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Evening ESG news and briefings to wrap up your day.
[BLACKPINK concerts and Waterbomb, the link between K-culture and ESG ©ESG.ONL/ESG Today]These days, the fervor for Netflix's original content "KPop Demon Hunters," which takes Korean idols as its subject, shows no sign of cooling. The film's insert song "Golden" rose to No. 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart, and the Korean elements that appear in the film are also drawing much interest. Regarding "KPop Demon Hunters'" success, the assessment continues that—even though it is not a film planned by a Korean production company—its careful depiction of Korea's tradition and modern appearance shows that Korea's culture, including K-POP, holds a global standing.As Korea's culture and arts draw the world's attention in this way, voices demanding responsible behavior are also gradually growing louder. Cases of entertainment agencies attempting ESG management—such as producing the albums of K-POP artists active worldwide with eco-friendly materials—have also become topics. Today, among the K-POP-related fields expanding their influence, we want to look at the ESG activities the performance industry has adopted.Turning Fans' ESG Practice into a Piece of Content: BLACKPINK Concerts[The custom water pack from the collaboration between "Tetra Pak Korea" and BLACKPINK ©Tetra Pak Korea]On July 5, BLACKPINK unveiled the new song "Jump" at their third world-tour concert "Deadline," announcing the resumption of the group's activities. As much as the group's activities after 2 years and 10 months, what drew attention was the pink water packs stacked to one side of the venue. The custom-designed water packs, produced through a collaboration between the aseptic-carton manufacturer "Tetra Pak Korea" and BLACKPINK, were special. "Coldplay," an artist that advocates sustainable performances, also sold water packs instead of plastic bottled water at its venues, but this is the first water pack with a design reflecting the artist's identity. Concertgoers naturally bought the water packs—which also carry the meaning of merch—rather than water in plastic bottles, and thanks to placing water-pack collection bins throughout the venue, a large quantity of water packs could be collected. Tetra Pak Korea plans to recycle the collected water packs into toilet paper and the like.Tetra Pak Korea President Nils Hougaard assessed that "now, when the whole world is paying attention to K-POP, this collaboration was a case that realized, at a performance site, a new ESG-practice model where the entertainment industry meets sustainable packaging," and expressed the aspiration that "we will convey environmental messages to many people through various businesses and strategic collaborations." It is a case showing that when a performance's organizers create an appropriate environment, the audience, too, actively sets out to practice sustainable environmental protection.[Guidance on participating in the "YOUR GREEN STEP" carbon-footprint measurement ©YG Entertainment]There is another sustainable activity that drew fans' participation: the "YOUR GREEN STEP" survey, which measures the carbon footprint an audience member leaves until arriving at the venue. This survey holds significance in identifying the greenhouse-gas emissions produced in the travel and lodging process an audience member undergoes to attend a performance, and in accumulating data to seek realistic and effective greenhouse-gas-reduction methods. In fact, at four performances that BLACKPINK's agency YG Entertainment organized from January 2024 to the first half of 2025, the factor that emitted the most greenhouse gases was "audience travel"—moving to the venue by plane, private car, public transport, and so on. The data will be used as basic statistics for composing sustainable performances, from direct services such as running shuttles for audiences to reducing the greenhouse-gas emissions arising from performances.Why did BLACKPINK's agency YG Entertainment prepare such content for the concert? It is not simply for the social standing and positive influence of the company and the artist. If greenhouse-gas emissions do not decrease and hotter summers repeat every year, they are highly likely to affect the health and motivation of artists and fans participating in summer performances, music-video shoots, and various events. There could also be disruptions to actual management activities, such as employee safety accidents from outdoor activities and increased cooling costs at business sites. This is why even entertainment agencies—which seem relatively distant from responsibility for carbon emissions—cannot but pay attention to ESG.Waterbomb, Changing by Turning Concerns Into a Stepping StoneThere is also a performance that becomes a hot potato every summer: "Waterbomb." Waterbomb, which fills the thirst of people seeking a cool and fun experience on a hot summer day, mobilizes a considerable amount of water per session. Thanks to this, audiences make unforgettable memories, but because the performance timing overlaps with periods when drought occurs, there is also considerable critical public opinion that it wastes water that should be used where it is really needed.