Reduction of Environmental Impacts

The three pillars of the environmental activities of the SMBC Group are Promotion of Environmental Businesses, Management of Environmental Risks, and Reduction of Environmental Impact. Each group company sets targets for Reduction of Environmental Impact and implements diverse measures.

Main Measures

Management Approach

SMBC Group's Approach

Having recognition of social issues, in order to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society, SMBC group has set forth a long-term vision toward 2050 that we as a global financial group will promote financial services consistent with the country's goals to counter global warming, and contribute to global environmental protection by leveraging its financial functions.

Group Environmental Policy

Basic concepts

Recognizing the importance of realizing a sustainable society, SMBC Group is continuously making efforts to harmonize environmental preservation and pollution control with corporate activities, in order to support the economy and contribute to the betterment of society as a whole.

Group Environmental Policy

  • Based on this policy, SMBC Group strives to resolve environmental issues and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society.
  • This policy is established to make continuous efforts toward the environment, recognizing it as one of the materiality of SMBC Group. This policy is approved by the Board of Directors.
  • We offer financial products, information and solutions which contribute to the maintenance and improvement of both the global and local environment, as well as technological innovation, to support our clients deal with environmental issues.
  • We properly assess environmental risks to reduce that risks posed by our own activities and the society.
  • We strive to reduce negative environmental impact through the conservation of resources and energy, and the reduction of waste.
  • We strictly comply with environment-related laws and regulations.
  • We actively and effectively implement this policy by setting goals and targets for every fiscal year. We monitor and evaluate the status of their implementation and make continuous efforts to improve our system.
  • We regularly report to the Board of Directors and the Sustainability Committee on the status of environmental initiatives.
  • We place high priority on thoroughly educating our executives and staff about our environmental principles to ensure that they conform to these principles in the performance of their work.
  • We strive to implement this policy by disclosing the Group’s environmental activities and communicating with our staff as well as the third parties.
  • We create a financial flow consistent with the Paris Agreement and contribute to an orderly and just transition to a decarbonized society, while strengthening climate actions and striving to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
  • We make decisions recognizing the interplay between SMBC Group and nature, promote the conservation and restoration of natural capital, and strive to realize nature positive initiatives.
  • This policy is disclosed on the Group's website, and the printed version is available upon request.


SMBC Group's Environmental Management

  • SMBC Group's environmental management is based on our environmental policy and ISO14001. As for our financial services, we promote our business based on international principles such as UN Global Compact and the Equator principles.
  • SMBC Group regards three pillar points in Group Environmental Policy: "Environmental Business" "Environmental risk" and "Reduction of Environmental Impacts". Every year, we set environment targets for, such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions, conserving resources and promotes global warming countermeasures, in accordance with the PDCA cycle.

In 1998, SMBC was the first bank in Japan to obtain the environmental management certification of ISO14001. Since then, it has been expanded to the group companies and continued to be operated, and the certification has been maintained through an examination by an external organization. Although certification has been withdrawn since October 2019, we have continued our own EMS that meets the requirements of ISO14001 and continue to promote environmental efforts.

From fiscal 2021, we have been strengthening our environmental management system furthermore. In particular, under the oversight of Group CSuO (Chief Sustainability Officer), we have integrated our environmental management including GHG (Greenhouse Gas) reduction to the activities of the Operational GHG Reduction Working Group, and have been implementing the PDCA cycle with further maneuverability, based on our Roadmap Against Climate Change. To achieve our 2030 net zero operations target, SMBC Group will continue making efforts to resolve climate change and other environmental issues.

Moreover, SMBC Group is holding a training program called the “Sustainability University” in an annual basis for all employees, to cultivate more and more awareness on environmental issues and sustainability.

SMBC Group Environmental Data

SMBC Group

SMBC Group is working to further promote environmental activities by its visualization. As a part of this process, we have been disclosing environmental data from company office activities. We are obtaining third-party certification of our data from the Japan Quality Assurance Organization. SMBC is disclosing its environmental accounting data as well.


