Contributing to Local Communities
Awareness of Social Challenges
The SG Holdings Group is a global company that has formed close relationships with its regions through the provision of logistics infrastructure for society focusing on Asia as well as Japan. For this reason, helping to maintain a healthy society is important for the sustainability of our business. In Japan, revitalizing regional communities and declining birthrate and aging population is a pressing issue. Outside Japan, narrowing the gap between rich and poor in emerging nations is a global issue. In all regions, social infrastructure companies must bear responsibility for preparedness for natural disasters, and support efforts when disasters happen.
Policy
We act based on our Charter of Corporate Conduct, which is our declaration to earn the trust and empathy of society, and our Code of Ethics and Conduct, which outlines the specific details. These policies express coexistence with local communities by aiming to broadly coexist with society through contribution to the development of local communities not only in Japan. In accordance with this, we implement a variety of measures for the local community from a comprehensive perspective including economic, social and environmental aspects.
Systems
In Japan, Sagawa Express, which has over 400 sales offices throughout the country, plays a central role in our contributions to local communities. The company plays a central role in our contribution to local communities. Furthermore, in addition to efforts within the company, it concludes agreements on disasters and regional revitalization with local governments and other groups, establishing systems for actively engaging in solutions that meet local needs.
| Type | Details |
|---|---|
| Disaster agreement | Local disaster prevention, collection, sorting, storage and transportation of relief supplies, and temporary staffing, etc. in the event of a disaster |
| Comprehensive partnership agreement |
|
Contributing to Local Communities
Contribution to the Creation of Sustainable Communities
Maintaining Local Transportation Infrastructure
Sagawa Express is promoting mixed freight and passenger transport. Sluggish passenger demand caused by declining birthrate and aging population has made it difficult for communities, especially those experiencing depopulation, to maintain infrastructure and secure labor for transportation.
By marrying different transport modes, the company is pressing forward with methods for transporting both freight and passengers by making use of excess capacity in each mode, thereby solving their respective issues. Reducing truck shipments not only benefits the environment through reduced CO2 emissions, but also helps maintain buses, trains, and other transport infrastructure that provides essential services to community residents.
[Case Study]: Business mixing freight and passengers with Yamashiro Yasaka Kotsu Co., Ltd.
Local Disaster Prevention and Support in the Event of a Disaster
Sagawa Express concludes disaster agreements and local comprehensive partnership agreements with local governments, etc. to actively engage in local disaster prevention and support in the event of a disaster to meet local needs. The company concludes agreements and builds face-to-face relationships with the local community on a day-to-day basis in an effort to be able to have a high degree of effective coordination in the event of an emergency.
Promotion of Local Industry and Tourism
"Hands-Free Travel" Service
"Hands-Free Travel" is one element of our comprehensive agreements with municipalities. This means transporting visitors’ luggage to their next accommodations, allowing the tourists to spend the day without the burden of luggage. Hands-Free Travel encourages longer-distance excursions, thereby promoting tourism and revitalizing areas throughout Japan.
Supporting Sales Route Expansion for Local Agricultural and Specialty Products
Sagawa Express is involved in efforts to revitalize local communities by expanding sales routes for agricultural and specialty products of local companies (agricultural corporations). It also provides support services to local governments and companies regarding the Furusato (hometown) tax payment system. Sagawa Express asks local communities to share their needs and issues. Based on that, the company develops and proposes solutions that reduce the burden on those in charge and increase donor satisfaction.
Education for the Next Generation
Work Experience
Sagawa Express is a supporter of work experience events for children organized and run by the Future Innovation Forum (FIF) since 2007.The events offer delivery experiences, etc. to elementary school children.
Support for Sports
The SG Holdings Group makes various efforts to help educate the next generation through sports. We have a sports facility in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture, which is used for a variety of functions.
All-Japan High School Ekiden Championship
The goal of this event is to support young high-school runners, who will lead the next generation.
SAGAWA Shiga Football Academy
Sagawa Express has sponsored the Sagawa Shiga Football Academy since 2007, supporting healthy development of local children through soccer. It operates a soccer school for elementary and junior high school children, and also holds soccer lessons at kindergartens, mainly in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture.
Clean-up Campaign
Sagawa Express established Environmental Action in FY2003 to raise employees’ awareness of the environment, and implements environmental activities enabling participation by employees based on monthly themes. The Environmental Action for FY2022 is based on themes such as clean-up activities, promotion of water saving, energy-saving activities, environmentally friendly driving, and the reduction of waste. Of these, "clean-up activities" have involved activities such as cleaning the areas surrounding business sites since Environmental Action was established. In addition to efforts by employees, the company is also coordinating with and participating in social activities outside the company such as working with stakeholders outside the company including local companies, local governments, neighborhood associations and schools.
Global Goodness Program of Expolanka Freight (EFL)
Expolanka Freight (EFL), which is the core business company of Expolanka Holdings headquartered in Sri Lanka, is implementing the Global Goodness Program to promote projects in line with SDGs, especially the ones that align with EFL’s business goals. The program encourages employees to actively participate in sustainable projects while promoting a greater awareness of the importance of global sustainability.
Play Pumps Project (South Africa)
EFL South Africa installs Play Pumps at rural schools located two hours from the capital city. The Play Pump, built to combat the clean water crisis, pumps clean, drinkable ground water into a tank when the children play with it. The tanks are connected to a pipeline, which distributes the clean drinking water to a local tap source.
Bundala National Park Revitalization Project (Sri Lanka)
The Bundala National Park in Sri Lanka, a designated Ramsar Site, is famous for attracting migratory birds from various different countries. As these birds' ecosystems are influenced by the park's many plants, the growth of invasive species in the park continues to force these birds to look elsewhere. In response, since 2019 Expolanka Freight (EFL) has engaged in a project to restore ecosystems in the park as one of its key measures for sustainability.
EFL adopted 600 acres of land that had been cleared off the invasive species to initiate a project that focuses on rehabilitating and reviving the surrounding habitat by planting 125,000 trees over 5 years, so that migratory birds would return over the years. In the year of inception, we successfully planted 27,000 plants of native species.