[The water guns left behind after the Waterbomb event ©Facebook of Park Jun-seong, Secretary-General of "TRU"]The topic surrounding this year's Waterbomb was the water guns audiences left behind after the performance. A photo of the official water guns provided by the performance organizer "Made On" and the various kinds of water guns brought by audiences all stacked together became a topic on online communities and gave many people a shock. But this was also a form of sustainable performance that the Waterbomb organizers attempted. They donated the water guns left after the performance to "TRue" (an incorporated association; hereafter TRue), an environmental organization specializing in toy recycling. TRue is an environment-related NGO that collects toys no longer in use, holds bazaars for those still usable, or donates them to underserved groups. Toys that cannot be reused are disassembled and recycled into plastic "pellets" and plastic sheet material called "neol."Of the water guns Waterbomb donated to TRue, after a sorting process, one-third will be donated to local children's centers and the like. Water guns hard to reuse are sorted by color and size and used as material for making neol. Waterbomb stated that it plans to use the neol recycled by TRue to make photo zones for performances it holds in the future. In effect, the trash generated at Waterbomb returns to the venue in a new form.Made On is making its own efforts to prepare measures to resolve the various concerns surrounding Waterbomb. It stated that it published an Environmental-impact report analyzing problems such as water waste and the excessive trash left after performances, and that it is preparing a way to reuse water guns at each performance by building a water-gun rental system for future events. In addition, it plans to use water-saving devices and build a water-conservation system that measures water-resource-protection goals and results, creating a structure that evaluates those results. It is striving to make critical voices surrounding the performance an occasion for development.Beyond this, musical, play, and opera performance troupes are also continuing ESG-direction efforts, such as operating shared warehouses that recycle props and set pieces discarded after performances, or replacing paper tickets with smart tickets. Performances and festivals that offer magical moments away from daily life. So that pleasant daily life can continue even after a performance that sings of life and love ends and the curtain falls, industry-level practice is continuing. It is a point where one anticipates in what form the influence of K-culture, which will grow even larger going forward, will bloom in ESG. by Editor N
A new paradigm—"sustainable security"—has raised its head. For a long time, global ESG investors treated investment in the defense industry as taboo on the grounds that it was "unethical." In ESG investment governed by sustainability regulations, the defense industry was excluded all the more. However, for reasons such as the prolonged "Russia-Ukraine War" and the ever-present threat of conflict in the Middle East, countries within Europe are showing a movement to re-examine their stance on defense-industry investment. In particular, as Trump's withdrawal from NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) and the possibility of a change in the U.S. defense commitment have come up as topics related to diplomacy and security, Europe is changing the way it views the defense industry—if only as a matter of preparation.The "Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP)"—a global think tank headquartered in Sydney, Australia, with branches in major cities around the world—announced that, as of 2024, the past three years had been the most violent era of the past 30 years. The cost the world spent on war and localized conflict during this period reaches an enormous scale of 14 trillion dollars a year. In 2024, too, global defense spending surged amid growing international threats. Europe's defense spending, including Germany's, rose by as much as 16–17%. Against this backdrop, related stock prices such as European defense-sector ETFs (Exchange Traded Funds) have risen sharply, and the re-evaluation of defense investment is also gaining momentum.