Natural Capital Initiatives of the SuMi TRUST Group
What is Natural Capital?
Natural capital is made up of diverse living creatures and the water, soil, and air that sustain them. These are the foundation sustaining life on earth and conserving them needs to be prioritized ahead of everything else. The way we live depends on natural capital and the ecosystem services they provide. We thus feel continued wise use of natural resources which constitute natural capital over the long run goes beyond mere environmental conservation. It must extend to putting communities on a solid social foundation to enable sustainable economic development.
Main Initiatives
Based on this understanding, SuMi TRUST Holdings has established the Action Guidelines for Preserving Biodiversity and are promoting the Biodiversity intiatives.
Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Holdings Action Guidelines for Preserving Biodiversity
Natural Capital Finance Alliance (formerly the Natural Capital Declaration)
SuMi TRUST Holdings became a signatory to the Natural Capital Declaration (NCD) proposed by the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development "Rio+20" held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2012. The initiatives of NCD signatories have been expanded through NCD’s reorganization into Natural Capital Finance Alliance (NCFA).
Major Initiatives in the Group’s Business to Date
| 2000 | SuMi TRUST Bank is entrusted with the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund, a charitable trust from the Keidanren Nature Conservation Council |
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| 2008 | SuMi TRUST Holdings signs the Leadership Declaration of the Business and Biodiversity Initiative SuMi TRUST Holdings establishes the Basic Policy for Addressing Biodiversity Issues (currently Action Guidelines for Preserving Biodiversity) SuMi TRUST Bank translates the TEEB (The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity) Interim Report |
| 2010 | Asset management company develops Ikimonogatari, a Japanese equity investment trust specializing in biodiversity |
| 2012 | SuMi TRUST Holdings signs the Natural Capital Declaration (now the Natural Capital Finance Alliance) proposed by UNEP FI at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) |
| 2013 | SuMi TRUST Bank develops environmental rating loans with natural capital evaluation; SuMi TRUST Bank forms the the Natural Capital Study Group |
| 2016 | SuMi TRUST Bank signs the Equator Principles |
| 2018 | Asset management company joins Farm Animal Investment Risk & Return, an engagement organization working primarily with the fisheries and livestock industries |
| 2019 | SuMi TRUST Bank develops Positive Impact Finance (PIF) |
| 2020 | SuMi TRUST Bank establishes financing policies for specific sectors SuMi TRUST Bank is entrusted with a forestry trust by Okayama Prefecture’s Nishiawakura Village |
| 2021 | Asset management company participates in the working group of TNFD (Task force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) |