Kume Sekkei endorses the TCFD Recommendations published by the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and will disclose information to help realize a carbon-neutral society.
The buildings we have design have provided comfort and richness to our lives, yet at the same time have imposed a burden on the environment.
However, buildings that impose an environmental burden are no longer acceptable.
It is necessary to re-examine past architecture, integrating it with today's cutting-edge technologies and concepts to propose buildings that can reduce CO2 emissions in the atmosphere.
Leveraging our corporate philosophy of “integrating design and technology,” we will further strengthen our design proposal capabilities and work to reduce both embodied and operational carbon emissions from buildings.
Specifically, we will proceed with the following measures:
■Conducting quantitative assessments of the climate-related risks and opportunities affecting society as a whole and the construction industry, and disclosing information regarding Kume Sekkei's climate change response
■Monitoring and reducing embodied carbon and operational carbon emissions in new construction projects
The TCFD recommendations encourage disclosing information on governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets related to climate change that impacts business operations.
Kume Sekkei conducts analysis and information disclosure based on the TCFD framework.
We deliberate on fundamental policies and measures concerning environmental issues at the Sustainability Committee (Chair: President and CEO).
The committee comprises directors, executive officers, and division heads responsible for GX-related matters. Its role is to deliberate on identifying and assessing climate-related risks and opportunities, while also overseeing the achievement of targets, such as reducing greenhouse gas (CO2) emissions, in our design supervision operations.
The GX Office, serving as the administrative body, will conduct awareness campaigns within the company through the Design Promotion Headquarters based on decisions made at the Sustainability Committee meetings. It will advance activities to achieve Kume Sekkei's environmental targets in collaboration with all headquarters.
Starting in fiscal year 2025, we conducted scenario analysis to identify the most impactful items among “transition risks,” “physical risks,” and “opportunities” related to climate change for our entire operations.
In the scenario analysis, we established two scenarios (1.5℃ and 4℃) based on scientific evidence from sources such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA). We evaluated changes in the operational environment and their impact on Kume Sekkei across short-, medium-, and long-term periods.
The scenario analysis identified the following key risks and opportunities related to climate change:
| Category | Kume Sekkei's response | Manifestation period |
1.5℃ | 4℃ | ||
| Transition risks | Policy and regulation |
|
Providing solutions for increased costs due to enhanced regulations (carbon taxes, etc.) |
Medium to Long |
Major | Moderate |
|
Improving ZEB design methodologies and enhancing cost management capabilities |
Short to Long |
Major | Major | ||
| Reputation |
|
Understanding supply chain conditions and providing solutions |
Medium to Long |
Major | Moderate | |
| Technology |
|
Enhancing proposal and cost management capabilities for low-carbon buildings and ZEB renovations | Short to Long |
Major | Major | |
| Energy source |
|
Understanding energy-related trends and providing solutions | Medium to Long |
Major | Moderate | |
| Physical risks | Acute |
|
Establishing design technologies to reduce environmental risks | Medium | Minor | Moderate |
| Chronic |
|
Establishing design technologies to reduce environmental risks | Long | Minor | Moderate | |
| Category | Kume Sekkei's response | Manifestation period |
1.5℃ | 4℃ | |
| Market |
|
Providing information on low-carbon products and enhancing cost management capabilities |
Long | Moderate | Minor |
|
Enhancing responsiveness to the expanding renovation market |
Medium to Long |
Major | Moderate | |
| Energy sources |
|
Establishing design technologies prioritizing the adoption of renewable and energy-saving technologies, low-emission energy sources, and energy efficiency |
Short to Long |
Major | Major |
| Products and services |
|
Creating consulting services tailored to diverse needs Deepening design technologies focused on well-being |
Short to Long |
Major | Major |
|
Enhancing expertise and providing solutions for LEED+WELL certification |
Medium to Long |
Moderate | Minor | |
|
Advancement and deployment of BCP-compliant building (LCB) technologies |
Short to Long |
Moderate | Major | |
| Resilience |
|
Advancement and deployment of BCP-compliant building (LCB) technologies |
Short to Long |
Moderate | Major |
※LCB (Life Continuity Building)... Kume Sekkei's original concept, developed from the principles of BCP (Business Continuity Plan), refers to buildings resilient to disasters and capable of sustaining daily life after a disaster. It consists of three core principles: buildings remain intact; non-structural components (secondary members) do not break or fall; and lifelines are self-sufficiently secured.
Definition of Manifestation Period
・Short-term: 1 to 3 years
・Medium-term: 4 to 10 years
・Long-term: 10 years or more
Business Impact Assessment Criteria
・Major: Expected to have a significant impact on business strategy or financials
・Moderate: Expected to have a moderate impact on business strategy or financials
・Minor: Expected to have a minor impact on business strategy or financials
Kume Sekkei believes that accurately identifying risks associated with corporate activities, preventing them, or minimizing their impact should they occur, contributes to enhancing corporate value and fulfilling our social responsibility to our clients. To this end, we have established a comprehensive risk management system across our headquarters and branch offices.
All significant decision-making matters are deliberated by the Executive Board and the Management Committee, where risks are identified and evaluated for each case, and the appropriateness of countermeasures to minimize impact is discussed should risks materialize prior to decision-making.
The Sustainability Conference identifies and evaluates environmental and social sustainability risks, including climate-related risks, to determine sustainability challenges and formulate strategies to address them. It also assesses the implementation status of these strategies and reports the results to the Executive Board.
Each department identifies risks inherent in its operational processes, implements necessary avoidance and mitigation measures, and conducts its operations accordingly. The Design Promotion Department and the Environmental and Engineering Department organize risk information and provide guidance and oversight in accordance with the Executive Board's decision-making policies.
Through collaborative management by the Executive Board and the Sustainability Conference, assessments of climate-related risks and other risks are shared and integrated into a comprehensive risk management process.
Kume Sekkei calculates and discloses its GHG emissions at the end of each fiscal year.
The following are the figures for fiscal 2013, which are used for comparison with fiscal 2024, the first year of information disclosure.
Our GHG emissions reduction policy aims to achieve net zero by 2050, and we will steadily implement initiatives toward the zero-carbon goal, such as allocating 100% of the electricity used at our headquarters to green power starting in April 2026.
| Target t-CO2/year | Reference year emissions | Actual emissions | Target emissions | ||
| 2013 | 2024 | 2030 | 2050 | ||
| Shiomi Headquarters | Scope 1 | 215 | 183 | 0 | 0 |
| Scope 2 | 678 | 491 | 0 | 0 | |
| Kume Sekkei Group | Scope 1 | 215 | 183 | *A | 0 |
| Scope 2 | 799 | 604 | *A | 0 | |
| Scope 3 | Not calculated | 6,217 | *A | 0 | |
| Total | 1,014 | 7,004 | *A | 0 | |
*A : No numerical targets are set at this point, yet we will monitor emissions.
We continue to calculate embodied carbon and operational carbon emissions for design projects.
We plan to disclose numerical values as we monitor developments on the “Formulation of Rules for Building Life Cycle Carbon Assessment,” now under review by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and related ministries.