[Growth trend of Europe's defense-industry ESG funds ©FT (data source: Morningstar Direct)]Defense-Industry Investment: Unethical vs. a Method for Strategic SustainabilityThe defense industry, because of the calamities wrought by "lethal weapons," has long been classified as an unethical sector and excluded from ESG investment. But for the sake of guaranteeing the safety of the nation and society, the defense industry cannot simply be excluded. Currently, European countries, major sovereign wealth funds, and financial supervisory authorities are expressing the perception that the defense industry is not a mere "war industry" but an essential industry for social stability and strategic sustainability. This past March, the UK's Financial Conduct Authority officially announced that "sustainability-related regulations do not prohibit investment in a particular industry." Saying that the decision of whether to invest in defense firms is left to individual financial institutions and investors, it put forward a policy that in effect expands investment in, and financial support for, the defense industry.Not only in the UK but also in Norway, political pressure is growing that restrictions on defense investment hinder national security and economic growth. Norway—which for more than 20 years has banned investment in major defense conglomerates—recently came to discuss easing the rules precisely because it could not ignore this flow of change. Furthermore, the European Union (EU) is discussing measures to classify the defense industry as a "strategic sustainability industry" or to reflect a "contribution to security" in the ESG evaluation system.Domestically, too, the establishment of ESG-management evaluation standards and incentive measures for defense firms is being pushed. Major defense companies such as Hyundai Rotem, Hanwha, and LIG Nex1 are also strengthening ESG management—developing eco-friendly technologies, reducing greenhouse gases, and improving governance.[Growth trend of Europe's defense-industry ESG funds ©FT (data source: Bloomberg)]Restrictions on Inhumane Weapons... Responsible Investment Standards Are NeededThe boundary that had been erected between ESG investment and the defense industry is increasingly likely to be gradually dismantled. Governments and regulators of various countries are easing regulations on financing for the defense industry, and investors, too, are moving in a direction that considers sustainability and security together. That said, the UN Human Rights Council, while acknowledging the re-examination of defense-industry investment, strongly argued that companies that produce or sell "cluster munitions, landmines, and chemical weapons"—inhumane weapons banned under international law—must absolutely be excluded from investment. It also stressed that human-rights due diligence and environmental-impact assessment for the defense industry as a whole are essential.On the other hand, Mollie Thornton, senior investment manager at the UK ESG-focused investment firm "Parmenion," argued that the defense industry should continue to be excluded from investment targets, citing the point that it generates serious ESG risks such as human-rights violations, political instability, and environmental pollution. This is because it is in effect impossible to control the final end-use of the weapons produced through defense-industry investment and the possibility of human-rights violations. She posed a weighty question: "The need for defense is clear. But who can judge who the 'good forces' are? How can investors be sure that weapons will not fall into the hands of the wrong forces?"In this way, global ESG investors and related institutions are trying to break the existing taboo on defense-industry investment, citing the importance of security. Whether this turns out to be the right thing for the better future we hope for will be confirmable only after time passes. Even if the opportunities and scale of defense-industry investment are expanded, the point that—like other industries striving to do so—it must provide sustainable solutions that align with ESG-based ethical values will operate as a key criterion for judgment. by Editor N
"Invention Day" on May 19 was established to commemorate the day King Sejong unveiled to the people the world's first rain gauge, the "cheugugi" (the 23rd year of Sejong's reign, May 19, 1441). The cheugugi, commonly known to have been developed together by Jang Yeong-sil, a scientist and engineer of Joseon, and King Sejong, recently drew additional interest for the fact that it began with an idea from Crown Prince Munjong.