Meiji Holdings became a signatory to the United Nations Global Compact in April 2019. The Global Compact provides an international framework for member companies and organizations to help build a sustainable world by exercising responsible leadership and developing innovative solutions. The Meiji Group is carrying out a wide range of initiatives aligned with the compact's Ten Principles in its four areas of Human Rights, Labour, Environment, and Anti-Corruption.

UN Global Compact

Since 2009, Meiji Group has been a member of The Consumer Goods Forum, an international association of major retailers, consumer product manufacturers, and food producers. In the forum's Japan Sustainability Local Group, the company actively participates in working groups involved in promoting human rights and sustainable palm oil production, as well as reducing food loss.

The Consumer Goods Forum

Since 2016, the Meiji Group has been a member of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil, a not-for-profit that develops and implements global standards for sustainable palm oil aimed at minimizing environmental impacts and bringing economic benefits to communities in palm oil-producing regions.

Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil

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Since 2006, Meiji has been a member of the World Cocoa Foundation. The NGO's vision is "a thriving and sustainable cocoa sector, where farmers prosper, communities are empowered, and the planet is healthy." The company also joined the foundation's Cocoa & Forest Initiative, launched in 2017, which is working to stop deforestation and restore forest areas in cocoa growing regions.

World Cocoa Foundation

Cocoa & Forest Initiative

The International Cocoa Initiative (ICI) is a non-profit organization established by chocolate manufacturers in 2002 with the aim of eradicating child labor and forced labor in cocoa cultivation in West Africa. In 2021, Meiji Co., Ltd. became the first Japanese company to join the ICI and contribute to the eradication of child labor and forced labor on cocoa farms.

International Cocoa Initiative

Global Dairy Platform (GDP) encourages the appropriate intake of dairy foods while demonstrating the dairy sector's role in sustainable agriculture. Meiji Co., Ltd. has been a member of the GDP since 2013, and has promoted sustainability and the health benefits of dairy products.

Global Dairy Platform

Meiji Group has been a supporter of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) since 2019, and follows its recommendations on climate-related scenario analysis and information disclosure. The company has also joined the TCFD Consortium, which was established by the Japanese government to facilitate cooperation among domestic companies and financial institutions that support the TCFD.

Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures

In September 2021, Meiji Holdings joined RE100, a global initiative aiming for companies to source 100% of the electricity used in their business operations from renewable energy. RE100 is a global initiative that brings together some of the world's most influential companies committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity. The initiative is led by the international non-profit Climate Group in partnership with CDP.

Meiji Holdings committed to the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in February 2021, and acquired certification in September 2021. In an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the SBTi calls on companies to set targets over the next 5 to 15 years to help achieve the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to well below 2° Celsius above pre-industrial levels, and to take action to limit the rise to 1.5° Celsius. The SBTi evaluates companies to ensure they have aligned their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions with the goal of the Paris Agreement.

Science Based Targets

In April 2022, Meiji Holdings joined TNFD Forum. The TNFD was officially launched with a mission to deliver a risk management and disclosure framework for organization to report nature-related negative outcomes and nature-positive outcomes. The TNFD Forum is a global multi-disciplinary consultative group of institutions to support the development of the TNFD framework.

Since 2019, Meiji Holdings has been a member of the Japan Climate Initiative, a network of companies, local governments, NGOs and other organizations in Japan that are actively involved in combatting climate change. The initiative creates opportunities for its members to share information about relevant strategies and solutions with the goal of accelerating the transition to a decarbonized society.

Japan Climate Initiative

In July 2021, Meiji Holdings joined the Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership (JCLP) as a supporting member. The JCLP is a corporate group that aims to create sustainable, decarbonized societies.

This unique Japanese corporate group was established in 2009 based on the recognition that industry must embrace a sound sense of urgency and engage in proactive action to achieve sustainable decarbonized societies.

Japan Climate Leaders’ Partnership

In 2021, Meiji Holdings began participation in the Ministry of the Environment’s Water Project. This Water Project is a public- private partnership project launched in 2014 based on the Basic Law on the Water Cycle to encourage initiatives aimed at maintaining or restoring healthy water cycles.

In November 2021, Meiji Holdings joined the Japan Hydrogen Association (JA2A), an organization promoting global collaboration in the area of hydrogen, as well as the formation of a hydrogen supply chain. The Japan Hydrogen Association (JA2A) is a cross-industry and open organization established domestically in Japan for the purpose of overseeing the entire hydrogen supply chain. Its goal is to rapidly establish a hydrogen society through realizing social implementation projects.

Strategic Initiative for a Healthy and Sustainable Food Environment

Since FY2021, Meiji has participated in the Strategic Initiative for a Healthy and Sustainable Food Environment established by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. This initiative considers nutritional and environmental issues, such as excessive salt intake, thinness among young women, and nutritional disparity due to economic disparity, as serious social issues, and develops a food environment in which everyone can be naturally healthy through cooperation and collaboration among industry, academia, and government. The initiative aims to extend the healthy life expectancy of people in Japan and around the world, and to create a vibrant and sustainable society.

Strategic Initiative for a Healthy and Sustainable Food Environment

Meiji Holdings is participating in “30 by 30 Alliance”, a coalition of volunteers that aims to achieve the "30 by 30*" which promised at the 2021 G7 Summit.

*The goal to conserve at least 30% of land and ocean as healthy ecosystems by 2030

The Meiji Group is a member of the "30% Club Japan", a campaign to increase the proportion of women in key decision-making bodies of companies, including the board of directors. The 30% Club is founded in the United Kingdom in 2010. The 30% Club Japan promotes the campaign in Japan. Its goal is to raise the ratio of women on the board of directors of TOPIX100 to 30% by 2030.

Japan Sustainable Palm Oil Network (JaSPON) is a network established by retailers, consumer goods manufacturers and NGOs. JaSPON is aiming to solve social and environmental problems in palm oil production by accelerating sustainable palm oil sourcing and use in Japanese market. The Meiji Group contributed in its foundation and actively participates in it as a board member company.