Monday, September 5, 2022 | The Japan Times | 7

sustainable japan

ESG promotional content
produced by The Japan Times CubePeo Ekberg’s fair trade company pioneers solutions from the inside

Japan lists OPC
as best practice

From banana stems, One
Planet Cafe grows change

Name: Peo Ekberg

Title: Director and Sustainability
Producer, One Planet Cafe
URL: https://oneplanetcafe.com
Hometown: Malmo, Sweden
Years in Japan: 28 (cumulative)

Leaders & Readers
LOUISE GEORGE KITTAKA
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For sustainability producer Peo Ekberg, thesmallest change can be an exciting chanceto make a difference in the world, and hisenthusiasm inspires and motivates thosearound him.
Originally from Sweden, Ekberg has beenworking in Japan’s sustainability sector for
more than 20 years. Together with his wife,
Satoko, he runs one of Japan’s first fair tradeverified companies, One Planet Cafe, training companies in sustainability basics, SDGs
and strategy, while producing a fair tradelabeled paper made from banana waste.
“There are two major ways to approachsustainability. One way is from the outside,protesting or talking about greenwashing.
This is how I started my career,” he said withcandor. “The other way is working fromProducts made out of banana tree stems
HIROMICHI MATONO

inside with companies and the government.
After all, executives and officials are people
and they have children, too. ” Ekberg is now
taking the latter approach, emphasizing positive solutions rather than problems.

Small steps, big differences

One Planet Cafe’s Japan office is based in
the World Gate building in Tokyo’s Toranomon Hills district, utilizing WeWork Japan’s
coworking space there. Efforts from Ekberg
have been the catalyst for two sustainability
initiatives in the office environment.
As vegetarians, Ekberg and his wife werekeen to see some nonmeat options on themenu at WeWork’s cafe in the building.
After speaking with the cafe operators andpointing out how meatless meals can contribute to sustainability, they were invited
to contribute their ideas. They developed avegan taco rice together, now the best-selling
item on the entire menu.
Moreover, when Ekberg learned that
WeWork was going through 2.6 million
sheets of copy paper annually, he started aconversation with the admin team aboutsourcing a more eco-friendly option. Theircollective efforts led to a switch to FSC-certified paper. (The FSC, or Forest StewardshipCouncil, is a multi-stakeholder organizationthat promotes responsible management of
the world’s forests.) WeWork’s management
liked the initiative so much that they eventually rolled it out at all their co-working
spaces across Japan.
Environmental stewardship is now
Ekberg’s main mission in life, but growing up
in Sweden he had another passion: soccer.
In fact, he set three world records for soccer juggling (freestyle) while still a teenager.

These included heading and double juggling,whereby two people trade off times juggling the ball with only their feet and head.
While Ekberg’s soccer days are behind him,
he is very much on the ball when it comesto finding opportunities to connect withpeople.

Talk, show, do

One Planet Cafe is celebrating a decadein business. Asked about the inspiration
behind the name, Ekberg laughed andadmitted that some people mistakenly
assume he is running some kind of restaurant. “The first part of our name — One
Planet — means to connect globally. Local
connections are also very important, but wecan’t forget about the rest of the world,” heexplained. “And Cafe, is a place where people
can come together and talk about solutions.”
With bases in Zambia, Sweden and Japan,
One Planet Cafe’s activities on sustainability
can be broadly divided into what Ekberg
refers to as the “three main pillars”: talk(lectures and training); show (study tours);do (SDG tools and banana paper). The firsttwo involve working with individuals andcompanies to discuss and implement environmentally friendly solutions, including
leading study tours to Sweden and Zambia
to allow people to experience things firsthand. One Planet has worked with some ofJapan’s leading companies, including Fujitsu,
Kao, Lush and Seven & I Holdings.
The third pillar, producing banana paper,is the heart and soul of Ekberg’s efforts toshow how sustainable practices can help anentire community. The business was bornfrom a visit to South Luangwa National Parkin Zambia with his wife to see the wild ani-Eisai is resolved to treat, end
neglected tropical diseases
Mission: Sustainability
OSAMU INOUERENEWSOn June 23, a battle against what are known
as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) got
underway in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda
in East Africa. One of the targets under theUnited Nations’ sustainable development
goals is: “By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS,
tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropicaldiseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne
diseases and other communicable diseases.”In June, a summit was held in Kigali on
eradicating NTDs and malaria, attended
by heads of state including the presidentsof Rwanda and Botswana and the prime
minister of Jamaica, as well as the United
Kingdom’s Prince Charles and Bill & Melinda
Gates Foundation co-Chair Melinda FrenchGates. Governments, international organizations, private-sector support organizations
and businesses signed the Kigali Declaration,
which calls for spending over $4 billion oncontrolling the diseases.
The declaration calls for multiple global
pharmaceutical companies to donate large
amounts of preventive and treatment drugs.
Participating from Japan in this endeavor
was Eisai Co.