["Invention Day" is the day King Sejong unveiled the rain gauge to the world ©ESG.ONL/ESG Today]The history King Sejong left behind makes us realize how significantly "invention"—for the benefit of all people—influences social development. The invention of the rain gauge, going beyond mere scientific and technological progress, brought about innovation and change: the scientization of Joseon's agriculture and the realization of a fair society. On Invention Day, let us look at the achievements of King Sejong—who ran state affairs creatively with a heart that deeply cared for the people—and the essence of the ESG management we pursue today.Building a Sustainable Agricultural Environment Based on Agricultural DataBefore Sejong, there were limits to determining the timing and methods of a year's farming, because rainfall could only be known roughly. But after the introduction of the rain gauge, accurate rainfall data was tallied across all eight provinces of Joseon, and farmers became able to respond scientifically to the weather changes they faced in farming. Surveying technologies introduced along with the rain gauge, such as the "calendrical system,*" also brought innovation to agricultural guidance and irrigation projects. Sejong also set about organizing farmers' experience into science. Breaking away from the practice of relying on China's past agricultural texts, he collected accounts of farmers' experience and compiled "Nongsa Jikseol," an agricultural manual that could be easily referred to when farming in our country. He spread farming methods suited to our climate and soil among the people.• The calendrical system is a method of determining the cycle and timing of a year based on the cycles of celestial bodies.Sejong—who institutionalized weather observation and compiled agricultural information to raise agriculture's sustainability—even reformed the tax system. Because rice was as good as money at the time, it was an important means of paying taxes. Listening directly to the opinions of hard-pressed farmers, Sejong abolished the unfair tax system that had been rampant and introduced the "Gongbeop," a groundbreaking tax system that fairly imposed taxes according to the fertility and productivity of the land, greatly easing the people's tax burden as well.[A rain gauge currently kept by the Korea Meteorological Administration ©JoongAng Ilbo]A Fair and Inclusive Society: Sejong's Protection of the Socially VulnerableSejong carried out various welfare policies to protect the socially vulnerable and build a country where everyone lived well together. In times of famine and disaster, he lent grain through relief systems, and to vulnerable groups such as widowers, widows, orphans, and elderly people living alone, the government distributed grain directly. He actively looked after and supported the people's livelihoods, including lending seeds and food to people whose livelihoods were difficult due to disaster.In finance, too, so that the people would not suffer from the harms of usury, he limited interest rates to within 3% per month and 10% per year and stipulated that the total interest could not exceed the principal. Beyond this, he hired people with disabilities into government posts and granted maternity leave to public slaves—implementing welfare policies so far ahead of their time that they seem striking even compared with today, thus carrying out the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies that this era speaks of.[The Annals of King Sejong ©Annals of the Joseon Dynasty]The "Deliberation System" and Transparency: a Model of GovernanceSejong's rule—which leaves nothing to be desired even when viewed through ESG—also has parts worth examining on the governance side. The "deliberation system" carefully attended to the people's voices through many officials. This "deliberative politics" is quite similar to the concepts of transparent governance, stakeholder participation, and responsible management that today's companies and nations discuss—as seen in the premise that the voices of various classes are reflected in the policy decision-making process, and in fair, transparent procedures.[The statue of King Sejong at Gwanghwamun ©Yeollin Gwangjang]"Politics begins with loving the people. A good system is one suited to its time, and its core is the king's heart toward the people."Sejong's words, left in the Annals of King Sejong, resonate in our hearts amid political and social turmoil. May 15, Teachers' Day, is also King Sejong's birthday. This May, let us reflect on the ESG spirit of King Sejong—a teacher who remains a powerful inspiration as today's Republic of Korea seeks a sustainable future. by Editor N
This past April 20 was the Day of Persons with Disabilities, marking its 45th anniversary this year. From a running festival where people with and without disabilities take part together, to communication innovation using AI technology—ESG.ONL looked back on the Day of Persons with Disabilities and examined cases in which companies strove to practice "barrier-free" approaches, drawing closer to the lives of the socially vulnerable.[Barrier-free running: participants in the 2025 Kiwoom Run ©Big Walk]Kiwoom Securities: the "2025 Kiwoom Run," a Start of Change Running TogetherAt the "2025 Kiwoom Run," held on April 19 at Yeouido Hangang Park in Seoul, 2,025 runners took part and became one, running without a boundary between people with and without disabilities. The "Together Runner" system of this event—sponsored by Kiwoom Securities and organized by "Big Walk," an IT-based social enterprise that converts step counts into donation points—was special. Participants volunteered to become running mates for the mobility-impaired who face physical difficulties, and ran together. Throughout the venue, all the elements essential to being barrier-free—wheelchair transport vehicles, dedicated changing rooms, sign-language interpretation, and more—were provided, adding to participants' convenience. In particular, the visually-impaired running crew "VMK" completed the run as guide runners, proving a "running culture that excludes no one" and "in which everyone is the main character."