Tatsuya Takeda
Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc.
General Manager, Sustainability Promotion Office, Planning Department
Joined the bank in 1996. Worked in the Corporate Planning Dept., IT Innovation Dept., and then joined the Corporate Sustainability Dept., Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) from April 2019. Current position effective from October 2020.
Judge’s selections
Sur-prize-ingly Edible Prize
Earth Cuisine Project
株式会社LIFULL
This project represents a bold shift in thinking by forcing us to consider ways to eat what we can’t otherwise use or consume. It transforms a social issue into a source of nourishment. Human diets have changed throughout the course of our evolution, and eating has taken on new meanings with the spread of civilization. Today we value safety and convenience, but we face social issues just as our ancestors did in the past. Eating the apparently inedible is an option that may not have been available to our ancestors. This project suggests how modern people who have grown accustomed to the comforts of civilization might look again to nature for answers. It definitely made me think.
Business Model Prize
Bagasse UPCYCLE
株式会社BAGASSE UPCYCLE
When traveling, a very easy way to get along with the locals is to wear the local costume and respect the local customs. As the saying goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” You might try wearing an Aloha shirt in Hawaii, Batik in Indonesia, or Longyi in Myanmar. But, let’s face it, you're unlikely to wear these items again once you get home. Bagasse UPCYCLE is an environmentally-friendly business model that puts an end to regrettable holiday purchases. The product is produced and consumed locally using fiber from sugarcane, and it even lets us track the product life-cycle using technology. I would definitely use such a service if available.
Prizing Objects Prize
NIKKO Circular Lab
戦略本部 マーケティング室 コミュニケーションデザイン課
The problem with glass and ceramics is that they lose all value once they break. It only takes a single slip to turn cherished tableware into dangerous, incombustible waste. In a sense, fragility forms part of these objects’ value. But no creator wants to see all their artistry and hard work end up in landfill. I’ve chosen this project because it targets a previously ignored resource, promotes cyclical manufacturing, and reminds us to prize the objects in our possession as well as the feelings of their creators. I’d like this project to become known all over the world.
Future of Huge Events Prize
The circular architectural project "Regenerative Forest -JINEN'' by JINOWA Consortium for restoration of earth
株式会社GEN Japan
The Financial Times recently published an estimate of the carbon footprint of the 30,000 people who will be flying in and out of COP26. It’s ironic that so many people will be flying in from all over the world to discuss reducing carbon emissions. While the pandemic has raised the possibility of holding events online, there are some events that lose their value if they are not attended in person. Arts festivals are a good example. However, this project suggests that even arts festivals will struggle to gain support if they are not environmentally friendly. I think this entry is a great attempt at showing how large-scale events should be held in future. Incidentally, the theme for the 2025 Osaka Expo is SDGs.
Prize Every Tree Prize
Karimoku New Standard
事業開発本部
We increasingly value forests for their ability to capture and store atmospheric carbon, but it takes a huge effort over many years to develop a forest that can do this efficiently. In Japan, the mountainous terrain has delayed mechanization of forestry, and it has become difficult economically to employ people for work such as thinning, the cutting down of smaller trees so that larger trees can grow. Karimoku is helping to solve this by providing an economic use for thinned timber, which is reborn as high-quality products and contributes to carbon capture. I think it's great that Karimoku is discovering new value in Japanese timber.