Enhancing corporate (branch office) value by addressing the SDGs—Improving branch office members’ quality of life

Targets

4.7　By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development

7　Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8.2　Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors

8.5　By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value

11.6　By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management

12.4　By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment

12.8 By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature

 

Initiative details

The IHI Chugoku Branch Office not only contributes to society through its business but also engages in SDGs initiatives of its own. These are activities that contribute to society through work style reforms and community activities. For example, they have conducted blood drives and visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to think about peace. They have also held study sessions on the SDGs, actively promoted paid leave to improve employees’ quality of life, worked to promote gender equality in the company, and equalized workloads. Mr. Kobayashi, the branch manager, said, “If you are not happy yourself, it is difficult to make others happy,” placing an emphasis on improving employees’ quality of life. Meanwhile, Mr. Saeki, the supervisor, remarked, “By working at IHI, I was able to seize the opportunity to contribute to society,” which made me feel that the company provides a wonderful working environment.

 

Furthermore, in order to achieve the goal of effectively zero CO2 emissions from aircraft by 2050, we hope not only to reduce the weight of engines and convert them to electric power, thereby reducing fuel consumption while maintaining safety and economy but also to dramatically improve their environmental friendliness by developing algae-based biofuels. We are also trying to prevent and mitigate disasters by developing strong, economical, and environmentally conscious social infrastructure such as bridges, dams, sluices, and tunnels.
In addition to these company-wide development goals aimed at resolving social issues such as eliminating CO2 emissions, disaster prevention and mitigation, and enriching people’s lives in order to create a society where nature and technology are in harmony, the IHI Chugoku Branch, as a sales group rooted in the local community, is also making its own efforts to contribute to the local community from a familiar perspective.
As part of the “I-Project” (activities to improve and reform business processes to change the company), a group-wide business improvement activity launched in fiscal 2013, the Chugoku Branch has taken up the SDGs as a theme for this year’s activity. The branch office employees are divided into three groups, with each group setting its own tasks and activities.
●The team working on “achieving the SDGs through work style reform and improved operational efficiency” will address SDGs that can be put into practice on an individual basis, examining such issues as changing mindsets and work styles to improve the QOL of branch employees, promoting the use of sales DX, raising health awareness, and green activities.
●The team working on “community service through participation in SDGs activities by local residents and organizations” will participate in the existing activities and initiatives of groups and organizations at the branch office and group level and consider tie-ups with local communities in order to establish the Chugoku Branch’s own SDG-related initiatives.
●The team working on “strengthening branch sales activities with an awareness of the SDGs” will study the establishment of the SDGs as a sales method aimed at contributing to the SDGs alongside our customers and distributors.
We hope that the activities of these three groups will help each and every branch office employee strive to achieve the SDGs and make a contribution to local communities and customers.

 

Key Points

The Chugoku Branch has set the SDGs as the theme for this year’s I-Project, and we are actively working on it as a company-approved activity.
At the end of the fiscal year, we will publicize this initiative with a company-wide report on our activities, which will also take into account the SDGs initiatives in Hiroshima Prefecture.
The activities themselves are conducted with the participation of all branch office employees, and we try to ensure that each and every member of staff feels a sense of unity as they work on the activities.

 

IHI Corporation, Chugoku Branch Office

7-10 Otemachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima

+81-082-246-2280

https://www.ihi.co.jp/