[The barrier-free experience campaign "Baep Challenge" ©Amorepacific]Amorepacific, Which Ran the "Baep Challenge" to Experience Everyday BarriersFrom March 24 to April 20, Amorepacific partnered with the Seoul Volunteer Center to run a barrier-free facility-exploration program. Through Seoul's volunteer portal "MOA," citizens verified photos of barrier-free facilities and experienced things like following a visually-impaired person's travel route and using wheelchair parking spaces, confirming the convenience and problems of facility use for users with limitations such as people with disabilities and the elderly. In addition, Amorepacific broadly spread the campaign's meaning—providing extra gifts to the top three people who discovered the most barrier-free facilities, and donating "Todak-Todak Kits," bundles of health-functional foods, to 300 teachers at special schools in Seoul.[The barrier-free app-development contest ©Hyundai AutoEver]Hyundai AutoEver: the "Barrier-Free App-Development Contest," Tearing Down Barriers with TechnologyHyundai AutoEver held the "Barrier-Free App-Development Contest," which has run since 2017 and entered its ninth year this year. Through the contest, Hyundai AutoEver supports the development of technology that contributes to resolving the physical and social discrimination faced by socially vulnerable groups. Through this contest—hosted by the Community Chest of Korea's Seoul branch and organized by the nonprofit corporation Green Light—a total of 66 applications have been developed so far. Representative examples include "QooZMi," which supports communication between people with developmental disabilities and their guardians, and "Susu-Banggwan," a math-problem voice-conversion app for the visually impaired. This year as well, once the final 10 teams are selected during June, they will concentrate on development from August to December, and early next year, along with the completion of the services, an outcome-sharing session and awards ceremony will be held to unveil fresh barrier-free technologies. Recruitment for this "Barrier-Free App-Development Contest" runs from April 22 to May 21, and university and graduate students can participate in teams of three.The "barrier-free" that companies realize is built on the triangular axes of participation, experience, and technology. Kiwoom Securities' Kiwoom Run broke down physical boundaries and inspired a sense of community; Amorepacific's "Baep Challenge" broadened civil society's empathy by directly experiencing everyday barriers; and Hyundai AutoEver's app-development contest presents technological breakthroughs that solve problems in the lives of the socially vulnerable. Companies' moves show a concrete way of practicing "living together" for the continuation of our society within ESG management. Now is the time for corporate social responsibility not to stop at acknowledging "difference," but to fill that difference together and seek to pave new roads. by Editor N
In this era of climate crisis, "An Environmental-Invention Class That Saves the Earth"—a book that helps children find fresh ideas to solve environmental problems themselves—has been published. Let us open this book, full of a special quality that makes you look forward to the next page each time you turn a leaf, with its free illustrations and photo composition designed to let readers infinitely expand their boundless imagination.[Ideas to save the Earth are all around us ©’Myeongnanghan Chaekbang’]"An Environmental-Invention Class That Saves the Earth"—created by Dominic Wilcox, inventor at "Little Inventors," a company that brings children's creative ideas to life, and Katherine Mengardon, its head educator—gathers the imaginings created by Little Inventors and children. As children observe and explore in everyday life blended with nature, they turn the ideas that come to them into writing, drawings, or models, add the opinions they have shared with family, friends, and schoolteachers, and submit the ideas to the Little Inventors website. Little Inventors then selects the good ideas among them, turns them into inventions, and makes them known to the world.Showing the entire process—from conception to realization—of the ideas gathered through Little Inventors, this book places its emphasis on letting readers go beyond simply acquiring environmental knowledge to build the ability to act by pondering a sustainable future. Children's original ideas—a flowerpot that moves following the sunlight, a magic cleaner that gathers trash in the sea, an umbrella that purifies rainwater—also stimulate readers' imagination. Each environmental-invention idea is guided so that it can be examined in more detail by scanning a QR code, going beyond the page.Examined closely, this book is designed to cultivate the creative thinking, community capacity, and ecological sensitivity that our curriculum emphasizes. Rather than for a child to read alone, it is a good book for parents, teachers, and friends to read together—pondering environmental problems from many angles and discussing the new solutions each has devised. This book kindly provides idea notes to use in such discussions, leading everyone to conceive their own invention.