(Head office: Hakata-ku, Fukuoka; Representative Director: Shunsuke Managi; hereinafter "aiESG"), a Kyushu University start-up that conducts quantitative ESG assessments, and METRIKA, Inc, (headquartered in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Ryoga Kobayashi, President; hereinafter "METRIKA"), a data solutions company that supports the design and construction of distributed data analysis bases, will collaborate to provide highly reliable and precise ESG evaluation services in response to growing interest in ESG (environment, human rights, and governance). METRIKA will provide consistent services ranging from the collection and integration of vast amounts of data dispersed throughout a company to quantitative ESG analysis based on academic evidence, with the aim of reducing man-hours and improving efficiency as companies are forced to respond quickly to international sustainability standards.

⚫︎ Background: Gap between ESG disclosures and current status as deadlines loom

In recent years, with growing concern about climate change, human rights issues, and corporate governance, the disclosure of non-financial information has become increasingly important to enhance corporate value Starting with the fiscal year ending March 31, 2023, the disclosure of sustainability information in annual securities reports has become mandatory. In line with this trend, there is a demand for sustainable management in accordance with international standards and disclosure of reliable ESG information that has undergone assurance.

Currently, however, ESG disclosure standards are in disarray, and even ESG information disclosure dating back to the supply chain is required. In addition, the deadline for mandatory disclosure set by various organizations is approaching, as evidenced by the start of the international carbon tax in the U.S. and EU in 2025-2026.

While companies are under pressure to take efficient measures, they are also faced with a heavy practical burden: "Data management systems differ from division to division and department to department, and data collection and integration have not progressed," and "ESG disclosure information that is not only a qualitative assessment of the company but also reliable on an international level is required.

Refine ⚫ESG analysis: Efficiently integrate distributed data to enable sophisticated ESG analysis

Through this collaboration, aiESG and METRIKA are now able to work hand in hand to provide more efficient and detailed ESG analysis services based on internationally and academically trusted technology. aiESG's supply chain analysis and evaluation of companies and their products/services based on "material cost" and "usage data", coupled with METRIKA's data management technology, will facilitate the collection and integration of data not only from primary suppliers but also from secondary to nth tier suppliers. The supply chain analysis and evaluation of companies and their products and services based on "material cost" and "usage data" by aiESG, combined with data management technology by METRIKA, has facilitated the collection and integration of data not only from primary suppliers, but also from secondary suppliers to nth-order suppliers. This enables us to ensure traceability, fully support the collection and integration of distributed data across divisions and business units within a company, and provide thoroughly precise ESG analysis services that better reflect actual data, from product and service supply chain information to company-wide information.

⚫︎ESG Assurance: Ensuring reliable ESG analysis using a solid information base

To be valued by the market, ESG information disclosure is not arbitrary, but needs to be precise and accurate, guaranteed by a professional organization. From an assurance perspective, an elaborate information basis is required, and the process of data collection and integration is also subject to audit. It is not sufficient to collect data only on the basis of interviews with business partners, and unless the process is justified, it will not be able to comply with regulations such as CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive), which will also increase the risk of fire.

METRIKA provides secure and consistent integration and management in ESG source data by supporting from data collection to analysis, starting with the construction of the data infrastructure. aiESG uses its proprietary AI to conduct academically grounded analysis, enabling highly reliable quantitative ESG analysis. In addition, in order to respond to evolving international regulations such as CSRD and IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), aiESG can calculate and analyze each piece of information precisely and in real time, and propose remedial measures.

⚫︎ Representative Comments

◾️ Comments by Shunsuke Managi, President of aiESG, Inc.
aiESG has been providing comprehensive ESG analysis services based on academically and scientifically sound technology, covering the supply chain of companies, products, and services. We are honored to collaborate with METRIKA, a company with strong data infrastructure construction capabilities, which will enable us to provide more precise ESG analysis than ever before. As compliance with international sustainability standards becomes increasingly essential, we look forward to working with METRIKA to help companies do business more efficiently and sustainably.

◾️ Comments from Ryoga Kobayashi, CEO and Representative Director, METRIKA Corporation
METRIKA has developed a variety of projects in which business, technology, and creativity are designed and harmonized to create value. In particular, we have been studying data-related fields such as data infrastructure construction and data analysis. We are very pleased to collaborate with aiESG, a company that is well versed in the environmental field, to provide highly reliable ESG assessments. We will continue to work together to help companies understand their own environmental information and return even more value to society.

