Climate Finance Asia Inc.and Zeroboard Inc. Announce Strategic Partnership to Advance Sustainable Finance in Japan

- Providing international compliance certification Service for green bonds -

Zeroboard Inc.(Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Michitaka Tokeiji; hereinafter "our company"), a company that supports corporate sustainability management, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Climate Finance Asia (Headquarters: Hong Kong; Group CEO: Alan To; hereinafter "CFA"), a company that provides research, consulting and evaluation Service on sustainable finance throughout Asia, to News sustainable finance in Japan.

On Thursday, March 6, Storm Harbor Securities Asia Pacific CEO and Chairman of the CFA, Water Cheung, and our CEO, Michitaka Tokeiji, signed the partnership documents at our office.

Signing ceremony at the Zeroboard office (CEO Michitaka Tokeiji (left) and CFA Chairman Water Cheung(right) holding the signing document)

Background and purpose of the partnership

The amount of Funding through environmental investments in Japan is expected to exceed 7 trillion yen by 2023 (Financial Services Agency summary). Among them, sustainability bonds (also known as SDG bonds) are bonds in which all proceeds are used exclusively for initial investment or refinancing of green and social projects. The Japanese green bond market is experiencing significant growth, with publicly issued green bonds reaching approximately JPY 2.3 trillion in 2023. However, Japan still only accounts for around 4% of the more than USD 1.7 trillion in GSS bonds issued globally. This partnership aims to expand the market further and address the increasing demand for sustainable finance.

Through our partnership, CFA will provide external certification Service for green, sustainability-linked, and transition bonds and loans, supporting Japanese Financial Institution in developing high-quality financial products that are internationally recognized, as well as Japanese companies, governments, and local governments seeking to raise green funds from overseas. In the future, we also plan to undertake various sustainable finance-related research requests from Financial Institution, etc., through the two companies.

This partnership will not only provide concrete support for greening portfolios (Scope 3, Category 15) through support for the development of sustainability financial products, but also support Japanese companies, governments, and local governments seeking to Funding from overseas for green projects.

We and CFA will combine our respective expertise to jointly offer comprehensive sustainable finance solutions.

What both companies can offer

• External Verification of Green/Sustainability Bonds and LoansWe provide robust verification Service to ensure the credibility and transparency of green, sustainability-linked and transition bonds and loans issued by Japanese companies, providing third-party certification to ensure they comply with international standards such as the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), International Capital Market Association (ICMA) Principles, Loan Market Association and Best Practice.
• Sustainability and Impact Finance Advisory
  We provide specialized consulting Service to help Financial Institution and investors integrate sustainability into their operations and strategies, and develop and invest in high-quality, globally accepted ESG and impact finance products.
• Research Support Undertake in-depth research into sustainable finance trends, market opportunities, innovative financial products and solutions.

"We are pleased to partner with Climate Finance Asia to promote sustainable finance in Japan," said Michitaka Tokeiji, president of CFA. "This partnership will enable us to provide comprehensive Service to help Japanese companies, Financial Institution , and governments achieve their decarbonization and sustainability goals in a highly rigorous manner that meets international standards." Alan To, Group CEO of CFA, said, "Our partnership with Zeroboard is an important step in promoting sustainable finance in Japan. Our combined expertise will enable us to provide innovative solutions that will increase the credibility and transparency of sustainable financial products and ultimately contribute to a more sustainable future."

Through this partnership, we will support the efforts towards decarbonization and sustainability by Japanese Financial Institution, companies, and national and local governments through certification of international standards for sustainable finance.

About Climate Finance Asia

Climate Finance Asia (CFA) is a mission-driven business focused on tackling climate challenges through sustainable finance tools. Founded in 2008 as Carbon Care Asia, CFA is a team of experienced environmental and social development professionals across Asia, providing high-quality advisory Service on sustainable finance in the region. CFA is an approved verifier of the Climate Bond Initiative.

HP：https://www.climatefinanceasia.com/jp/

Company Overview

Company name: Zeroboard Inc.( https://www.zeroboard.jp/ )
Location: Sumitomo Fudosan Tokyo Mita South Tower 10F, 3-5-27,Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Representative: CEO Michitaka Tokeiji
Established: August 24, 2021
Service: Development and provision of the "Zeroboard Sustainability Platform," a comprehensive cloud solution for the collection, management, and disclosure of ESG-related data; consulting on sustainability management; operation of the Community "All Aboard"

Overview of Zeroboard Sustainability Platform

"Zeroboard Sustainability Platform" is a comprehensive cloud solution that supports the collection, management, and disclosure of ESG-related data. With a rich product lineup, it seamlessly supports the processes required for sustainability management, including ESG disclosure.

• " Zeroboard " - a cloud Service for calculating GHG (greenhouse gas) emission amount and managing environmental items
• ESG legal disclosure cloud Service"Zeroboard ESG"
• "Dataseed SAQ" is a cloud Service that streamlines the collection and management of SAQs (Self-Assessment Questionnaires) from buyers to suppliers.

With these products as a core, we provide industry-specific products, various optional functions, and consulting for compliance with regulations and complex calculations, thereby supporting corporate sustainability management.

[Webinar for companies currently being held]
We hold monthly webinars for companies to promote carbon-free management. We explain the latest trends in carbon-free management both in Japan and overseas, as well as how to utilize various software such as "Zeroboard." Please sign up. For more information, please see the Events page on our website.

[Contact us]
For products and Service(Sales Headquarters) sales@zeroboard.jp
For media coverage (public relations) pr@zeroboard.jp