[An example of the flowerpot-that-moves-following-the-sunlight invention ©’Myeongnanghan Chaekbang’]This book has one more merit: it also presents ways to put the ideas into practice. The ideas of the child inventors introduced in this book begin from environmental problems in daily life. The children's ideas—conceiving inventions on themes such as everyday recycling, water saving, and energy reduction—make adults repent of their own lack of imagination. The story of "biomimetic invention"—exploring the ecology and ways of life of living things in nature, such as spider webs, the flapping of bees' wings, and the spreading of seeds, and creating something new by imitating nature—lets child inventors nurture great dreams."An Environmental-Invention Class That Saves the Earth," a convergence-education book spanning various fields such as science, environment, and art, is a book that can build a challenging spirit and confidence toward invention by leading children to come up with and develop ideas in a systematic way of thinking. As you marvel at the environmental problems and ingenious ideas seen through children's eyes, you naturally come to realize why adults must ponder a sustainable future and hand down a safe Earth to children. Let all children and adults living in this era of climate crisis read this book and recharge the strength to overcome the crisis. by Editor N
Environmental crisis and shifts in consumer awareness are making sustainable fashion a trend. Even as vintage grows in popularity, we also hear stories of people who don't buy clothes at all. Yet it is also we who, opening the closet, grumble again today that we have nothing to wear. If you decide to buy clothes again today, what should you consider?[MUSINSA, which created "greenwashing" guidelines ©MUSINSA]MUSINSA: Building Trust Through Transparent Disclosure of Information"MUSINSA," a fashion platform much frequented by the MZ generation, recently published "greenwashing guidelines." The brands listed on the MUSINSA platform number about 8,000. The guidelines guide each brand to provide accurate and transparent product information without false promotion disguised as eco-friendly. MUSINSA—including its own brand, MUSINSA Standard—aims to have all brands apply the "anti-greenwashing guidelines" within the second quarter. It is also preparing for the 2027 mandating of the "Digital Product Passport (DPP)"—which contains information such as product production, sales, and recycling—by applying the DPP to products exported to the EU. MUSINSA's efforts aim at trust with consumers and the building of a sustainable fashion ecosystem.[A dress made of hanji ©VEGAN TIGER]VEGAN TIGER, Leading the Evolution of Vegan Fashion"VEGAN TIGER"—meaning a tiger that eats vegetables—is known as a front-runner of vegan fashion that completely excludes animal-derived materials. This brand's fur or leather garments are not made from materials obtained from animals. VEGAN TIGER's slogan, "Cruelty-free"—stating that it pursues vegan fashion free from cruelty—clearly expresses what VEGAN TIGER wants to say through fashion.The materials VEGAN TIGER uses are eco-friendly: traditional hanji (Korean paper), nylon recycled from waste fishing nets, regenerated polyester made from waste PET bottles, and more. There are also materials that make use of fruit. Namely, it makes a 100%-biodegradable plant-based leather material using persimmon peels from Cheongdo. Recognized for the authenticity of its vegan-material development not only at home but also at overseas fashion shows, VEGAN TIGER appears set to continue its innovation for sustainable fashion materials.