistic. We decided to first tally up the figures for all our business locations to see how much electricity and fuel we were using, and then decide on target values from there. The Excel spreadsheets we received from all our business locations were in different formats, so I had to put them all together myself, scrubbing my eyes out.
- From how many location did you compile data?
Chiba: At the time, we had over 10 location in Japan alone, and it was a lot of work compiling the current data for each location. Then, when we calculated the CO2 emission amount figures for switching to a net-zero CO2 electricity contract, we were introduced to " zeroboard " by Nagase & Co., Ltd. *, a company we collaborate with on research and development projects. During that time, we received advice on how Yonex Co., Ltd. should promote sustainability in the future. At the time, it was still in beta and under development, but I remember being impressed with Zeroboard's vision of involving suppliers. When I actually tried it out, I immediately wanted to visualize the data I had up until now with "zeroboard." I was convinced that this tool would be essential for reducing CO2 emission amount in the future, so I decided to introduce it after reporting it to the company. What was appealing was how the data I entered was easily displayed neatly on a Dashboard. Although I said we connected the system, it actually took about a year to implement. This was because we gradually gained understanding within the company, including having the data entry staff try it out. We made careful preparations, so the operation after signing the contract went smoothly. * Nagase & Co., Ltd. is a Solution Partners of Zeroboard . For more information, click here.
Evaluate and introduce tool functionality, Action, and calculation support
--When it was introduced, was the plan to only calculate Scope 1 and Scope 2?
Chiba: That's right. Scope 3 was still a high hurdle, so we couldn't get started right away. It was only after we introduced "zeroboard" that we were able to consider calculating Scope 3. When we were using Excel, even considering it was out of the question, and we didn't know where to start.
Takaya: Since calculation support was included in the contract, we received support from Zeroboard. I remember feeling reassured because we were still feeling our way around with little knowledge.
--I heard that you compared it with other companies. What was the deciding factor in choosing "zeroboard"?
Takaya: At the time, there were still few platforms for calculating CO2 emission amount. We met with representatives from other companies to check their functions and Service. One of them didn't offer calculation support, so we passed it up. We didn't have much knowledge about it yet, so we thought it would be difficult. The other was from an overseas Company, and its functions were designed for overseas use. It had low usability, was difficult to use, and was expensive. On the other hand, "zeroboard" has good functionality, is easy to use, and is also reasonably priced. The deciding factors were the calculation support and ease of Action. When we were going through the internal approval process for the implementation, we also gathered information on other companies, but it was easy to explain the advantages of Zeroboard to the decision makers.
Frequent feature updates that address specific needs allow you to manage various environmental indicators other than CO2 emission amount.
--What are your impressions after actually using it?
Takaya: It's been easy to use since the beginning, but the updates are so frequent. I get the impression that new features are constantly being added, and the basic functions are also becoming easier to use. I'm grateful that it's getting better and better at addressing my concerns. I'm also able to communicate my requests to the Zeroboard staff, so I'm looking forward to future feature improvements. Since I am in charge of coordinating data entry, I have many opportunities to speak with each person in the company. We assign a person to each Category, and each person opens "zeroboard" and enters data. It's so easy that everyone can grasp how to enter data by simply giving a simple explanation, so it doesn't put much strain on me.
--Please tell us what features have been improved with the update.
Takaya: It's great that " zeroboard " can now manage not only CO2 emission amount, but also water and Energy usage, waste, and hazardous substances. In the future, we would like to use " zeroboard" to manage all of our environmental indicators. A goal Settings function has also been added, so I would like to try it out once I have finished formulating my goals. I noticed that the features I wanted were being updated.
Mr. Chiba: We are being forced to address issues other than CO2 emissions as well. We are trying to make our factories zero-emission. The items necessary for this management are also included in "zeroboard," so I think it is even better.
Leading the way to carbon neutrality in the supply chain
-How do you feel about the support provided by Zeroboard?
Takaya: When we entered all the information for the entire company in our efforts to calculate Scope 3, we found that the overwhelming majority of our emissions were in Scope 3 Category 1 (purchased products and Service ). We probably would have stopped there if we had done it on our own, but with the support of Nagase & Co., Ltd. , who provided us with calculation assistance and advice even before we implemented Zeroboard , we were able to see the next step: clarifying the hotspots that we should prioritize for reduction.
It became clear that a large proportion of CO2 emission amount are related to shoes and clothing, and we learned that relationships with suppliers will be important in this area.
Chiba: The materials and electricity used in our own factories are clear, so we can calculate emission amount accurately, but it's difficult to see the figures for our overseas partner companies and suppliers. We have multiple suppliers, so it's complicated. Even if we approach all our suppliers at once, there are Company that are understanding and willing to cooperate at this point, and Company that are not. We discussed these issues with Zeroboard, and we were able to create a model case with one company that has a high CO2 emission amount and is cooperative, and then expand the model. We have multiple suppliers for shoes and apparel, and we have started discussions with them one by one.
Many suppliers are starting carbon neutral initiatives. We start by making them aware that it is important and that they understand the necessity of doing it now. We use our experience of starting from a place where we know nothing to help them take the first step. Our vision is for everyone to move forward step by step, even talking about the introduction of ``zeroboard.''
--Starting with raising awareness among suppliers, they present a roadmap. Then, using "zeroboard" makes it easy to calculate emission amount. This initiative to visualize and reduce CO2 emissions in the supply chain is cutting-edge. I feel that Yonex Co., Ltd.'s efforts can serve as a model for other companies.
Chiba-san: I'm glad to hear that.
--I've heard that collecting data and making calculations was difficult at first. How much labor was saved by introducing "zeroboard"?
Mr. Chiba: It's difficult to express how much the man-hours have been reduced, but the speed has increased because each person in charge can work simultaneously. In the Excel era, files would accumulate and it was necessary to consolidate them.
Takaya: The effect of reducing the process of obtaining the Emission factor is significant. For example, there is no need to check the electric power Company's website to search for a contract plan. By using "zeroboard," you can search and enter the information directly on the tool.
--Thank you. Finally, please tell us about your future prospects.
Chiba: We have set a goal of reducing our company-wide Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emission amount by 50% compared to 2016 by fiscal 2030. Regarding Scope 3 calculations, we have heard from the beginning that we can share data with suppliers using "zeroboard," so we would like to get to that point as soon as possible. This ties back to the model case we discussed earlier, but if we can collaborate with even one company, it should have an impact on other suppliers. We would like to work with our suppliers to steadily advance our efforts toward carbon neutrality across the entire supply chain.