Reducing greenhouse gas emissions and energy use

Reduction targets for greenhouse gas emissions

SMBC

SMBC Group has set a target of "SMBC Group will become net zero in its groupwide operations by 2030", and is making efforts to achieve it.

To achieve this goal, the basic concept is to directly reduce GHG emissions by switching electricity to renewable sources making use of non-fossil fuel energy certificates, etc. For unavoidable emissions, carbon offsets such as purchasing credits will be considered to achieve net zero.

Compliance with Amended Energy Saving Act

SMBC

As a company (enterprise) with annual energy consumption (crude oil equivalent) of 1,500 kiloliters or more, under the Energy Saving Act SMBC is required to develop an energy management system, create a medium/long-term plan and reduce its energy consumption intensity by 1% or more each year. SMBC is not only firmly fulfilling these obligations but also conducting measures that include management practices based on the act and reduction of energy consumption at individual branches and offices.

Publication of Carbon Reduction Report for Small and Medium-Sized Facilities

SMBC

Global warming countermeasures at offices and branches in Tokyo are reported along with CO2 emissions in accordance with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Tokyo Carbon Reduction Reporting Program.

Reducing Environmental Impact through Products and Services

Paperless Initiative Through Devices in Store Operations

Paperless application procedures not only reduce environmental impact and raise customer convenience, they also eliminate the risk of information leaks connected with disposal of paper application forms. Rigorous management of the digitized data through access restrictions and other measures also further strengthens protection of customers' personal information. There are advantages in terms of administrative efficiency as well, such as a smoother screening process, so a number of Group companies are actively involved in this initiative.



SMBC

SMBC has been undertaking efforts to improve hospitality by implementing paperless branches that utilize cutting-edge technology to improve services for our customers. The Ginza branch that was reopened inside GINZA SIX in April 2017 achieved digitalization of store services by using in-store transaction navigation, electronic signatures, and electronic seals.
In addition, this initiative was evaluated by the Japan Institute of Information Technology and received an award of excellence in the Service & Hospitality Awards from the Institute in 2017, and the highest award of merit for the same program in 2018.


Paper less initiatives Paper less initiatives

Making the Entire Company Paperless

SMBC Nikko

SMBC Nikko is implementing a company-wide "paperless" initiative as one of its measures to reduce environmental impact. We have eliminated the use of printed materials for internal meetings and reports and are promoting paperless meetings and reports via information equipment terminals. In addition, we provide the Electronic Mail Delivery Service and the Electronic Delivery Service, which allow customers to view documents from offering circular and other products via e-mail and the Internet, taking into account the wishes of our customers. In FY2022, we achieved a 64% cumulative company-wide paper reduction (compared to FY2019).

Paperless Application Procedures

SMBC SMBC Finance Service SMBCCF

SMBC Finance Service has been promoting conversion from conventional paper application forms to paperless credit application tools.
“Cedyna C-web” is a web credit that completes the application procedure on the Internet. It can be easily applied at any time from various input devices.
By the Internet application procedure without paper, we can provide both customer’s personal information protection and the merchant’s business efficiency at the same time.
SMBC Consumer Finance is improving customer convenience through digitalization as well as reducing the consumption of resources by actively expanding the App Loans service to promote cardless transactions. The SMBC account opening app for smartphones allows customers to open an account easily with just ID and a smartphone. All of these services not only offer greater convenience to our customers, but help to cut usage of paper resources.


Paperless Application Procedures Paperless Application Procedures Paperless Application Procedures

Paperless Statements

SMBC SMCC SMBC Finance Service SMBCCF SMBC Trust

SMBC, SMCC, SMBC Finance Service, SMBC Consumer Finance and SMBC Trust Bank encourages customers to switch to the "Web Account Statement Service" and "Web passbook" which allow customers to view their statements online rather than receiving a paper version by mail, as a way for them to participate in environmental initiatives.
SMBC provides an e-report service that enables customers to use the Internet to view reports that would normally be sent in the mail, such as for investment products and loan products.