What is aiESG, a product-level ESG analysis service?

aiESG is the world's first service that enables comprehensive ESG analysis at the product and service level. Using AI analysis based on our ESG supply chain big data, aiESG can provide detailed calculations for more than 3,200 ESG indicators and compare them to industry averages and conventional products. In particular, it is possible to compare the CO₂This is the world's first solution that enables quantitative evaluation of not only environmental aspects such as human rights, biodiversity, and labor environment, but also social and governance aspects, including human rights, biodiversity, and labor environment, which have become increasingly important in recent years.

Furthermore, analysis by aiESG enables geographical estimation, which is difficult with conventional Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and visualization of environmental, social, and corporate governance hot spots, tracing back not only to direct suppliers, but also to secondary and upstream business partners.

In addition, since the only data required from the customer is product cost structure data or physical quantity data, ESG supply chain disclosures, which previously required enormous man-hours, are facilitated.

Click here for an introduction to our services (https://aiesg.co.jp/topics/report/20230515_service_aiesg/)

About aiESG, Inc.

We are a start-up company from Kyushu University that aims to realize a sustainable society through product and service level ESG analysis. Based on many years of international and academic ESG research results, including UN report representatives, we provide an ESG assessment platform, aiESG, that traces back the entire supply chain. We also provide support services on all aspects of ESG.

Click here to visit our corporate website (Japanese only)https://aiesg.co.jp/)

Company Profile

Company name: aiESG Co.
Head Office: NMF Hakata Ekimae Bldg. 2F, 1-15-20 Hakata Ekimae, Hakata-ku, Fukuoka City, Fukuoka
President and Representative Director : Shunsuke Managi
Business : ESG analysis business at the product/service level
HP : https://aiesg.co.jp/
Establishment : July 2022

About METRIKA, which consistently accompanies clients from database design to analysis, system development, and business creation.

METRIKA is a data science venture that supports the digitization of companies based on the concept of "weaving data and strategy". In today's era of rapid transition to digitalization, METRIKA is working with clients to design a data-driven approach to how future work styles and lifestyles will change, while envisioning a society of 2030 and 2050 for companies ahead of time, and accompanying them through this transformation journey by making full use of AI and data analysis.

The sustainability and ESG area is said to be the area in which the business scene in the future society will undergo the most intense changes in terms of how it is done and how it is approached. Severe regulatory changes are being issued simultaneously around the world, led by the Carbon Border Adjustment Measure (CBAM), and there is a regulatory trend to certify business activities in the region only for companies and products that meet ESG regulatory levels. This will require companies to strictly supervise all processes in their production activities and to monitor their environmental impact in real time and with great precision, which also implies that the environment will play a major role in the standards for future management in the transition to 2030. Companies will now be required to prepare for such a response by efficiently utilizing a variety of digital elements: data, automation, and visualization.

METRIKA supports such "data-driven and ESG-aware" corporate businesses by leveraging its expertise in designing and building distributed data infrastructures, creating data collection robots, and developing analytical algorithms to build secure and real-time data management infrastructures. This enables companies to securely integrate and manage data generated in their supply chains, regardless of the conditions of their diverse business fields and locations. Whether a company has overseas offices, needs to manage vast amounts of data, or requires a more detailed and time-intensive approach than usual, the company can flexibly implement creative design methods, such as building robots to analyze data, while matching the level of security in collaboration with regional data officers in each region. We build a data analysis infrastructure that takes into account the perspectives and risk considerations of each company's stakeholders.

About METRIKA Corporation

METRIKA provides consulting support that consistently accompanies clients through data acquisition, data analysis, system development, and business creation, as well as product development centered on distributed data management and analysis systems across a wide range of business domains and organizations.

Click here to visit our corporate website (Japanese only)https://www.metrika.jp)

Company Profile

Company name: METRIKA Co.
Location : 5F, Atrium Ebisu-Minami 1-chome Building, 1-20-15 Ebisu-Minami, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0022, Japan
Establishment : April 2021
Representative: Ryoma Kobayashi, President and Representative Director
Business: Data infrastructure construction business, data analysis business, AI development business, digital human resource development business, and others
URL:https://www.metrika.jp

For inquiries regarding this matter, please contact
To: aiESG Corporation, Public Relations
Email address:pr@aiesg.co.jp 

METRIKA Corporation Contact
Email address:info@metrika.jp