[Re;code, which makes clothes through upcycling ©Re;code]Re;code: the Potential of a Circular Economy"Re;code," a brand launched by Kolon FnC, is a brand that puts resource circulation through upcycling as its top value. Re;code upcycles unsold inventory clothing that is three or more years old to make new products. These clothes take on life again through a process of disassembly and recombination. And they are sometimes produced as limited editions of five pieces or fewer. The "Military Collection," in which military tents and uniforms are reborn at designers' fingertips, drew popularity among the MZ generation with its unique designs. As materials, it also, uniquely, recycles airbags and car seats to make bags.What Re;code wants to achieve through this brand is to realize social responsibility and environmental protection at the same time. In this context, it collaborates with the "Goodwill Store," an organization for people with intellectual disabilities, contributing to job creation for the socially vulnerable, and also runs eco-friendly-related educational workshops and the like—realizing a vision beyond resource circulation.Sustainable fashion redefines the concept of clothing consumption. The fashion industry—frequently mentioned alongside the topic of ESG—offsets problems related to clothing consumption and presents a new perspective on consumers' consumption orientation. In this way, the fashion industry, which is settling sustainable directions in the industry—production, consumption, recycling, and beyond a mere trend—is opening the road to practicing sustainability through the disclosure of product information via the introduction of digital electronic passports and the strengthening of anti-greenwashing policies. by Editor N
Humanity's carbon footprint is relentless. Even by burning our own dead bodies, we leave carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as we depart. Cremation, one of the methods of handling the deceased, is on a rising trend worldwide. In particular, in the East Asian countries with small national territories—Korea, Japan, and Taiwan—the cremation rate is said to exceed 90%. Japan's is close to nearly 100%. It is true that cremation is an alternative to cramped territory and complicated burial procedures. The words "When I die, just cremate me" sound almost like a thoughtful gesture to do less harm to the world and to those around us.But in reality, that is not so for the Earth. Cremating a single body generates about 160 kg of carbon dioxide. The number of deaths in Korea in 2023 was 352,700. If we estimate that 90% of these were cremated, the carbon dioxide generated by cremation procedures in 2023 comes to about 50,000 tons (CO2eq). This is similar to the amount of carbon dioxide emitted in one year by about 10,000 internal-combustion vehicles. Cremation, which had seemed like the solution to a problem, has become a problem itself as the climate crisis arrives. Just like death with dignity, which has already settled in as an active social discussion, it is worth diligently pondering the environmental impact when choosing the process and method of one's own death.[The interment facility of "Recompose," a U.S.-based company that turns a body into soil in 30 days ©Recompose]A Way to Return to the SoilIn May 2019, in the U.S. state of Washington, a "Human Composting" bill passed. Literally, it made it possible to turn a body into compost. Until that bill passed, burying or cremating a body were the only legal methods of handling it. A company called "Recompose" made a great effort in getting the law passed. Recompose, taking a hint from turning livestock carcasses into compost, succeeded in research on turning bodies into soil, and afterward, through meetings and discussions with policymakers, brought about the bill's introduction. After the bill passed, companies providing funeral services similar to Recompose sprang up one by one. And Colorado, Oregon, Vermont, and New York passed bills in succession.A Way to Return to WaterThere is also the "Alkaline Hydrolysis" method, which treats a body in an alkaline solution at high temperature and high pressure. When the body's decomposition ends, bones and a sterile liquid containing sugars, salts, and the like remain. Because the liquid is harmless to the environment, sewage treatment is possible, and the remains can be made into bone ash and returned to the family, the same as after cremation. This method—also called "Water Cremation"—is evaluated as using far less energy than burial or cremation. The U.S. state of Minnesota first passed a bill in 2003, and now water cremation is legally possible in more than 20 states. Outside the U.S., some Anglophone countries, such as the UK and four Canadian provinces, carry out water cremation.Implementation Is Possible, but Practice Is Not YetAlthough the methods of handling bodies are thus gradually diversifying, worldwide the share of burial or cremation is still overwhelmingly high. The same is true even in regions where a bill has passed and implementation is possible. This is because it is still blocked by the walls of perception and custom. Burial is a time-honored method that humanity has practiced since 100,000 years ago. Cremation has a short history by comparison, but its share is gradually rising. Religious reasons are also large. Both Christianity and Islam have carried on the custom of burying bodies in the ground, and Buddhism has a cremation culture. When the human-composting bill passed in Washington State, the Catholic community even sent a letter to the Senate with the content that it was "a method lacking respect for the body." But whether confining a body in a hard-to-decompose coffin and burying it in the ground is a more respectful act toward the body than returning to a handful of soil and becoming nourishment for nature is a matter to think through and weigh. by Editor N
