The SDGs are not just a blueprint but a comprehensive action plan for businesses, governments, and communities to support the shared prosperity of people and the planet. Organizations are expected to develop long-term frameworks and take ownership of this push for sustainability to realize the SDGs and create a better world.
In fiscal 2017 Executive Sustainability Committee meetings chaired by Executive Chairman, President & CEO Toshiaki Higashihara, the committee members considered the 17 SDGs, and the opportunities and risks they represented, and identified the 11 Goals that pose the most important social challenges for Hitachi: 5 Goals where Hitachi can make significant impact through its business strategy, and 6 additional Goals relevant to its corporate commitment to society, cutting across all areas of business and management strategy to affect Hitachi's very sustainability as a company. Embracing the belief that Hitachi can contribute broadly to the achievement of the SDGs through a wide range of business activities, the company is also investigating options for supporting the remaining six Goals in the short to medium term. We are committed to supporting efforts to reach all SDGs, both directly and indirectly, especially in terms of the interaction and interdependence between them.
By proactively responding to social issues, Hitachi contributes to the achievement of all SDGs through its responsible corporate conduct and its Social Innovation Business.
Education is the key to achieving many other SDGs and empowering people everywhere to live healthier, more sustainable lives. However, access to education is neither universal nor equal. Nearly 103 million young people worldwide lack basic literacy skills, and sixty percent of these are women and girls. More robust efforts are needed to make even greater strides to achieving universal education goals.
Hitachi uses our knowledge and technology to nurture the next generation, carrying out a variety of social contribution activities and promoting career development.
Hitachi High Technologies America, Inc., a global leader in the electron microscope industry, has collaborated with national organizations and change leaders in education and workforce development to design a program that provides an opportunity to incorporate a hands on project based experience for learning electron microscopy in the classroom. The outreach program loans a tabletop scanning electron microscope to educators to explore the Nano World. The Hitachi Inspire STEM Program’s goal is to inspire a new generation of achievement in science education and to ensure that students have the skills they need to meet the evolving demands of the workforce. Learn more about this program and initiative by visiting www.inspirestemeducation.us.
Gender inequality persists everywhere today, hindering social progress. Providing women and girls with equal access to education, health care, and decent work, along with fair representation in political and economic decision-making processes, will deliver sustainable benefits, both economic and to society at large.
At Hitachi, we emphasize women’s participation in decision-making and career development for women. Not only do we aim of increasing diversity among executive officers and managers, we are also working to change the mindset of managers and male staff regarding gender equality with the aim of transforming our corporate culture.
Global Women’s Summit
The Global Women’s Summit is a venue where Hitachi Group employees from various countries regions, companies, and positions gather for discussion on the theme of achieving gender equality. It takes place at a different country of the world each year and the 2017 Summit was held in the United States bringing around 160 female executives and employees from 17 countries.
Hitachi High Technologies America (HTA) officially launched the Women in Hitachi project in 2018. This committee was established by the grassroots effort of seven female employees from different divisions at HTA who felt a strong passion to promote the sense of unity, diversity, and inclusion at HTA as well as to provide support for career growth and development. The concept of diversity and inclusion is one of the key elements of today’s society. Diversity is about difference. Inclusiveness is about leveraging differences to achieve better results. Creating an environment where all people feel, and are, valued and able to bring their differences together works towards building success. With this concept, they established the mission statement: “Shape the future of Hitachi businesswomen by providing opportunities for development, fostering valuable connections, and facilitating member success through business and career growth.”
Decent work and economic growth are important drivers of our global economy. Increasing employment opportunities, especially for the younger generation, promoting a safe working environment and decreasing the gender pay gap are ways to ensure decent work. At the same time, higher productivity through technological developments and innovation can contribute to economic growth.
As our value chain expands on a global scale, Hitachi has encountered diverse working environments, business norms, and trade practices. The Hitachi Group Human Rights Policy, adopted in 2013, highlights our commitment to respecting human rights in our operations and business relationships.
Hitachi has been taking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the healthy and safety of employees and their families as well as our communities. JR Automation (JRA), which became a part of the Hitachi Group in December 2019, collaborated with the General Motors (GM), both headquartered in Michigan, to make 50,000+ face masks a day. Through a combined effort of manufacturing resilience, engineers and employee volunteers, GM and JRA team designed an end-to-end production line, sourced and repurposed supplies, and transformed a GM clean room into a mask factory in a record-breaking six days. Their incredible commitment demonstrated the Hitachi Group identity and won a grand award of the 2020 Hitachi Inspiration of the Year Global Award.
If global society fails to change its consumption and production patterns, the environment will continue to face unprecedented degradation. Social problems will also remain unresolved, including forced/child labor and other human rights violations, occupational health and safety issues, and corrupt practices in the value chain.
