Communications with society and the area
Policy/view
Our company, through the “MAEDA Corporate Conduct Charter,” declares the effective utilization of management resources as a member of society and positively promotes social contribution activities.
We will identify the social challenges that must be tackled, contribute to solving them using our professional expertise, and support employees’ spontaneous social participation as a company. In particular, we regard it as important to cooperate with construction companies of the area and to exert ourselves in order to secure matters such as the safety of local residents and infrastructures when disasters such as wind and flood damage occur.
Management
Our company recognizes social contribution activities as “investment in society.” For the implementation of the activities to solve various challenges possessed by society and the area and the investment of resources and capabilities in activities, we consider the autonomy of the head/branch offices, field offices, and each group to be significant. We also cooperate with partners such as NPOs, NGOs, and voluntary organizations of the community to supplement our mutual resources, expertise, and information.
We support employees’ spontaneous participation in volunteer activities and have a volunteer leave system of five days per year and leave of absence programs for volunteers. Further, we transferred the “dividends to the earth” initiative, which is intended mainly to provide a fund of up to 2% of consolidated net profits to organizations working on environmental conservation, to INFRONEER Holdings Inc., and conduct volunteer activities in which our employees and their families can participate.
Goal and result
Since the purpose of social contribution activities is to communicate with society or the area, targets such as implementation times are not set. The same also applies to employees’ volunteer activities. We consistently consider the following: It is important that every stakeholder understands construction projects and our company and that we know the challenges of society or the area and act to solve them spontaneously. The total contribution amounts to the “dividends to the earth” in FY 2022 are as follows.
Efforts for dividends to the earth
Regarding the “earth” as an important stakeholder, our company has been providing 2% of consolidated net profits as “dividends to the earth” since 2010, and has promoted a social action program. This “dividends to the earth” consists of three systems of the Green commitment , the Eco-point system “Me-pon,” and SII*.
* SII: Social Impact Investment
●Green commitment
This is a scheme to support the activities that are conducted mainly solve the social challenges of the environment. Each challenge is categorized into one of various different items, such as global warming prevention, conservation of biodiversity, environmental education, overseas environmental conservation activities and activities contributing to them, and research and development on the environment. This scheme scrutinizes the content of the activities corresponding to the categorized items and provides support.
●SII (Social Impact Investment)
This was established in FY 2015 to support venture companies, etc. having projects/technologies and ideas that contribute to solving social challenges through financing. We aim to realize both the creation of new value for society and our company's profit through this system.
●Eco-point system “Me-pon”
Our company’s own internal eco-point system “Me-pon” started operation in 2010 to support employees and their families working on environmental activities positively in everyday life. Through a dedicated website, INFRONEER Holdings Inc. provides points for voluntary, off-duty environmental activities that our employees and their families perform. Using the accumulated points, the employee himself/herself can choose and purchase an environment-friendly product. So, this is an earth-friendly system.
The executive office of Me-pon is the CSR/Environment Department at INFRONEER Holdings Inc., and it is operated by persons in charge of Me-pon promotion at each branch office. Matters such as the content of activities are reviewed as required, after discussions and considerations between the persons in charge of Me-pon promotion. The purpose of Me-pon is not only to enhance the environmental awareness of employees and their families, but also to improve employees’ private lives, such as encouragement to spend more time with their family, by participating in Me-pon.
Efforts of SII*
SII, which is one category of the “dividends to the earth,” was established in FY 2015 to support venture corporations having a business, technology, or idea contributing to the resolution of social challenges, through investment. Through this system, we are making efforts to create new value for society and generate profits simultaneously. The financed companies, many of which are not directly related to the construction industry, are working on technology development useful for solving not only environmental but also various social challenges and for promoting ideas. Our company also considers joint technology development with venture businesses in different industries as one of the means of communication with society.
The investment effect for SII is not the recovery of funds but the creation of synergy (synergy effect) in technology development. Therefore, our company is working on not only contributions of resources, but also “collaborative innovation” developing technologies and services jointly. In addition to the close communication with each venture business on a regular basis through such joint developments, we hold hearings with venture businesses having concrete ideas, despite not yet securing the provision of funds, and report the results to the departments concerned in the ICI* General Center and the company, and share the information.
Having promoted social contributions such as employees’ volunteer activities so far, our company is also making efforts to contribute to solving the challenges of society and the area from the perspectives of the business through investment, as is the case of SII.
* ICI: Abbreviation for Incubation × Cultivation × Innovation
Efforts to make a contribution to the next generation
●Kashinomekai Foundation
We support the Kashinomekai Foundation which, with the aim of developing and supporting excellent young people who will lead the next generation, provides scholarship support and human resources development useful to society for people who excel in academic performance, etc. but have difficulty in attending school for economic reasons.
Click here for details▶ https://www.maeda.co.jp/pickup/kasinome.html
●OISCA “Children’s forest” project
Since 2013, with Thai Maeda Corporation Ltd., we have joined the “Children's Forest” project hosted by OISCA.
We consider that not only funding, but also support through cooperative efforts are important and conduct activities such as tree-planting with local children in Thailand.
In Thailand, the forest area has been substantially reduced due to overdevelopment, fire spreading from land clearing by burning, etc., which is a major social issue. In the “Children's Forest” project, we provide various environmental education to children while supporting tree-planting activities. In addition to people from neighborhood villages, many elementary school children have joined our activities.
Our employees were also highly motivated and participated in the activities that could directly contribute to solving the local social issue. In the past, three children from Thailand visited Japan, reported the activities, and introduced Thai culture, etc. This project has contributed to the environmental education through international exchange.
In the future, we will work on activities, not only by ourselves but also together with NPOs and local stakeholders, while utilizing the respective fields of specialty.
●Kensetsu Tankentai (Construction Expedition) (Formerly “Observation tour of construction sites where Kensetsu Komachi works”)
We support and cooperate in the summer vacation special project hosted by the Japan Federation of Construction Contractors (supported by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport).
Every year, we conduct field observation tours for elementary school and junior high school students and their parents. At construction sites that people are usually not allowed to enter, participants can see women called “Kensetsu Komachi”* playing active roles and also experience the jobs.
Based on the “Action plan for making the construction industry more empowering for women” formulated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, we are conducting various efforts through public and private cooperation.
* “Kensetsu Komachi” is the nickname for all women who work in the construction industry.
* In 2020 and 2021, due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, “Observation tours of construction sites where Kensetsu Komachi work” were not held.