Top sustainable companies

Eisai’s consolidated net sales totaled ¥756.2billion ($5.7 billion) for the fiscal year that
ended in March 2022. The figure places thecompany sixth among Japan’s pharmaceutical companies, yet Eisai has a strong presencein the global arena. That is because it is wellknown in the areas of ESG and sustainability.
Every year, a Canadian investment
research company selects the world’s 100
most sustainable corporations whose sales
total at least $1 billion. In the 2022 ranking,Eisai was selected for the sixth time and was
the only Japanese pharmaceutical company
on the list. Moreover, Eisai’s efforts in developing and emerging countries are recognizedin the Access to Medicine Index published by
the Netherlands’ Access to Medicine Foundation. Eisai remained in the global top 20 of
the index for 2021, placing 11th, the secondhighest ranking among Japanese companies.
The company has also put efforts into indirect initiatives to contribute to sustainability.
Still, its most significant contribution is its

endeavors to help achieve the sustainable
development goal of “Ensure healthy lives
and promote well-being for all at all ages.”

Long-term investment

When the London Declaration on Neglected
Tropical Diseases — one of the largest publicprivate partnership initiatives in history — tocontrol, eliminate or eradicate 10 NTDs wasannounced in 2012, Eisai, the only Japanesecompany to participate, pledged to supply
2.2 billion DEC tablets for free by 2020.
DEC tablets began shipping from the

HIROMICHI MATONO

mals there. The people in the area were living in extreme poverty, some cutting trees
for fuel to cook with and even hunting somewildlife, including endangered species likeelephants and lions. The Ekbergs searchedfor a way to provide the people with adecent living while also protecting the natural environment.
“We found the answer in the banana
farms there, and we collaborate with thefarmers. The trees grow 3 to 5 meters, but
after harvesting one bunch of bananas, theyneed to cut it back to allow a new banana
tree to grow, and they throw the stems
away. So we buy the stems from the farmers,” he explained.

JOSEPH BODENHEIMER
JAPAN STRATEGY ADVISER

Eisai’s treatment and preventive drug for
lymphatic filariasis is being mass-administered.
EISAI

Indian plant in October 2013. So far, thecompany has supplied a total of 2.05 billion tablets (equivalent of dosage for about
820 million people), contributing greatly toefforts to control lymphatic filariasis infections in Egypt, Sri Lanka, Thailand andKiribati. Additionally, it provided on-site
support for mass administration, installed
sanitary water tanks and engaged in educational activities. “On our part, we are doing
this, calling it a ‘price zero’ business, because
we regard it as a long-term investment tocontribute to correcting health disparities,
eradicate diseases to help improve laborproductivity and support growth of themedium-income bracket,” said Sasaki.
By contributing to efforts to eliminate
diseases, Eisai can boost local people’s trustand its local presence. Eventually, as theeconomies of the target countries grow, Eisai
presumes its business will grow there. Thereis no guarantee Eisai’s efforts can bear suchfruits in the future but Eisai’s determination
does not waver.
Eisai advances forward with the belief thatwhat it is doing will no doubt lead to improving its corporate value in the future. Whatmakes it do so is its corporate philosophy,
which it has developed over the past three
decades and is symbolized by the catchphrase “human health care.” Eisai aims towork with the WHO. It may take a decadeor two, but if neglected
tropical diseases are
eradicated from theplanet, Eisai’s fame will
spread.
Scan the QR code to readthe full article about Eisai’scommitments to treat andend neglected tropicaldiseases.