Hitachi is serious about ensuring the sustainability of products and services across its entire value chain. Businesses will be empowered by our innovative solutions to deliver change, which enable and inspire others to lead more sustainable lifestyles, reduce environmental and social impacts, and improve well-being.
Waupaca Foundry, Inc., a Hitachi group company, creates new products out of recycled steel and iron at seven foundry locations. Acquired by Hitachi Metals Ltd. (Tokyo) in 2014, Waupaca Foundry and Hitachi share a long-term commitment to sustainability. The Foundry implemented a 10- year sustainability program in 2010. This award-winning program has a long list of accomplishments including a reduction of its energy intensity by 19.5%, a 64.3% reduction of total water use and waste reduction with over 70% of byproducts avoiding the landfill entirely. In 2017, one of Waupaca’s locations received the accredited ISO 50001 Energy Management System certification – the first U.S. metalcasting facility to do so. The three locations in Waupaca, Wisconsin, have collectively been named Modern Casting’s 2018 Metalcaster of the Year for significant sustainability accomplishments.
Climate change remains the primary sustainability challenge across all industries. It now affects every country on every continent, disrupting national economies and changing lives. If left unchecked, climate change could undo much progress made to date as well as impeding future development. It can also exacerbate other threats such as food and water scarcity.
Social expectations of companies and industries are increasing—in relation to ESG (environment, society, governance) with the adoption of the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and in relation to climate change with the Paris Agreement adopted at the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21). Hitachi has made a commitment to contributing to the resolution of global environmental problems through promoting its Social Innovation Business, which combines superior products with OT and IT digitalization expertise.
In September 2016, Hitachi released Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050, containing the Hitachi Group Long-term Environmental Targets. Through this, we aim to realize a low-carbon society, a resource efficient society, and a harmonized society with nature.
A successful sustainable development agenda requires partnerships between governments, the private sector, and civil society. The UN Agenda, with its 17 SDGs, is universal and calls for action by all countries to ensure no one is left behind.
The needs of our customers and the issues confronting society today are constantly changing. Responding quickly and efficiently to these changes requires collaborative creation with customers and partners. We have been working with government, public, and private sectors to address shared issues, exchange ideas, and create new value for society. Our goal is to contribute to the enhancement of people’s quality of life and the development of a sustainable society.
Hitachi America, Ltd. and Hitachi Astemo, Ltd. have been an Affiliate Member of the University of Michigan’s Mobility Transformation Center (MTC) since 2015 which operates Mcity, a unique test facility designed to evaluate the capabilities of connected and automated vehicles and systems. The two Hitachi companies are leveraging Mcity to further their development of connected car and autonomous driving technologies, including autonomous parking assist, lane changing assist, braking system capabilities and other solutions that allow autonomous vehicles to communicate with each other and the surrounding infrastructure.
A healthy population is the foundation of a sustainable, prosperous society. Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy worldwide, but more effort is needed to eradicate diseases and address persistent and emerging health issues. If universal health coverage is to be achieved, a strong commitment is needed to ensure that everyone can access healthcare of the highest standard.
Hitachi’s goal is to improve quality of life by identifying and addressing issues present in everyday society and healthcare is at the core of a strong societal infrastructure. We believe that a global shift in healthcare is required to create a next-generation system offering smart universal care that remains affordable to all.
Hitachi combines digital technologies with IoT and advanced analytics to bring medical innovation into a new generation of cost-effective, value-based healthcare. Hitachi’s state-of-the-art Particle Therapy equipment is one example. Particle Therapy is considered the most advanced form of radiation therapy, improving care for cancer patients and having a positive impact on patient quality of life both during and after treatment.
We also deliver cloud-based, data-driven digital health solutions that provide actionable insights to treat patients with chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular diseases.
Through artificial intelligence (AI), analytics and IoT, practitioners can make more proactive and informed decisions to improve patient outcomes.
Water is critical to the survival of people and the planet, putting water quality, water sustainability, hygiene, and access to sanitation at the very core of sustainable development. Water stress is now considered one of the five greatest global risks to society. One in nine people lack access to safely managed water, and this scarcity is compounded by continuing urbanization and industrialization. It is clear that only through the combined effort of all stakeholders will effective water management and sanitation be achieved.
Hitachi believes that water is a fundamental part of business operations, playing an essential role in transportation, cleaning, cooling, and other processes. By developing sustainable water infrastructure in conjunction with our customers and the communities we share, we can improve operational efficiency, reduce competition for resources, and bring water security to all.
Hitachi has broadly supplied water related systems covering water conservation, potable and sewage, flood control, water reuse and desalination etc. to worldwide customers for a century. We have been committed to fulfill customer’s requirements in the various types of contract form that are from system delivery to BOT/BOO/Concession. Since our technology portfolio covers water treatment systems including IT and energy management system, Hitachi is capable of managing the water projects as one stop solution provider. In the U.S., Hitachi desires to solve the U.S. water issues with our high reliable and advanced technologies with our ample experience sin water businesses worldwide.
