introduction
aiESG, Inc. is a start-up company born out of the Shunsuke Managi Laboratory at Kyushu University, Japan. aiESG has been working to improve ESG-related laws and regulations in Japan as well as in Europe and the United States, and companies are now required to take a more sophisticated approach to sustainability. What are the fundamental issues that companies are facing in order to realize a better society, and how will the environment surrounding ESG evolve in the future?
We spoke at length with board members of aiESG, Inc.
Profile of interlocutor
Shunsuke Managi: Representative Director / Senior Professor, Kyushu University
Daikichi Seki: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Keely Alexander Ryuta: Director and Chief Researcher (CR) / Associate Professor, Kyushu University
Syutaro Takeda: Chief Scientific Advisor
Moderator: Asami Katayama / Public Relations, aiESG
first part
Making social issues "visible" across research fields, essentially advancing ESG.
The Shunsuke Managi Laboratory conducts research to quantify and visualize aspects of social issues that have yet to be "visualized".
The areas covered range from social issues such as the environment, resources, and energy, to ESG initiatives by companies, and human affluence that cannot be measured by GDP. Why did you launch aiESG Inc.
- Managi
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The concepts of ESG and SDGs are abstract, and meetings with ESG experts by companies and municipalities often end without concrete solutions being proposed. However, without concrete proposals and implementation, it is impossible to truly solve the problem.
We have been involved in many industry-academia collaborative projects, but to create a greater impact, we need to get deeply involved with companies and local governments and find solutions together. To this end, we have established aiESG in the form of a joint-stock company.
How do you see Dr. Managi?
- Keely
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Dr. Managi is able to talk about ESG based on facts in any situation. If he were suddenly called upon by the prime minister of a country, he would be able to talk about it without fear. He has accumulated a vast amount of knowledge and is highly regarded as a top journal in academia. I believe that he is like a "compass" that captures global trends and indicates what is needed next.
- Seki
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Our research papers are outstanding in the area of SDGs and ESG, and we have a wealth of research results in other areas.
Since 2014, you have been involved in the preparation of the Inclusive Wealth Report (New National Wealth Report) as a representative to the United Nations, and have been working with government agencies such as the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. His attitude toward implementing his research into society is truly amazing.
- Takeda
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No matter what industry you go to, there is someone who knows Dr. Managi and is recognized as an authority. This is not often the case in the scholarly world, where the emphasis is on having a specialized field to delve into.
On the other hand, Dr. Managi does not limit himself to one field, but collaborates on projects with key people in various fields and has a network.
ESG is a very broad field that cannot be handled by a specific area of expertise alone. There are probably very few people in Japan who can look at the whole picture by themselves.
- Managi
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At the core of my desire is to create something useful.
It is difficult to solve 100% of social issues. However, if we can make some progress, we can work with the necessary experts at the time to find the next move.
The important thing is to create something that is actually used and improves society, not just a blanket statement. To this end, we believe it is essential to quantify and visualize social issues.
- Takeda
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For a major theme such as ESG, it is impossible to solve essential issues without gathering advanced knowledge across a variety of fields. That is what aiESG can do.
Not just environmental assessment methods, but also human rights, satellite data, and even AI. An environment where good research from a wide range of fields can come together and mix is unparalleled. I think what was needed to solve essential issues was an entity like aiESG that could view ESG in an academic and cross-sectional manner.
The world's first AI technology that can retroactively evaluate the entire supply chain on a product or service basis.
Why did you focus on ESG assessment at the product/service level rather than at the company level?
- Seki
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Dr. Managi originally worked on social issues from a macro perspective, for example, by defining the "New National Wealth Index" at the United Nations, which indicates affluence that cannot be measured by GDP. However, in order to have a direct impact on society and consumers, it became apparent that it was necessary to step into evaluation on a company-by-company and even product/service-by-product basis.
I myself originally worked for a consulting firm developing an AI to calculate how a company's market capitalization would be affected by reducing CO2 emissions and water usage. However, even if ESG targets are set on a company-by-company basis, we cannot move forward unless we see concrete solutions. That is why we felt it was important to evaluate on a product and service basis.
- Keely
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I joined the Umanaki Lab because I wanted to improve the sustainability of our country. Since that time, the Umanaki Lab has focused on joint research with companies, pursuing actual "results" on social issues, rather than simply presenting research.
It was at this time that I had the opportunity to participate in Mr. Takeda's research at Harvard. There, I was able to see that ESG assessment, which had been looked at on a country-by-country basis, could be put into the level of products and services, which are closer to companies and consumers. I now have a clearer picture of what I need to do.
- Takeda
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I felt the need for an ESG assessment on a product/service basis, not because of the size of the potential market, etc., but because that is where the "biggest trouble" was.
As a university, we have consulted with a variety of companies, and this was the most pressing need of those in charge in the field.
Essentially, the role of academia is to pioneer new areas and make them useful to society. Especially in the area of ESG, only the philosophy is still ahead of the field. That is why we, as academia, need to show society what is right.
I believe that aiESG's services are a perfect match for the role we should play in society as a startup from academia.
- Seki
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The AI technology we developed was the first in the world to enable ESG assessments on a per-product/service basis, as well as retrospectively throughout the supply chain. Until then, many companies had been dissatisfied with their sustainability efforts, but we used AI technology to solve their problems and evolved it into "practical" software, which led to the release of our current service.
- Asami Katayama Katayama Asami
- Corpolate Development Department
- His life's work is "to propose and realize solutions and methods that enable people, society, and businesses to coexist in harmony with the global environment" and he has extensive experience in public relations and project management. She studied sustainable urban development in Portland, Oregon, one of the most environmentally advanced cities in the United States. After returning to Japan, she worked for an international environmental NGO, a consulting firm, and an environmental social venture firm, and is currently engaged in public relations and PR at aiESG as a sustainability specialist.