It takes a village

One Planet Cafe subsequently establisheda “green factory” near South Luangwa,
employing 25 local people to extract thefibers from the banana stems. These fibers
are then used to make handmade paperand cards in Zambia, and high quality
machine-made fair trade paper in Japanand the United Kingdom. The paper is oneof the first climate-positive papers, and isused in a wide variety of products, including notebooks, packaging, certificates andcoat hangers.
The local workers in Zambia come fromareas of extreme poverty and now receive
a fair living wage and multiple benefits

such as insurance, bonuses, paid education, micro-credit loans and paid days
off, which are far from standard for mostemployees in the area. Ekberg points outthat there has been a ripple effect, with thebanana paper project now benefiting over
1,000 people in the area. Four children ofteam members have been able to enter
university — a rare thing. With an eye tothe future, Ekberg is pleased that Japan’s
young people are concerned about making a difference in their world. In a recent
survey among Gen Z about work preferences at ethical companies, One Planet
Cafe was recognized as one of the mostdesirable firms for new job seekers, ranking alongside famous names such as The
Body Shop, Patagonia and Lush. “For me,
it felt like a dream come true, as companies like these have been my inspiration,”
Ekberg said with palpable pride.

Japan’s startup landscape
grows as it reaches abroadSponsored content

Lymphatic filariasis

One of the NTDs, lymphatic filariasis, is adisease in which parasitic filarial worms aretransmitted by mosquitoes to humans. If nottreated early, it can cause severe difficulties
in living. Over 800 million people are estimated to be at risk of contracting the disease,mainly in emerging and developing countries, but preventive and treatment drugs
have been in short supply globally.
What formed a significant obstacle tocontrolling the disease was one of the three
types of drugs for its prevention and treatment, diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC).
DEC needs to be administered together
with two other types of tablets annually forat least five years. The WHO recently said
that, in a country where DEC tablets can beadministered, the disease can be contained
if all three types are administered together
two times.
However, treatment drugs for NTDs areold medicines in advanced nations and thus
not profitable. Eisai Chief Executive Officer
Haruo Naito was serving as president of theInternational Federation of Pharmaceutical
Manufacturers & Associations, headquartered in Geneva. While repeatedly communicating with the director-general of the WHO,
Naito learned that the WHO wanted tocontrol lymphatic filariasis, but there was anobstacle. “At the time, Eisai had never manufactured DEC tablets,” said Sayoko Sasaki,
Eisai’s vice president in charge of ESG-relatedoperations. “And then Naito said, ‘Donation
is something that can be done by charitableorganizations. What [Eisai] can do best as
an R&D company is to stably supply highquality drugs.’ So we decided to develop andmanufacture the drug at a new plant in India,
which we were preparing to launch, and provide it for free around the world.”

Peo Ekberg was born in Malmo, Sweden.
After a theoretical-practical education injournalism in Sweden, he began a career
as a journalist. He came to Japan during around-the-world trip and decided to stay.
After obtaining a journalist visa, he began
working for the media and as a consultanton sustainable practices. During morethan 20 years in the field in Japan, Ekberg
has worked with universities, companies
and municipalities, leading workshops
and study tours and introducing best practices from Sweden, Zambia and Japan. He
has also served as a navigator for Japaneseradio and television shows about the environment. Ekberg and his wife establishedtheir company One Planet Cafe in 2012
with a mission statement to reduce poverty and environmental problems throughpositive business solutions. In 2020 it
was recognized by the economy ministry as one of Japan’s 15 top examples ofbest practices for small and medium-size
companies working toward the United
Nations’ 17 sustainable development
goals (SDGs).

