Dialogue with Experts on the Environment

The ANA Group attaches importance to dialogues with stakeholders.
We held a dialogue with experts on Enviroment in June last year and used your valuable comments to set the ANA Group ESG Commitments of Enviroment.
However, the current COVID-19 pandemic has left us with no choice but to review our business operations, and I would therefore like to reconsider the role the ANA Group should be playing. Furthermore, I would also like to use this dialogue as an opportunity to think about what the ANA Group has to offer and how it should contribute to society in consideration of the changes we may see in social values of the post-COVID-19 world.

Travel restrictions have been imposed on people worldwide due to COVID-19, and this has caused revenues across the entire airline industry to fall far further than they did during the aftermath of the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers in 2008. However, this does not affect the airline industry's commitment to the CORSIA goal of achieving a 50% reduction in net emissions by 2050. Therefore, in the continued pursuit of this goal, each airline is exploring ways to move forward with the decommissioning of energy-inefficient aircraft as well as ways to encourage the usage of sustainable aviation fuels.

While global CO2 emissions are expected to fall by 8% due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the French government, for example, will provide financial support for an airline company on condition that the company would halve its CO2 emissions, replace its old aircrafts with more efficient ones and actively introduce alternative fuel. Thus, the global move toward decarbonization must maintain momentum so that green recovery can be achieved. Companies must therefore take steps without delay toward achieving a zero-carbon society, and this should primarily involve the formulation of climate targets in line with SBTs (Science Based Targets). It is vital to remember that, if we implement measures during the pandemic that ignore the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) in favor of focusing solely on economics, we will surely face major risks once the pandemic is over. Thus, I ask companies to keep in mind the sheer importance of considering what conditions will be like during and after the pandemic, and then changing the trajectory of their business strategies accordingly with a view to keeping their business activities sustainable.

Plastic waste makes up 80% of all marine debris from land-based sources, with around eight million tons leaking into the ocean every year and crippling marine ecosystems. Japan is the world's third largest producer of plastic waste, but recycles less than 20% of this waste domestically. To tackle this issue, I believe it is imperative that we first reduce the total amount of plastic waste we produce, and then maximize our collection, re-usage and recycling efforts. With the aim of eliminating the release of plastic into the natural environment by 2030 and eventually solving the plastic problem, the WWF will adopt the basic principles of the circular economy system in order to minimize the usage of new resources, and to ensure all plastics are either reused or recycled.

Passenger aircraft serve as the transportation methods in 65% of cases of illegal wildlife trade. (This figure covers only those cases which have been seized.) Most notably, a large proportion of this smuggling involves transportation from high-risk markets in Asia (including Thailand, China and Indonesia) to Japan, meaning that animals with high risk of infection diseases such as bats and primates are being brought into the country. With passenger and cargo traffic diversifying, there is a limit can be covered through government screening, and therefore collaborative efforts with the private sector are imperative. The ANA Group is already delivering training on the illegal wildlife trade issues, and I strongly advise that the Group will work together with government agencies going forward in order to further measures and raise awareness of this issue across the entire airline industry.

Human impact on the Earth has supposedly exceeded "the planetary boundary", particularly in terms of climate change and biodiversity. Earth's climate may be passing a tipping point where we are entering un-chartered territory in terms of the environment. We need to reach net-zero environmental impacts by humanity's social and economic activities with not only CO2 emissions but also other areas such as biodiversity, waste, and land-use, starting now. The ANA Group is challenged to be the leader in the following as we proceed with the "new normal":