On June 28, 2024, an online seminar titled “Understanding Megabanks’ Efforts to Promote the Circular Economy: Financial Sector Solutions That Benefit Business” was held.

Representatives from the three megabanks, which are Supporting Members of the council, participated in the seminar, along with Board of Directors member Mr. Yoshiteru Takemoto as a moderator.

[Seminar Speakers | Platinum Supporting Members] (Listed in Japanese alphabetical order by company name)

Tomokazu Otani (Executive Officer, Sustainable Business Department, Mizuho Financial Group, Inc.; Senior Principal, Sustainability Consulting Department II, Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd.)

Kenji Baba (General Manager, Social Value Creation Department, Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.)

Wataru Osada (Deputy General Manager, Sustainable Business Department, MUFG Bank, Ltd.)

[Panel Discussion Moderator | Board of Directors member]

Yoshiteru Takemoto (CEO, Tobimushi Co., Ltd.)

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▼Opening Remarks

Secretary-General Takayuki Sasaki of Resource Recycling Council expressed gratitude to the new members for their ongoing cooperation and support.

He then announced that the total number of participating companies and organizations, including various membership types, sponsors, and Observers, had reached about 160. Following an overview of Resource Recycling Council’s progress since the kickoff event, he explained the purpose of that day’s seminar.

▼Explanation of Initiatives Toward Promoting the Circular Economy

Each of the three megabanks, which are platinum Supporting Members of the council, explained their initiatives toward realizing the circular economy and carbon neutrality. They also introduced solutions that leverage their customer bases to support the development of both upstream and downstream industries for resource recycling stakeholders (manufacturers and distributors, waste generators, collection and transport businesses, recycling businesses, financial institutions, local governments, experts, government agencies, related organizations, etc.).

▼Panel Discussion – Case Studies on Promoting the Circular Economy, Future Challenges, and Outlook
Representatives from the three megabanks, which are platinum Supporting Members of Resource Recycling Council, along with council Board of Directors member Mr. Yoshiteru Takemoto as moderator, discussed the following two points:

• How to practice the circular economy with waste generated through business activities

• How financial institutions can promote the circular economy through their core business operations

Mr. Takemoto noted that Resource Recycling Council is not an industry association of businesses in the same sector; rather, it involves a wide range of participants—from startups to long-established companies, financial institutions, policy authorities, think tanks, and more—covering the entire value chain and transcending industry boundaries. He expressed the council’s intention to create a process whereby repeated dialogue can feed into activities that reflect real policy and economic conditions.

Top left: Yoshiteru Takemoto, Board of Directors member at Resource Recycling Council and CEO of Tobimushi Co., Ltd.; top right: Tomoichi Otani, Executive Officer, Sustainable Business Department at Mizuho Financial Group, Inc. and Senior Principal, Sustainability Consulting Department II at Mizuho Research & Technologies, Ltd.; bottom left: Kenji Baba, General Manager of the Social Value Creation Department at Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.; bottom right: Wataru Osada, Deputy General Manager of the Sustainable Business Department at MUFG Bank, Ltd.

▼Information from Resource Recycling Council

Next, the secretariat of Resource Recycling Council introduced the working groups and provided explanations about membership types and cooperation in recruiting new members, after which the event concluded.

Moving forward, Resource Recycling Council plans to hold quarterly events such as working group presentations, seminars related to the circular economy, and networking sessions aimed at business matching and social gatherings.

▼Regarding Joining as an Approval Member

To conduct Policy Making effectively, we must gather as many relevant voices as possible, and so we are broadly recruiting members. Membership is free for Approval Members (commonly known as Email Newsletter Members), who receive information related to the circular economy and updates on the council’s progress. We encourage you to share this invitation with colleagues and contacts who may be interested.

Click here to apply for Approval Membership｜https://rrc.or.jp/form_approval/