Environmental Education (ESG Education)
The contents of the education, which had been conducted as general environmental education under the certification of ISO14001, was renewed as ESG education in fiscal 2022, with the aim of understanding "sustainability through promotion of ESG" as stipulated in our corporate philosophical system, The Advantest Way. The education is being addressed within the larger framework of ESG promotion as well as the environment.
Basic Stance on ESG Education
The Advantest Group believes that it is essential for our employees to understand ESG issues in view of realizing a sustainable society. We promote global awareness-raising activities while holding the following two matters in mind.
- Each and every employee needs to always feel that ESG is an issue close to their heart; and
- Think about what they can and should do both at work and in the home, and transform these ideas into action.
The Advantest Group addresses "1" not only by providing environmental education but also in terms of ESG education in general and "2" by using our in-house social networking platform, "My LIFE. ON.", to provide a place for sharing individual employees' efforts.
Major Environmental Education Programs
We use the ISO14001 standard to promote our efforts to reduce the environmental impact.
| Program name | Educational Contents |
|---|---|
| Training for new employees | Education for new employees on the Advantest Group’s approach to ESG |
| ESG Education | Understanding of "sustainability through promotion of ESG" as stipulated in The Advantest Way and the Advantest Group’s environmental policy, as well as general ISO14001 environmental education |
| Education for internal environmental auditors | Cultivation and further education of ISO14001 internal environmental auditors |
| Management of chemical substances | Education on the handling and safety management of chemical substances |
| Capability training for specific tasks | Education to maintain and improve the skills that are needed by those engaged in specific tasks such as energy management, pollution control and waste management |
ESG Education (e-learning)
ESG Education Video
The Advantest Group provides ESG education program globally with the aim of encouraging all of our employees to understand the "sustainability through promotion of ESG" as stipulated in The Advantest Way and the Advantest Group’s environmental policy. Educational materials are created in video format and are available in either Japanese or English. The video provides a basic understanding of ESG and sustainability initiatives in an easy-to-understand manner using animations and voice-over, allowing employees to understand ESG and experience a hands-on fun learning.
| Environment | Includes general environmental education as an element of ISO14001, and covers the five activities based on the Advantest Group's environmental policy. We also promote environmental awareness through understanding of the SDGs and global warming. |
|---|---|
| Society | Explains Advantest's relationship with various stakeholders, as well as diversity and social issues in the entire supply chain. |
| Governance | Risk management and compliance adherence are also covered in this area, explaining how addressing ESG as a company enhances corporate value from a long-term perspective. |
At the end of the video, several questions about what was learned are asked to check each employee's level of understanding. We achieved 84.3% attendance rate in FY2022.
Participation in General Environmental Education for fiscal 2022
| Target employees | Number of participants | Participation ratio (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 2,767 | 2,567 | 92.8 |
| Overseas | 3,556 | 2,761 | 77.6 |
| Overall | 6,323 | 5,328 | 84.3 |
Other ESG Educational Activities
Usage of The Interactive Digital Globe
Interactive digital globe
We purchased an interactive digital globe, that reflects real-time Earth data, and installed it in our Gunma R&D Center, our research and development base. This tool, which allows us to learn about global temperature changes and the past, present, and future of the Earth, is used to promote environmental education on a global scale.
For details, please refer to "Developing the Next Generation" under "Examples of Social Contribution Activities".
ESG Education in China
Participants in the ESG training
In line with one of our strategic issues, "Further Enhancement of ESG Initiatives," we conducted ESG training in China in FY2022, which included ESG development and practice in companies. During the training for managers, we invited the founder and CEO of a company that provides solutions related to decarbonization to participate in a lively discussion on the topic of “Development and practice of ESG in the context of carbon neutrality”.
Global Educational Activities on Our Internal Social Networking Platform "My LIFE. ON."
The Advantest Group runs an internal social networking platform, "My LIFE. ON.". This social networking platform enables our employees to enjoy contributing to the SDGs by posting activities that are beneficial for people, the environment, and society and "liking" and commenting on each other's posts to demonstrate their support for such activities.
Establishment of a Global Promotion System
The Advantest Group has built a global system to encourage employee participation. Together with SDG promotion members at eight global locations, many employees use the in-house SNS as a place to introduce and share their activities in the community.
Introducing a portion of a post (donation)
In FY2022, employees at our sites around the world conducted many social contribution activities under the theme of giving back/return to society. In Japan, we held an online event entitled "Let's share your social contributions" and made effective use of the in-house social networking platform "My LIFE. ON.”.
Employees and their families participated in social activities such as beach clean-ups, posted their activities on My LIFE. ON., and readily introduced many domestic and international activities. This helped in creating a good exchange of information and interaction by communicating with people from other departments with whom we normally do not interact with.
Introducing a portion of a post (reusing the container as a mosquito coil holder)
We received many posts from employees in Singapore who enjoyed engaging in the 3Rs (reduce, reused, recycle). The ability to exchange information easily across borders is one of the strengths of My LIFE. ON.
A moving post about an employee in China who is supporting a young girl with a dream of becoming a doctor received impressive response. A sequel was also posted to the account in which the girl grew up, became an intern at the hospital, and got even closer to achieving her dream. The in-house social networking platform "My LIFE. ON." surely has become more than just a place to share information; it has become a tool that provokes great inspiration.