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April 25, 2024
 

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Simon Jessop
For Simon Jessop's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
The decisions by JPMorgan and State Street to quit a global investor coalition will collectively remove trillions of dollars from efforts to coordinate Wall Street action on climate change.
BUSINESS / Companies
Feb 16, 2024
JPMorgan and State Street quit climate group as BlackRock steps back
Financial firms have faced growing pressure from Republican politicians over their membership in such groups.
An oil pump outside Saint-Fiacre, near Paris, in 2019
BUSINESS
Dec 13, 2023
Big Oil's bid to woo ESG investors fails to impress
A pledge by 50 of the biggest oil and gas companies at the U.N. climate talks in Dubai commits to reaching near-zero methane emissions by 2030.
A man holding a child crosses a damaged bridge after Typhoon Doksuri, in Zhuozhou, China, on Aug. 7.
BUSINESS / Markets
Dec 12, 2023
Storm assault on Chinese ports a wake-up call for climate risks
Typhoon Doksuri delivered Beijing's worst flooding in more than 50 years, shuttering factories, collapsing homes and displacing tens of thousands.
Steam rises from the cooling towers of the coal power plant of RWE, one of Europe's biggest electricity and gas companies, in Niederaussem, Germany.
BUSINESS / Companies
Nov 6, 2023
Just 4% of top firms meet U.N. climate target guidelines, study says
The pace of change among governments and corporations is set to form a central part of the COP28 climate talks starting later this month.
Pump jacks in an oil field in Midland, Texas. Big Oil is responsible for the bulk of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions and pressure for action is building.
BUSINESS
Oct 7, 2023
Exxon Mobil's megadeal to test climate-aware shareholders
Negotiations between Exxon and Pioneer are advanced but have not yet led to an agreement over the acquisition.
Japan Times
WORLD
May 21, 2023
Heat insurance offers climate change lifeline to poor workers
This form of disaster assistance is on the rise across the developing world, as vulnerable communities are hammered by worsening drought, storms and heat waves.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Nov 3, 2022
Hope fades for action by Big Finance on climate crisis
In interviews, more than a dozen U.S. and European finance leaders were pessimistic the COP27 climate conference in Egypt starting Nov. 6 can make clear progress.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jun 16, 2022
Overlapping rules to curb 'greenwashing' may only add to company frustration
A coalition of 7,000 global companies is calling on the regulators to converge their definitions, terminology and concepts before finalizing the rules later this year.
Japan Times
WORLD
Apr 18, 2022
Global Citizen seeks up to $1 billion for six sustainable 'Impact' funds
The funds aim to help plug a large gap in funding for poorer countries struggling to meet the United Nations 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Japan Times
WORLD / FOCUS
Feb 23, 2022
Investors seek greater scrutiny on corporate sustainability assets worth $35 trillion
Reliable checks on companies' sustainability credentials will take years to develop, auditors have said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 22, 2022
EU proposes rules to make companies undertake human rights and ethics checks
Firms will have to make sure that their suppliers are not using forced labor or child labor, and are not guilty of inadequate workplace health and safety, among other things.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Markets
Feb 1, 2022
Investor clash on gas and nuclear muddies EU green finance drive
In a market already divided, the attempt to reach a common definition for sustainable investments risk could fragment things further.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Dec 26, 2021
How 2021 became the year of ESG investing
Major wins for ESG investors pushing for changes at companies this year included the replacement of three directors at Exxon Mobil.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Dec 14, 2021
HSBC says clients must have plan to exit coal by end of 2023
Built on earlier promises to phase out coal, the policy would stay in line with the science of climate change and be reviewed annually.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / FOCUS
Nov 15, 2021
Shipping companies feel the heat as investors shun coal
Such pressures pose new challenges for the shipping industry, which hitherto largely hasn't been drawn into the center of the coal debate.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Nov 15, 2021
COP26 message to business: Clean up to cash in
The deal announced late Saturday pushes countries to reassess business strategies and carbon footprints to reap monetary rewards, or lag and risk losses.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Oct 20, 2021
Investors fear green complexity as countries draft over 30 sustainability rule sets
After years of complaints that there were no rules to determine what constitutes a 'sustainable' investment, some are now fretting that soon there will be too many.
Japan Times
WORLD
Oct 18, 2021
Zero-emission vehicles and renewables to take off, climate policy report says
The U.N.-backed Principles for Responsible Investment predicted 'dramatic' and 'sweeping' changes in food, energy, transport and industry policy between now and 2025.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 10, 2021
How sustainable are the world's sovereign wealth funds?
The world's biggest funds are making only patchy progress in adapting investment plans to account for environmental, social and governance factors.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / ANALYSIS
Jun 3, 2021
Global corporate tax crackdown gets ethical investor boost
Many funds have said they are escalating talks with companies over their tax planning and, if necessary, will dump shares.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.
Over 40% of Japan's municipalities at risk of vanishing, study finds
Of 1,729 local municipalities nationwide, 744 have been identified as being at risk of disappearing.
Tokyo issues strong warning on yen intervention as currency dips further
Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki speaks during a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and South Korean Finance Minister Choi Sang-mok on the sidelines of IMF and G20 meetings in Washington last week.
Princess Aiko makes debut at imperial garden party
Princess Aiko attends an imperial garden party in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Japan's former PM Aso meets Trump for talks on security and economy
Former U.S. President Donald Trump and Taro Aso, vice president of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, in New York on Tuesday. The Japanese government’s top spokesman on Wednesday played down the meeting as one conducted "in the capacity of one lawmaker" and “without the government’s involvement.”
For amateur sumo, a fresh start offers hope against time-wasting and gamesmanship
Wrestlers prepare for the start of a bout at the 2023 Sumo World Championships in Tokyo. Starting this month, placing one hand on the clay first is no longer allowed.
LDP veteran Nikai's youngest son expected to succeed him in Wakayama
Toshihiro Nikai, former secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party, announced in March that he would not run in the next Lower House election to take responsibility for the political funds scandal that rocked his party and his own faction.
New workers name Shohei Ohtani as 'dream boss' for two years running
Shohei Ohtani has been overwhelmingly voted as the “dream boss” for people who started working in April, according to a survey.
A craft beer crawl through Tokyo’s top bars, brewpubs and dives
If all you drink is Asahi, Sapporo and Kirin, you're depriving yourself of some of the best craft beer Tokyo has to offer — and there sure is a lot of it out there.
'Sugar Baby Riri' gets nine-year prison term over romance scam
Mai Watanabe, who went by the moniker “Sugar Baby Riri,” dated older men and swindled them out of money by telling them fictitious heartbreaking stories about herself to gain their sympathy.

Podcast

From easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of its municipal staff, Tokyo has earned high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travelers.
[Rebroadcast] Japan is doing better on accessibility than you may think

Longform

Later this month, author Shogo Imamura will open Honmaru, a bookstore that allows other businesses to rent its shelves. It's part of a wave of ideas Japanese booksellers are trying to compete with online spaces.
The story isn't over for Japan's bookstores
By Alex K.T. Martin

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN

A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa
A young restaurant leads the way in Karuizawa

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