What is the company's ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) strategy?

Alright, let me help you parse and explain the ESG strategy of LY Corporation (LINE Yahoo).

Understanding LY Corporation's ESG Strategy:

In simple terms, LY Corporation is a major internet platform company whose apps and services (like LINE and Yahoo! JAPAN) are deeply integrated into many people's daily lives. Therefore, the core idea of its ESG strategy is: leveraging its powerful technology and platform influence to solve social problems while ensuring the company itself develops healthily and sustainably for the long term.

Think of it like the most influential "major steward" in a community. This steward not only manages their own house (the company) well but also ensures the entire community (society) becomes a better and safer place.

Now, let's break it down into its Environmental (E), Social (S), and Governance (G) components for clarity:

E (Environment) - Environmental Aspect: Be More Earth-Friendly

For an internet tech company, the biggest environmental impact is often "invisible" – its data centers. Processing and storing vast amounts of data consume enormous amounts of electricity.

LY Corporation's key environmental focuses are:

Reducing the "Power-Hungry" Carbon Footprint: Their main goal is to power their data centers with 100% renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind) by 2030. It's like switching all the appliances in your house to the most energy-efficient models powered by clean sources.
Achieving Carbon Neutrality: The long-term goal is to reduce the company's overall greenhouse gas emissions and ultimately achieve "carbon neutrality," meaning any emissions they produce are offset in some way, resulting in a net-zero environmental burden.
Green Offices: Promoting energy savings, waste reduction, etc., at the office level – this is fairly straightforward, similar to common eco-friendly office practices.

S (Social) - Social Aspect: Creating Safety for Users and Employees

This is the most important and complex part of LY's strategy, as its services directly impact hundreds of millions of users.

Protecting Users is the Top Priority:
- Information Security & Privacy: This is paramount. Ensuring chat logs, personal data, etc., are not leaked or misused. They invest heavily in strengthening cybersecurity defenses.
- Combating Misinformation and Cyberbullying: Platforms like Yahoo! News and LINE TODAY have a responsibility to verify the authenticity of news and establish mechanisms to tackle online violence and false statements, maintaining a healthy exchange environment.
- Serving Special Groups: Developing features suited for the elderly, providing online safety education for youth, etc.
Using the Platform to Do Good for Society:
- Disaster Prevention and Response: Japan faces frequent natural disasters. LY leverages Yahoo!'s emergency alerts and LINE's "Safety Confirmation" feature (e.g., during earthquakes, typhoons) to quickly disseminate information and help people confirm their well-being.
- Supporting Local Economies: Helping small businesses and local specialty products find markets via e-commerce and local services.
Caring for Employees:
- Fostering a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace: No discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, etc., ensuring equal promotion opportunities.
- Prioritizing Employee Well-being: Offering flexible workstyles (like remote work), comprehensive benefits, and mental health support.

G (Governance) - Governance: Being a Transparent, Compliant, and Trustworthy Company

This part might sound slightly "bureaucratic," but it's fundamental to a company's long-term viability. Simply put, it means establishing robust rules to govern the company, ensuring operations are transparent, fair, and trustworthy.

Strengthening Risk Management: Particularly information security risks. Establishing specialized committees, overseen by executives and even external experts, ensures user data security is the company’s top priority, not just a single department's responsibility.
Ensuring Transparent and Fair Decision-Making: For instance, having independent external directors on the Board to objectively monitor company decisions and prevent internal misconduct.
Upholding Business Ethics: Firmly opposing corruption and bribery, ensuring fair competition.

To Summarize:

For LY Corporation, ESG is not a dispensable "image-building exercise" but core to its business model. Its products function as societal infrastructure, and user trust is its most valuable asset.

E (Environment) aims to minimize the burden placed on the planet by the company's operations.
S (Social) is about winning and maintaining user trust by protecting users and giving back to society.
G (Governance) establishes a solid internal framework to ensure the company stays on course and creates sustainable value.

Hope this explanation helps!