Japanese investors are opening up to andactively seeking investment opportunities
from all around the world, and they are turning to new platforms for access to domestic
and overseas startups. Together, these startups enjoy accelerated growth while partnered Japanese investors see strong returns
in new industries or from companies leveraging new sustainable technologies applied totraditional industries.
Not only financial firms, but also government agencies and accelerators are increasing interest in foreign startups. Even Japanese
universities are growing internal entities
that focus on startups and innovation. Top
institutions such as Tokyo University, Kyoto
University and financial powerhouses like
SMBC and MUFG are names recognized inthis growing community. Naturally, many
overseas startup representatives are visiting
Tokyo to present ideas and search for funding opportunities.
Startups, together with an astute andsavvy Japan investor base, are cultivating
deeper ties and nurturing innovation in medical and financial technology, IoT and muchmore, fostering growth in these numerousareas and inspiring much-needed innovationin the Japanese economy.
With this growing interest in new startups,
events that lead to new connections andrelationships are important. On March 17of this year, a group of Israeli VCs presented
their best selection of startups to interested
Japanese and international thought leadersin Japan. Organized by Daniel Kolbar, Minister of Economic Affairs from the Embassy ofTel Aviv has become a major and uniquebusiness center with top startup and hightech companies. JOSEPH BODENHEIMER

PAGE: 7Israel, and Joseph Bodenheimer, founder ofVenture Invess, this event kicked off a seriesof meetings and exchanges.
“While the number of Israeli-based startups has increased dramatically, Japaneseinvestors have eagerly embraced the corresponding opportunities. Note that 2021 saw
a record of nearly 3 billion USD investment
from Japan in Israeli high tech, representing
nearly 16% of total foreign investment. The
recent event provided a platform for startups
and investors that accelerates the investment process and builds relationships. It wasa pleasure co-hosting the event with Josephof Venture Invess, and we look forward tocontinue working together.” — Daniel Kolbar, Minister of Economic Affairs, Embassyof Israel.
“For any venture capitalists, including
MPower Partners, Israel is a fascinating country to watch for its robust startup ecosystem.
The event was immensely useful and informative, especially at a time when travelingwas virtually impossible. We made many
useful contacts and already look forward tofuture events.” — Yumiko Murakami, generalpartner, MPower

Friendly, culturally acceptable

Reading a pitch deck online has limited utility. Ultimately, meeting founders face-toface to hear their story and feel their passion
is incredibly important when investing inearly-stage companies that are pre-revenue
and still developing a minimum viable
product.
For over 30 years, Japanese companies
have been enamored with technology companies in Israel. Fostering a highly diplomatic
relationship, Japan has interacted with Israel
in a way that benefits both countries in thenear and long terms. While there remainchallenges to curating and tailoring endlesswaves of information on startups, a growing
number of investor groups are eager to build
relationships with actionable startup ideas
directly or via venture capital groups.
Japan as a country is known for studying
and deep-dive learning, which makes thevetting process a long one. However, oncestrong relationships and trust are established,
opportunities and the subsequent actions
come to fruition.
Makio Inui, a venture financier, added, “To
those who have the toolkit to remove thevail of cultural eccentricity and communi-Makio Inui, venture financier (left), andJoseph Bodenheimer JOSEPH BODENHEIMER

cation challenge posed by what is largely amonolingual society, the appeal of the Japanese startup asset class is irresistible. Smartmoney knows Japanese venture.”
One noticeable change since Japan started
opening up to business travel is the number of operators on the ground to facilitate
and properly platform eager startup teamsin their quest to reach out to local institutions. While this approach is effective, there
are corresponding challenges as well. DavidCase, a venture capital attorney based in Silicon Valley, shared that “given the high rate offailure of startup companies, Japanese investors need to take additional steps to educate
themselves about new technologies, earlystage companies and their founders, thecompetitive landscape and the company’sgrowth prospects. Investors need quality
information to make investment decisions.”
It is becoming clear that a key componentof making decisions from quality information is building a startup culture, one thatencourages organizing meets, presentations,
events and even user-friendly websites toenhance a deeper understanding of startups
across the board.
While Japan has become a popular destination for global startups who seek to build
mutually beneficial investor relationships,
language barriers and cultural differences
may still be a challenge. Startups that arepatient, especially those committed to building strong interpersonal relationships, findsuccess. We achieved our goal by building aninvestor ecosystem that is eager to engage
and learn more about startups and theirtechnologies. “Building a powerful ecosystemof thought leaders and investor relationships
takes years but is well worth the effort, asJapanese engage and open up to those whoembrace sustainability and long-term investments,” said Bodenheimer.