Initiatives in Response to Social Issues
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.
Education for the Next Generation
Environmental Education for Youth
SG Holdings sponsors the National Youth Environmental Network Promotion Project conducted by the Japan Fund for Global Environment of the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency, an incorporated administrative agency. We believe it is important to create opportunities for young people to learn about corporate environmental initiatives, consider environmental issues from diverse perspectives, and be inspired to take action themselves.
In fiscal 2025, an environmental training program for high school students*, organized by the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency, was held at the Takao 100-Year Forest, a company-owned forest of Sagawa Express.
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※A training program in which sponsoring companies educate the next generation through their own initiatives
Thinning Experience
Tree Planting Experience
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*Choose a theme color and look for that color in nature.
Work Experience
SG Holdings has cooperated with work experience events for children organized and run by the Future Innovation Forum (FIF) since 2007. During the events, the company provides tours to view offer automatic sorting and conveying machines and experiences riding trucks, etc. to elementary school children.
On-demand Classes on the Environment
Sagawa Express provides on-demand classes on the environment to elementary schools and introduces environmental activities and forest preservation activities through the logistics of Sagawa Express using quizzes and delivery demonstrations. Furthermore, children become more familiar with nature through experiences such as making nameplates from thinned wood sourced from Sagawa Forests, which are owned by Sagawa Forestry
in the Kochi and Tokushima prefectures.
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
SG Holdings Group is a sponsor of the event with the aim of supporting 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.
Building the Future Together with Employees
Rice Farming Experience Event
SG Holdings leases part of Uratani Farm in Moriyama City, Shiga Prefecture and holds a Rice Farming Experience Event every May and September. The event is open to employees and their families, as well as residents of Moriyama City, and has attracted approximately 200 participants each year since its launch in 2007. Through hands-on experience planting and harvesting rice, the event provides participants with an opportunity to consider the importance of food and environmental issues. The harvested rice was presented as “Hikyaku Rice” to event participants, rice balls were also served during “Hikyaku Rice Week” at employee cafeterias, and a “Hikyaku Rice Giveaway Campaign” was held to provide employees and their families with opportunities to enjoy the rice.
Rice Farming Experience Event
Rice planting in May
Rice harvesting in September
Hikyaku Rice Giveaway Campaign
Promoting Environmental Action
Our Group believes that it is essential for every employee to have a strong awareness of environmental issues and to actively engage in environmental initiatives. To support this, we conduct employee-led environmental activities, including clean-up efforts in communities surrounding our business locations.In addition to employee participation, we encourage collaboration with external stakeholders such as local businesses, municipalities, neighborhood associations, and schools, while also promoting involvement in broader community and social contribution activities beyond the Group.
Children’s Environment and Logistics Class
SG Realty holds environmental and logistics classes for children as part of its efforts to nurture the next generation.
During the event, lectures and experiments on solar energy, as well as tours of logistics facilities are provided to elementary school students.
Solar Panel Experiment
Lectures on Solar Energy and Logistics Facilities
Tour of X FRONTIER®
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 renowned as an important habitat for migratory birds arriving from around the world. The park's ecosystem depends on its rich and diverse vegetation; however, the spread of invasive plant species had degraded habitats and forced many birds to relocate to other areas.
In response, Expolanka Freight (EFL) launched a project in 2019 to restore ecosystems in the park as one of its key sustainability initiatives.
The project originally targeted the planting of 125,000 trees over 5 years across 600 acres of land following the removal of invasive plant species.
By its completion in 2023, however, EFL had exceeded this goal, successfully planting 133,000 trees across the park and creating conditions that are expected to support the return of migratory birds.
In addition to ecological restoration, the project supported local communities by creating employment opportunities and contributing to educational initiatives at the historic Bundala Primary School. Through the "Revive Bundala" project, EFL has developed a holistic approach that generates positive impacts for both the environment and local communities.
To quantitatively evaluate the project's outcomes, EFL collaborated with the Institute for Agro-Technology and Rural Sciences of the University of Colombo to prepare a comprehensive Impact Assessment Report.
The report provides valuable data and insights into the environmental and social benefits generated by the project.
Initiatives to Connect Local Value
"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 supports producers (individuals, cooperatives and corporations) in expanding sales channels for their agricultural products and specialty products, and also provides support services to local governments and local companies regarding the hometown tax payment system.
By considering common issues such as the aging of producers and the shortage of workers from a logistics perspective and taking joint action, we will work to ensure that primary industries continue into the future.
Food Bank Donations
Hutech norin is participating in an initiative by Umios Corporation to sustainably donate frozen foods that are still edible but cannot be sold due to issues such as box openings during inspection of imported foods or boxes being damaged during transportation, to Food Bank Kanagawa, by providing support in areas such as storage and distribution.
Through the food bank activities, we aim to deliver food to those in need while also reducing food waste.
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.
Participating in a drill to deliver relief goods with a local government
July 2018: Support for victims of heavy rains in western Japan
July 2021: Support for the Izusan Landslide Disaster in Atami City
Provided Support for the Noto Peninsula Earthquake
The earthquake that occurred on January 1, 2024 caused extensive damage to the Noto Peninsula. As a company responsible for supporting essential infrastructure, Sagawa Express worked to restore its logistics services as quickly as possible, with the entire company working as one to deliver packages and relief supplies to disaster victims.
The relief team arrived a few days after the earthquake. We were quick to start the "Sales Office Pickup Service". Furthermore, as a designated public agency of the national government, we transported relief supplies sent from local governments and companies nationwide to the disaster-affected areas, and also provided support such as managing and operating supply centers and delivering supplies to evacuation centers based on requests from local governments.