“SMBC Green Program” through Selling JGBs to Retail Clients

SMBC

SMBC is pursuing the “SMBC Green Program” through selling JGBs to retail clients, in which SMBC implements certain measures to reduce carbon emissions (e.g., donations for tree-planting projects) by using part of the profit earned in such sales. In this Program, SMBC endeavors to ensure environmental conservation for the Earth jointly with clients through the following: ① reduction in carbon emissions equal to 100kg; or ② tree planting for the equivalent of 1m2 of forest (forest improvement, etc.) per client.

Please refer to the link below for more details:

SMBC: “SMBC Green Program” (JGB sales to retail clients)(Japanese Only)

Issue of Chikyuni Yasashii Card for Environmental Contributions through Credit Cards

Cedyna

SMBC Finance Service issues the Chikyuni Yasashii Card from 1991 to allow people to make donations for the environment through simple, everyday use. The company issues 14 types of cards based on specific themes related to global environmental protection. When people use the Chikyuni Yasashii Card for shopping, SMBC Finance Service automatically donates 0.5% of the card usage amounts to protection and research organizations based on those themes through The Defense of Great Earth Foundation.
Total amount of donation in FY2020 was about JPY 12 million, and the accumulated total has been about JPY 7.9 billion.

For details regarding various activities, please refer to the following website

SMBC Finance Service: Initiatives for the environment through business activities (Japanese only)

Reduction of environmental impact within the company

Environmental Features in Buildings

SMBC

In April 2023, the SMBC Group will switch to renewable energy sources for power generation at all company-owned buildings in Japan and at the head office buildings of its major domestic companies. This will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by approximately 30,000 tons per year.
In addition, SMBC Kawasaki Mega Solar Place, the first mega solar power generation facility for a megabank, was built on idle space owned by SMBC. This will reduce GHG emissions by approximately 440 tons per year.



SMBC Kawasaki Mega Solar Place, the first mega solar power generation facility

Furthermore, SMBC has introduced an off-site corporate PPA(※), the largest of its kind in the megabank, which has reduced GHG emissions by approximately 2,300 tons per year.
(※)Contracts to transmit electricity from a remote power generation equipment through transmission/distribution networks, and for the customer to receive long-term environmental value from the power generation. These are recently becoming popular in Europe and North America.
In addition to the renewable energy implementation, we are actively introducing environmentally friendly buildings as offices.



The Head Office building has rainwater storage tanks, solar power facilities, a rooftop garden and human sensors, and makes use of recycled materials. These various environmental features and facilities are designed to give the building 30% lower annual GHG emissions than the average leased office building in Tokyo.
For example, SMBC reduces 187 tons in GHG per year as a result of recycling high efficiency filters for air conditioning systems and energy-saving effects.



Environmental Features in Buildings

SMBC East Tower, which opened in the summer of 2015, has the environmental features on the head office building with the addition of all LED lighting and high-performance exterior walls​ performance. These features enable a 35% reduction in annual GHG emissions compared to the average leased office building in Tokyo. Thanks to these environmental facilities and features, the building has earned an "S" rank in the CASBEE rating system for building environmental performance and a "Platinum" rating from LEED-CI, an international environmental certification program.




SMBC East Tower, which opened in the summer of 2015

The Osaka Head Office building underwent a major renovation that finished in fiscal 2015. We installed high performing exterior wall frames, LED lighting, and solar panels to substantially improve the environmental performance while retaining the original charm of the facilities.



Initiatives are also being conducted overseas to select and use buildings with environmental features and facilities. The Brussels Branch in Belgium is housed in a building certified through the BREEAM method (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) for assessing building environmental performance.