About the Sustainability Award

Every year RobecoSAM assesses the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of companies, and awards Gold, Silver, and Bronze Class distinction to those with particularly outstanding performance. These results are then published in the RobecoSAM Sustainability Yearbook^*2. In 2020 RobecoSAM assessed 4,710 major companies around the world (in 61 industries) and gave Bronze Class distinction or higher to 220 companies globally, 18 of which were from Japan including NRI. Additionally, NRI was one of only six companies worldwide that were chosen in the field of IT Services & Internet Software and Services.

About NRI’s assessment

NRI received a high evaluation for its economic sustainability initiatives such as IT human resources development geared toward technological innovations such as artificial intelligence (AI), and in environmental sustainability for being recognized by the Science Based Targets (SBT)^*3 initiative, as well as its aggressive commitment to global initiatives including membership in the RE100^*4. As for initiatives related to society, NRI also received a strong evaluation primarily for its efforts toward diversity (separate indicators were used for gender and rank) and for implementation of human rights due diligence. NRI earned Bronze Class distinction as a result of these efforts.
For the second consecutive year NRI has also been selected as a component of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index*5, an ESG stock index produced collaboratively by RobecoSAM and S&P Dow Jones Indices (based in the US).
NRI’s NRI Group Medium-Term Management Plan (2019-2022) calls for “Solving social issues through value co-creation” and identifies NRI’s commitment to “Co-create a thriving future society by driving new value,” “Co-create an ideal society by effectively utilizing its resources,” and “Co-creating a safe and secure society by advancing its infrastructure” as the social values at the very core of its business activities. Based on this plan, NRI will contribute to creating a sustainable future society through activities in its main business areas including consulting and IT solutions.

• ^*1  

  RobecoSAM：
  An investment expert organization based in Switzerland which specializes in sustainable investing. RobecoSAM offers investment management strategies, compiles investment indexes, conducts proxy voting, promotes engagement, analyzes the social impact of companies’ actions, assesses sustainability, and offers benchmarking among other services.
  RobecoSAM website: https://www.robecosam.com/en

• ^*2  

  The Sustainability Yearbook:
  For the assessment results of Sustainability Award 2020, see the Sustainability Yearbook published by RobecoSAM.
  The Sustainability Yearbook: https://yearbook.robecosam.com/

• ^*3  

  Science Based Targets (SBT):
  Science-based targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by companies in order to keep global temperature increases under 2∘C compared to preindustrial temperatures. Companies are recognized by the SBT Initiative which maintains these targets to promote action on climate change. The initiative was established by four organizations: the CDP which is a federation of institutional investors that promotes disclosure of measures to counteract climate-change, the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the World Resources Institute (WRI), and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). NRI’s environmental target was certified by SBT in September 2018. NRI was the 132nd company to receive certification globally, and the 29th in Japan.
  SBT Initiative website: https://sciencebasedtargets.org
  NRI News: https://www.nri.com/en/news/info/cc/lst/2018/0920_1 

• ^*4  

  RE100：
  A global leadership initiative led by the international NGO The Climate Group in partnership with the CDP. Companies that join the initiative declare and publish goals specifying that 100% of the energy consumed for their business operations will be renewable by 2050. In February 2019 NRI joined RE100 with the pledge to have renewable energy comprise all the electric power used in its business activities and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from these activities to close to zero by fiscal 2050. NRI was the 165th company to join RE100, and the 17th from Japan.
  The RE100 official website: http://there100.org/
  NRI News: https://www.nri.com/en/news/info/cc/lst/2019/0221_1 

• ^*5  

  NRI Selected to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for the Second Consecutive Year:
  NRI News: https://www.nri.com/en/news/newsrelease/lst/2019/cc/0917_1 

For Reference

●  NRI’s external evaluations

●  NRI’s sustainability-related initiatives

Website: https://www.nri.com/en/sustainability

Integrated Report: https://ir.nri.com/en/ir/library/report.html

ESG Databook: https://www.nri.com/en/sustainability/library/back_number

Sustainability Book: https://www.nri.com/en/sustainability/library/back_number