Opinions from Stakeholders
Kaoru Nemoto
Director
United Nations Information Centre (UNIC), Tokyo
I’d like to see the Hakuhodo DY Group continue to function as a bridge between the SDGs and companies and sei-katsu-sha.
How to work toward realizing the goals outlined in the SDGs? This is a question each of us needs to address. Using ideas and action to tackle challenges that have no one answer is important. I think it is wonderful that Hakuhodo DY Group employees are taking leadership and getting their business partners involved in taking concrete actions. These actions go beyond mapping existing activities to the SDGs. They are overflowing with desire to aim high, and the commitment to doing good is clear.
As an office of the United Nations, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC)’s primary role is public relations. The Hakuhodo DY Group, too, has advertising as its core business, and connecting all kinds of people is its bread and butter. I hope that they will continue to leverage their strengths to create tools to draw the attention of sei-katsu-sha to the SDGs and serve as a bridge between the SDGs and companies and sei-katsu-sha.
Events to “Beat Plastic Pollution” were held around the world on World Environment Day and World Oceans Day in June 2018. In Japan, Hakuhodo provided support for the development of the Japanese language logo and statement. The Hakuhodo DY Group was able to quickly use its specializations to contribute because it is involved in tackling social challenges with various stakeholders.
Toshio Arima
Board Member, United Nations Global Compact
Board Chair, Global Compact Network Japan
I look forward to the circle of people working to realize the SDGs expanding among those who read the SDGs Action Book.
I believe that the report, which covers the actual activities undertaken by the Hakuhodo DY Group for each of the 17 global goals of the SDGs, is extremely powerful. Each of the social actions is brim full with the warm feelings of the Group’s employees.
In my view, the Hakuhodo DY Group is tackling the SDGs using its communication capabilities and the creativity of each of its employees based on its commitment to “fostering familiarity with the SDGs among sei-katsu-sha.” Currently, efforts to link regional revitalization with realizing the SDGs are proceeding apace around Japan. Seeing this great nationwide wave, I felt anew the sense of mission that the Hakuhodo DY Group has toward its undertakings for the SDGs. The report does not stop at introducing the Group’s activities; it explains the nature of the SDGs and the aims of each of the goals in easy to understand terms. The report has the potential to greatly expand the circle of people working toward the SDGs by giving readers hints for ideas from the examples it contains, leading to new actions.
I believe that building sustainable business models and incorporating them into the main thrust of companies’ work will become even more vital to the Hakuhodo DY Group going forward. Future outlooks on current initiatives are critical. Seeing the SDGs as a business opportunity, I have even greater expectations of the Hakuhodo DY Group’s future actions.