Energy is vital to all aspects of modern life and has a large influence on an organization’s long-term sustainability and bottom line. Consequently, organizations are targeting innovative data and information centric strategies to manage these impacts. These strategies pave the way for Smart Building approaches that leverage advancements in technology, like machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as the Internet of Things (IoT). This innovation provides unprecedented data analytics that drives new actionable insights for sustainability teams, facility managers, and building occupants.
Hitachi believes that supplying natural power in a stable and efficient manner is the key to optimizing energy flows and ensuring a more reliable and sustainable world for generations to come. We understand that it is important to address energy and climate change issues holistically, by providing solutions based on collaborative creation for all customers within the energy chain.
Pioneer Solutions LLC, a US-based provider of industry-leading front-to-back-office Commodities/Energy Trading and Risk Management (C/ETRM) solutions became a part of Hitachi Energy (Formerly Hitachi ABB Power Grids) in 2020, committing to powering good for a sustainability energy future with pioneering and digital technologies. The addition of Pioneer Solutions LLC lets Hitachi Energy expand its existing Energy Portfolio Management offering to create new value for energy market participants who trade, hedge risk and track emission and renewable energy credits for electricity and other commodities.
Sustainable industrial development is a core driver of environmental protection, economic development, and social stability. More efficient, less energy-intensive industries and services reduce resource dependency and minimize impact on the environment. Robust infrastructure networks help mobilize materials and labor, supporting more equitable wealth distribution and social mobility.
Rapid changes across the global economy continue to create new financial opportunities. To make better decisions and improve their customer experience, organizations must accelerate their digital transformation and take full advantage of the data available. Predictive insights made possible by the convergence of IoT, machine learning, and AI allow for personalized services, better decision-making, and risk mitigation.
Hitachi’s California-based IT company Hitachi Vantara drives digital innovation and bridges the physical and digital words with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) products, technologies, and solutions called “Lumada”. With Hitachi’s over 110 years of experience as a machine and equipment manufacturer with a deeply ingrained continuous improvement mindset, Hitachi Vantara helps customers optimize asset maintenance and operations, propel productivity, uptime and quality gains, modernize their data practice for more agility, and more.
Maple Leaf Foods is the largest private employer in Brandon, Canada, with a population of around 49,000, where 1,900 employees shepherd 15,000 pigs a day through a plant the size of a dozen football fields. In March 2019, Hitachi Vantara designed and developed a platform, fully engaging Maple Leaf Foods staff to get crucial user experience, to improve their manufacturing process by installing a variety of sensors throughout the facility that collect and analyze vast amounts of data and by making the data available at their fingertips. Managers are no longer walking around to find a problem, but rather to solve a problem. We helped Maple Leaf Foods grow sustainable protein production.
In 2030, six out of ten people will live in urban environments. Not only will space be at a premium, residents of cities are more likely to be impacted by climate change and more sensitive to the social impact of poor civic planning. Cities are often seen as incubators for innovation and key drivers for sustainable development, and effective management is needed to make the world's urban spaces safe, inclusive, and resilient for all.
Hitachi is motivated by the desire to make cities liveable and create the ideal environment for people to live and work in. “Smart City” initiatives can help offset the strain of intense urbanization, reduce costs, and ease pressure on resources. The benefits they offer are not only economical and environmental, but also social, including great improvements in society, comfort, stress levels, and leisure time.
We believe that transportation and mobility plays an integral role as a fundamental element in every city’s sustainable development and realize connectivity and liveability through collaborative creation with customers and partners.
In October 2020, Hitachi Rail STS USA, Inc. announced its upcoming project with San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) to design, build, and install the latest generation of Hitachi’s transportation technology for digitally-controlled trains – called Communications-Based Train Control (CBTC) – that will result in increased capacity and improved service between San Francisco and Oakland in California. The Hitachi’s solution and local infrastructure investment will improve the BART system’s overall reliability and maintainability, reduce costs and increase the frequency of BART trains. It will also create nearly 8,800 potential direct and indirect jobs and help the cities become more sustainable.
“Through its diverse range of current and future business activities, Hitachi will contribute significantly to resolving social and environmental issues and establishing an inclusive, harmonious, and prosperous world. To achieve this, we will continue to promote innovative solutions and collaborative creation with our business partners and stakeholders. At the same time, through responsible corporate conduct, we will reduce and mitigate negative impacts on people and the global environment and actively contribute to achieving global targets like the Sustainable Development Goals.”
This is what "Sustainability" means to Hitachi.
—Toshiaki Higashihara, Executive Chairman, President & CEO, Hitachi, Ltd.
