A brand strategy powered by Cleantech

First of all, have you ever come across the term "Cleantech"?
Cleantech — also referred to as "Greentech" — is a portmanteau of "Clean" and "Technology," and refers to services and products that either do not use non-renewable resources or keep their consumption to a minimum.

In the past, for example, petroleum has been used to power cars and manufacture plastics — but going forward, the shift toward renewable energy sources is expected to accelerate, with vehicles running on energy harnessed from nature, such as solar, wind, and geothermal power, and plastics being produced from biomass materials.

With the market size projected to reach USD 48.36 billion (approximately ¥5.27 trillion) by 2027, this is surely a topic that professionals at companies with an interest in environmental initiatives cannot afford to overlook.

From here, let us take Starbucks — a company renowned for its proactive stance on environmental issues — as a reference case.

Starbucks is something of a textbook example when it comes to corporate branding, and its early move to replace plastic straws with alternative materials such as paper and biodegradable plastic made a significant impact on the world.

At a time when many companies are hesitant, thinking "we have our hands full just managing day-to-day operations, let alone tackling environmental issues," what lay behind the realisation of the paper straw?

As it turns out, the state of Washington introduced an ordinance in 2018 prohibiting restaurants in Seattle from providing plastic straws and cutlery. Starbucks, with its headquarters in Seattle, was naturally subject to this regulation — but rather than simply complying, the company used it as a trigger to introduce paper straws across all of its more than 28,000 stores worldwide, including those in regions where no such regulation applied.

What we want to highlight here is not simply that Starbucks is an environmentally friendly company that uses paper straws, but rather that companies are now expected to act as responsible members of society — and that includes giving genuine consideration to the environment.

Starbucks enjoys support from a wide range of age groups, from children to adults, and the secret to its popularity lies not only in the hospitality of its staff, but also in its sincere commitment to society.
It could be described as a forward-looking corporate strategy — but shift your perspective slightly, and it is equally a form of brand-building through thoughtful business strategy.

We have shared how a commitment to the environment plays an important role in corporate branding — and from here, we would like to look for practical pointers by exploring the services and products of companies making their mark in Japan's domestic cleantech market.

Zeroboard operates "zeroboard," a cloud service for calculating and visualising CO2 emissions.
Specifically, it tracks CO2 emissions across supply chains and individual products through data integration, making it possible to visualise the total volume of CO2 emitted through a company's activities. Its contribution to decarbonisation management has attracted attention from listed companies and beyond.

Company name: Zeroboard Inc.
Founded: 24 August 2021
https://zeroboard.jp/

Asuene is a company that provides "Asuene," a consulting service for procuring renewable energy, and "AsuZero," a cloud service for managing greenhouse gas emissions.
Asuene leverages blockchain technology to allow users to choose how they source renewable energy such as solar and wind power, contributing to the advancement of corporate environmental initiatives and the local production and consumption of energy.
AsuZero, meanwhile, is a service that uses technologies such as AI to streamline the analysis of greenhouse gas emissions and the reporting required under energy conservation laws.

Company name: Asuene Inc.
Founded: October 2019
https://earthene.com/corporate

Sinops provides "sinops," a retail-oriented system in which AI forecasts demand based on past sales data and fluctuations in customer footfall due to weather and other factors, automatically placing orders for the appropriate quantities. Through this collaboration, demand forecast data obtained at the retail level is shared with manufacturers and wholesalers, with the aim of optimising the food distribution chain as a whole and reducing both food loss and greenhouse gas emissions in the logistics sector.

Company name: Itochu Corporation
Founded: December 1949
https://www.itochu.co.jp/ja/index.html

Company name: Sinops Inc.
Founded: October 1987
https://www.sinops.jp/

OPTMASS, a startup originating from Kyoto University, is developing a "transparent solar cell" capable of generating electricity through building window glass and supplying power to people working on each floor.
By applying this research to replace the windows of high-rise buildings with transparent solar cells, buildings would be able to generate their own electricity without compromising their appearance.
There are certainly no shortage of challenges to overcome — including power generation efficiency — but if all window glass could eventually be replaced with transparent solar cells, it would represent a significant leap forward in addressing the global energy challenge.

Company name: OPTMASS Inc.
Founded: October 2021
https://optmass.jp/

AlgalBio, a startup originating from the University of Tokyo, provides consulting services to companies drawing on its expertise in microalgae cultivation technology. Like plants, algae absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, making them a subject of global attention from a carbon neutral perspective.

Company name: AlgalBio Inc.
Founded: March 2018
https://algalbio.co.jp/

We have introduced Cleantech as a potential starting point for companies looking to tackle environmental issues — we hope it has been helpful.

When it comes to environmental protection and social contribution, it can be hard to know where to begin as a company.
And yet, we believe most people recognise that each and every one of us — companies included — has a responsibility to think about environmental issues and take action to help prevent global warming.

For those who find it difficult to take action on their own, exploring the services and products of the companies introduced here may well be a worthwhile option to consider.

In any case, as a broader social trend, it is becoming increasingly clear that the degree to which a company engages with environmental issues is being used as one of the benchmarks by which its corporate value is assessed.
Looked at from the other direction — by actively engaging with environmental issues and continuing to communicate that commitment to the world, companies have the opportunity to grow their following and enhance their brand value.

Taking that first step may not be easy, but one thing is certain: on the other side of that effort lies the prospect of greater corporate value. So why not take the plunge?

Reference： 『The Global Cleantech』