With 100 days left before the Paris Olympics, the flame was lit on the 16th (local time) at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece. This past March, the posters of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics were unveiled, announcing that the 2024 Summer Olympics had drawn near to us. The posters were handled by Ugo Gattoni, well known as a scarf designer for Hermès, who visualized the slogan "Games Wide Open," carrying the meaning that the entire city turns into a stadium. From the very size of the posters—containing Paris's landmarks and all sorts of symbols—they showed a look differentiated from past Olympics and drew the world's attention.[The interior of the Aquatics Centre, built with wood and recycled materials ©Salem Mostefaoui/Olympics.com]Before becoming a topic for its poster design, the Paris Olympics steadily emphasized "the sustainability of the Olympics." From the planning stage, it decided to minimize new construction for the Olympics and make maximum use of existing facilities. The newly built facilities are only the Olympic Village, the Aquatics Centre, the climbing facility, and the Adidas Arena, which correspond to about 5% of all facilities for hosting the Olympics. The Olympic Village is a facility where participating athletes will stay, and once the Olympics end, it is set to be used as ordinary residential facilities. Other facilities are likewise set to be converted into local infrastructure after the Olympics. It also took into account minimizing environmental impact from construction materials all the way to power supply.The Olympics in the Sustainability EraEntering the 2000s, the economic effectiveness of the Olympics was a subject of steady debate. Along the line of debate, the number of bidding cities that took up the challenge to host the Olympics also continued to decrease. At the time of the 2004 Athens Olympics there were eleven bidding cities, but they gradually decreased until, for the 2024 Paris Olympics, the final bidding cities were just two. Moreover, hard-prepared Olympics were often criticized by the international community for destroying the environment. Beijing, Sochi, and Rio—which hosted the 2008, 2014 Winter, and 2016 Olympics—were particularly so. Not only in persuading the international community but also local citizens, the justification and benefit of hosting the Olympics could no longer be explained without sustainability. Perhaps for that reason, the Paris Olympics has striven tirelessly, from immediately after its selection as host, to create and publicize a waste-free Olympics.Partnership in the Sustainability EraOlympic operation and promotion are aided not only by the host country but also by corporate partners. Partners that immediately come to mind at the words "Olympic partner" include Coca-Cola, Samsung, Visa, and Omega. They put their names on the partner list for this Olympics without fail. Besides such traditional partners, from the late 2010s, companies in the IT and digital categories, such as Intel and Airbnb, began to join as partners. But the most notable partner at this Paris Olympics is Deloitte. Deloitte participated in the 2012 London Olympics in a supporter role—a kind of advisory rather than a partner—but this Paris Olympics is the first time it has put its name up as a worldwide partner.It's the First ESG PartnerThe reason Deloitte became a worldwide partner is none other than ESG. Deloitte took on the role of supporting the Olympics' "2020+5" agenda by using its expertise in the ESG field. 2020+5 is an operational roadmap announced by the "International Olympic Committee (IOC)" in 2021, and includes the following content.[1. Sustainability] Focus on environmental protection, use of reusable and recyclable solutions][2. Digital Innovation] Make the games accessible to more people, enhance fan participation and experience][3. Financial Soundness] Maintain financial sustainability and strengthen the Olympic financial model][4. Strengthening International Cooperation] Strengthen cooperation with various sports organizations and improve global governance][5. Promoting Diversity and Inclusion] Pursue social integration and diversity, and all forms of discrimination and confrontation]Deloitte stated that, during the partnership period, it plans to carry out various activities related to climate neutrality, diversity, inclusion, and athlete support based on its ESG expertise. Exactly what help Deloitte is providing in this regard is not precisely known. Watching, from an ESG perspective, what role Deloitte—which has joined the Olympics—will play and how it performs is also one of the viewing points of this Olympics. by Editor N