Major Community of Sustainability Leaders Hosts A Series of Workshops in Japan

The Sustainability Leadership Community (SLC), Japan's largest network for sustainability leaders, recently organized two significant workshops aimed at raising sustainability literacy among industry professionals. The SLC, consisting of approximately 879 members from 612 companies as of December 2025, operates under the motto "Sustainability Together". The workshops, the 5th and 6th SSBJ Working Group, were held on November 19, 2025, and December 17, 2025, respectively, focusing on practical approaches to the SSBJ standards published in March 2025.

The SLC is a free community for professionals, companies, and experts who are committed to driving sustainability initiatives. It is run by Booost Inc., a company based in Shinagawa, Tokyo, known for its leading-edge sustainability ERP solutions. The community hosts regular events for networking, featuring keynote speeches, panel discussions, and informal gatherings. These gatherings encourage sharing of cutting-edge case studies, everyday operational insights, and collaborative problem solving, ultimately accelerating sustainable management practices across companies.

Focus of the 5th and 6th Working Group Meetings

The workshops specifically targeted practical responses to the SSBJ standards, offering leaders a platform to tackle real challenges in the field and share advanced examples of successful practices.

Content of the 5th Working Group Meeting

The 5th SSBJ Working Group concentrated on the theme of "Third-party Assurance and Internal Controls". Representatives from various firms, categorized by their market capitalization, engaged in deep discussions regarding challenges and operational techniques suitable to their scale and progress. Some key points shared included:

- Enhancing Data Reliability: There is an increasing emphasis on reinforcing internal governance by clarifying responsibilities and developing checklists.
- Continuous Improvement of Data Precision: Implementations like threshold settings for past data and quarterly audits were highlighted as effective means to reduce human errors while continuously improving precision through the PDCA cycle.
- Early Collaboration with Assurance Firms: Early engagement and prior “pre-assurance” measures help identify points of concern and streamline the assurance process.

Content of the 6th Working Group Meeting

In the 6th Working Group, attention shifted to involving management and the entire organization in making sustainability efforts more actionable. The opening address by the COO, Hiroshi Aoi, stressed the importance of middle management engaging with upper management and introduced a framework for approaching these discussions.

Guest Speaker Insights

The chief advisor of Booost and former head of sustainability at Omron, Yue Liu, shared insights based on his extensive experience in driving sustainability initiatives, emphasizing:

- The necessity of translating specialized sustainability content into business contexts for the management team.
- Moving beyond merely a supportive role to becoming a leader and partner in updating management frameworks.
- Rather than merely asking for collaboration for disclosures, it's critical to provide decision-making materials that enhance the quality of judgments in a constantly changing environment.

Participant Discussions

Following the guest speaker’s insights, participants exchanged ideas on practical challenges within their organizations, sharing:

- Difficulties in procuring highly recyclable products due to cost and technical constraints.
- Challenges faced in moving forward with materiality identification and SSBJ compliance due to a lack of support from other departments.
- The strategic separation of KPIs into mid-term and short-term categories to enhance effectiveness.
- Initiatives to create sustainability recognition programs that align easily with existing activities.

Survey Results and Summary

Post-event surveys indicated a high satisfaction rate, with both the overall experience and discussion quality receiving an average score of 3.5 out of 4. Participants expressed their appreciation for the actionable insights gained and the opportunity to learn from advanced practices among leading companies.

Upcoming 7th Working Group Meeting

Looking ahead, the 7th Working Group is set to take place on January 21, 2026, marking the completion of this series. For those interested in participating, they are encouraged to reach out to the SLC operations office at [email protected].

SLC Overview

Established on February 27, 2023, SLC continues to build a community focused on enhancing sustainability literacy through both online platforms and in-person events. The benefits of joining include accessing the latest industry insights and establishing connections with key industry figures, all aimed at fostering sustainable growth and transformation within the community.

The "Japan as a Leader in Sustainability Transformation (SX) Project" was also introduced in November 2024 to address the ongoing challenges many companies face in adhering to mandatory sustainability-related financial disclosures, aiming to preempt declines in corporate value. This initiative represents an integral part of Booost's wider strategy to enhance Japan's global presence in sustainability practices.

For additional details, visit SLC's official website or complete the registration form.