News On Japan

Japan's Corporate SDGs Engagement Hits Record 54.5%

TOKYO, Jul 28 (News On Japan) - A recent survey on corporate awareness of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has revealed that the proportion of companies actively engaged in these efforts has reached an all-time high.

According to the survey conducted by Teikoku Databank, out of more than 10,000 respondent companies, over 29% reported that they 'understand the meaning and importance of SDGs and are actively working on them.' When combined with those who 'intend to work on them' (24.8%), the total percentage of companies actively involved with SDGs reached a record 54.5%.

Although this marks only a slight increase of 0.9 points from the previous survey, the findings suggest that some companies are pursuing SDG initiatives as a strategy to secure talent amid a labor shortage.

When analyzed by company size, the survey found that over 71% of large corporations were actively engaged in SDGs, compared to approximately 51% of small and medium-sized enterprises. The trend indicates that the smaller the company, the lower the proportion of active engagement.

Additionally, about 70% of the respondents reported feeling the positive effects of their SDG initiatives. Many companies cited 'improved corporate image' and 'benefits for recruitment activities' as significant impacts of their efforts.

Source: ANN

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Japan’s position on its handling of World Cultural Heritage sites, including Gunkanjima (Battleship Island) in Nagasaki City, has been upheld by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, which rejected South Korea’s demand for a renewed review of Japan’s efforts.

A major eruption occurred at Shinmoedake, part of the Kirishima mountain range straddling Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures, marking the volcano’s first eruption in seven years. The eruption came as a series of earthquakes continued in the Tokara Islands.

While visiting Mongolia, the Emperor of Japan toured a water facility in Ulaanbaatar that receives support from Japan.

As Japan's Upper House election approaches, party leaders debated whether restrictions should be placed on foreign property ownership. Amid soaring housing prices—especially in Tokyo where secondhand condominium prices now exceed 100 million yen—seven of the eight major political parties expressed support for some form of regulation on foreign homebuyers.

The Emperor and Empress have arrived in Mongolia for their first official visit to the country as Japan’s imperial couple.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Business NEWS

The Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau has pointed out that an asset management company wholly owned by Yusaku Maezawa, founder of online fashion retailer ZOZO, failed to report approximately 400 million yen in income.

Japan’s current account surplus for May reached a record 3.4364 trillion yen, up 16.5% from a year earlier, according to preliminary data released by the Ministry of Finance. This marked the fourth consecutive month of surplus.

As rice prices across Japan continue to remain high, major convenience store chain Lawson has begun selling rice balls made exclusively with aged rice for the first time, starting on July 9th.

According to Teikoku Databank, the number of corporate bankruptcies across Japan in the first half of this year reached 5,003 cases, surpassing the previous year's total for the third consecutive year.

The announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump that a 25% tariff will be imposed on imports from Japan has drawn strong reaction from Prime Minister Ishiba, who said during a government task force meeting that the move is "deeply regrettable."

Rising prices continue to erode household income despite nominal wage increases. According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s Monthly Labour Survey for May, inflation-adjusted real wages per worker fell by 2.9% compared to the same month last year, marking the fifth consecutive month of decline. This represents the steepest year-on-year drop since September 2023.

As Japan's labor shortage worsens due to a declining birthrate and aging population, companies are grappling with how to manage employment for older workers.

Japan’s mergers and acquisitions reached a historic high in the first half of 2025, both in number and value, according to research firm Recof Data. The total number of M&A deals involving Japanese companies rose 7.1% from a year earlier to 2,509, marking a new record for the second consecutive year.