HOME / 寄稿等 / FINEV’s Miki Mitsunari Interview with Mr. Kaoru Hirose, Senior Managing Executive Officer, in charge of ESG Initiatives at Yuasa Trading Co., Ltd.

FINEV’s Miki Mitsunari Interview with Mr. Kaoru Hirose, Senior Managing Executive Officer, in charge of ESG Initiatives at Yuasa Trading Co., Ltd.

2025年7月

FINEV’s Miki Mitsunari Interview with Mr. Kaoru Hirose, Senior Managing Executive Officer, in charge of ESG Initiatives at Yuasa Trading Co., Ltd.

FINEV and Environmental Business International Inc. have collaborated for years on environmental market analysis and information exchange between Japan and the United States. For this edition of EBJ, FINEV Founder Miki Mitsunari offers her perspective on the Japanese remediation market and on Japan’s Ministry of the Environment’s 2025 Report on the Market Size and Employment Size of the Environmental Industry. But first we present a summary of two interviews she recently conducted with key experts on Japanese environmental and climate change markets and trends: Mr. Kaoru Hirose, Senior Managing Executive Officer, in charge of ESG Initiatives at Yuasa Trading Co., Ltd., and Yoshinari Noda: Editor, Environmental News in Japan

Yuasa Trading Co. Ltd. is Japan’s oldest machinery-focused trading company, with a history of 360 years as of next year. The company handles a wide range of products for factories, housing, construction, and exteriors, sourced from approximately 5,000 suppliers and sold to about 22,000 customers. In fiscal year 2024, Yuasa achieved sales exceeding 50 billion yen ($340Mil.). Yuasa’s services go beyond the mere distribution of goods; it provides integrated one-stop solutions encompassing planning proposals, design, construction, and maintenance. In Japan, energy efficiency initiatives have long been advanced, and Yuasa has been an early mover in factory equipment upgrades and the introduction of renewable energy. Yuasa established its YES Division (Yuasa Environment Solution) in the 2000s to promote such energy-saving initiatives, led by Senior Managing Executive Officer Mr. Hirose. Today, Yuasa’s green-related businesses generate annual sales of approximately 50 billion yen.

Q: How do you view Japanese companies’ efforts toward decarbonization?
A:
Many companies have set long-term goals and made progress in identifying, monitoring and reducing their emissions and energy costs. However, a majority of them are still taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to GX (Green Transformation).
That said, in response to rising electricity prices, companies are moving forward with considerations for solar power and other forms of renewable energy. Despite factors such as the energy policies under the Trump administration and growing skepticism toward renewables in Europe, Japanese companies remain committed to advancing their investments in renewable energy.
Q: Are companies’ initiatives for renewable energy and CO₂ reduction primarily driven by requests from business partners, or are there other factors such as disclosure requirements?
A:
In many cases, these efforts are driven both by requests from business partners and by companies’ own initiatives for disclosure.
Requests from business partners have expanded beyond companies like Apple to include finished automobile manufacturers. As a result, automotive parts suppliers are increasingly working on their own Scope 1 and Scope 2 initiatives. In the automotive sector, the EU Battery Regulation and its requirements for carbon footprint disclosures are also having an impact. Companies are required to calculate carbon footprints within their facilities on a machine-by-machine basis, including equipment such as air compressors.
Q: What are the differences by company size?
A:
At present, Yuasa most frequently supports listed companies on Japan’s Prime and Standard markets with these initiatives. Companies whose clients include major automotive manufacturers are generally moving forward with such efforts.
In addition, apparel brands are increasingly conducting surveys not only at their own directly operated sites but also at contracted factories. These surveys cover environmental and social aspects, such as CO₂ emissions and human rights. The brands are encouraging emission reductions throughout their supply chains.

Energy saving initiatives Japanese companies’ overseas’ facilities

Q: What is the current status of Japanese companies’ energy-saving efforts at their overseas sites? Do you see any differences by country or region?
A:
Japanese companies’ efforts at their overseas sites appear to be still at an early stage. Many are still in the consideration phase. When energy-saving assessments are conducted at factories, there is often significant potential for energy savings, both in terms of operations and equipment upgrades, and tangible improvements are being achieved.
The use of rooftop solar panels in the United States does not seem to be as widespread as in Japan.
In Southeast Asia, Thailand appears to have a relatively high level of awareness regarding energy conservation. In countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia, where coal use remains prevalent and grid emission factors are high, the introduction of solar power can lead to significant emission reductions, making it a highly effective solution.
By reviewing the entire portfolio of overseas sites, we can propose prioritization strategies for emissions reductions.
Q: Could you tell us about the key features and strengths of Yuasa ?
A:
At Yuasa, we conduct energy-saving assessment to support emissions reduction through both operational improvements and equipment upgrades. In Japan, these assessments are generally performed through on-site visits. For overseas locations, we utilize a remote assessment system to conduct real-time assessments in collaboration with Yuasa’s local staff and our headquarters team.
Q: What differentiates you from other solution providers?
Yuasa handles virtually all types of equipment related to factories, which enables us to evaluate energy-saving potential across the entire production process and propose appropriate equipment upgrades. Specific equipment manufacturers typically assess only their own products, while energy consulting companies often cannot provide a list of recommended equipment for replacement. In contrast, Yuasa offers a one-stop service that covers all types of equipment from assessment to installation—through our network of partner companies.
We also support the introduction of renewable energy solutions and handle products such as Tesla’s large storage battery in the Japanese market.
Q: What is your outlook on the energy-saving and decarbonization market over the next few years?
Our services are highly valued by customers for enabling energy-saving efforts tailored to their needs and budget.
In addition, we offer energy-saving training sessions via Zoom for site and factory managers at our clients’ group companies. These sessions help build hands-on knowledge of energy-saving practices at the operational level.
As mentioned earlier, Japanese companies are expected to continue their efforts toward GX (Green Transformation), and we believe the demand for these services will remain strong.

Source）Environmental Business Journal, Volume 38 Numbers 7/8: Q3 2025
Global Environmental Markets 2025