ASKUL Corp

Lobbying Transparency and Governance

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Direct Lobbying Transparency
Overall Assessment Comment Score
Comprehensive ASKUL Corp gives a highly transparent picture of its climate-policy lobbying. It names multiple concrete policy files it has tried to shape, including the proposal "成長志向型カーボンプライシングの制度設計に関する提言," the opinion paper "再エネ選択肢の多様性確保に向けた意見書," the 13 May 2022 statement on "商用車のゼロエミッション車への転換加速," its 28 July 2021 submission on a carbon-tax and emissions-trading framework, and comments on the draft "第6次エネルギー基本計画." The company also details how it lobbies: it submits written proposals, holds direct dialogues with section chiefs at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and works indirectly through the Japan Climate Leaders Partnership, where it chairs the EV promotion working group and attends meetings of the bipartisan parliamentary caucus "カーボンニュートラルを実現する会." Finally, ASKUL states the outcomes it seeks, such as "気候危機の回避に向け1.5℃目標の達成を目指し、持続可能な脱炭素社会実現を目指す," accelerating the uptake of electric vehicles by resolving procurement and charging-infrastructure barriers, and securing an ambitious, growth-oriented carbon-pricing mechanism. By specifying the policies, the channels used and the concrete policy changes it supports, the company demonstrates a comprehensive level of transparency around its climate lobbying activities. 4
Lobbying Governance
Overall Assessment Comment Score
Strong ASKUL discloses a structured process for keeping its policy engagement aligned with its climate strategy. It explains that "グループ全体の環境活動に携わる実務を統括する『サステナビリティ(環境)部』が気候変動戦略や計画の策定を行っている" and that each business unit must run an "EMSに基づきPDCAサイクルを回している" with results brought to the "EMS責任者会議" at which "CEO・取締役員が出席". It further states that climate-related engagement by the business units or logistics centres "は全社環境活動として報告・管理され、CEOが出席するEMS責任者会議で進捗をレビューしている", demonstrating a recurring internal review mechanism. For activities that are “直接的な関与” with environmental policy, responsibility is assigned to specific staff in the Sustainability (Environment) Division, who must report back so that the company can "アスクルの気候変動戦略と一致していることを確認している", indicating an explicit alignment check before or after engagement. Indirect lobbying is also governed: dialogue with policymakers is conducted "加盟団体(日本気候リーダーズパートナーシップ)を通じて" and these actions too are "CEOが出席するEMS責任者会議で報告される". ASKUL therefore identifies a formal body that includes the CEO, sets a regular monitoring cycle, and covers both its own advocacy (e.g., participation in transport-decarbonisation government working groups) and its trade-association activities. However, the company does not disclose any publicly available lobbying-alignment report, nor does it describe specific criteria for assessing or escalating misalignment with other associations, so the depth of disclosure, while strong, remains short of a full public audit. 3