Held the "10th NTT Group Sustainability Conference"

1. Event Overview

Realizing sustainability through partnership.
The 10th NTT Group Sustainability Conference was held!

^*Titles included in this article are as of the date of the award (June 12, 2023).

Since fiscal 2013, the NTT Group has been holding "NTT Group Sustainability Conferences" on an annual basis.* By awarding superior initiatives by each Group company and sharing knowhow, we have all employees look at sustainability management as something that also affects them as well as provide forums for co-creation aimed at realizing a sustainable society alongside our stakeholders.
For this Sustainability Conference, which marked our tenth, a total of 113 measures were submitted by both domestic and overseas entrants. Following a screening process, six of these measures were granted the Grand Prize and another six were given the Superior CSR Measures Prize.

2: Prize Winners

Grand Prize

NTT DATA Okinawa BPO Center Carbon-neutral Project

NTT DATA

As part of its efforts to promote initiatives aimed at climate change, the NTT Group reached an agreement*1 with Okinawa IT Shinryo Park*2 on achieving carbon neutrality.
In the same area, the Group has been developing a BPO business for the insurance industry and general corporations since 2014.*3
Under this measure, with non-fossil fuel certificates*4 utilizing Okinawan resources (woody biomass and renewable energy power sources) and onsite PPA*5, we realized a carbon-neutral BPO center with a 100% renewable energy rate based on the concept local production and consumption for all power at the two facilities we will use for this measure.

^*1Okinawa Prefecture's largest IT enterprise hub where development is taking place to turn the area into a massive site for domestic and overseas IT-related industries. The target facilities under this measures were the No. 2 and No. 7 corporate cluster facilities.

^*2Agreement was jointly reached on April 27, 2022 by NTT DATA Group Corporation, NTT DATA Smart Sourcing Corporation, The Okinawa Electric Power Company, Incorporated and Okinawa New Energy Development Co., Ltd.

^*3At the No. 2 facility, NTT DATA Smart Sourcing Corporation is providing BPO services for general enterprises. At the No. 7 facility, NTT DATA's Insurance IT Service Business Department is providing BPO services for insurance companies.

^*4Certifies the environmental value of electricity originating from non-fossil fuel energy sources in order to enable the trading of that value.

^*5Short for Power Purchase Agreement. An arrangement through which electricity generated using solar power generation systems installed in sites provided by facility owners and on roofs and other spaces by companies that own and manage solar power generation equipment is supplied to the electricity users of those facilities on a paid basis.

Digital Transformation for Forests and Forestry: Achieving a resource-recycling society

NTT WEST and Co-Designing Institute for Polyphonic Society

In Japan, whose land mass is two-thirds covered by forests, adequate forest management is essential in order to preserve the natural environment, biodiversity and other elements. Through co-creation with the community, the NTT WEST Group is promoting the digital transformation (DX) forests and forestry that involves the use of natural capital.
We "digitalize forest information" using man-made satellites and drones and utilize that data in a "Forests Cloud" to invigorate efficient forest management as well as "match wood supply and demand" to revitalize associated business, thereby doing our part to promote the use of domestically-produced wood and its stable supply. Furthermore, by "creating carbon credits" derived from forests and contributing to the carbon offsetting of conglomerates and other entities, we aim to achieve carbon neutrality.

Improving fish prices through digital transformation (DX) and energizing the region by attracting the next generation of fishery workers in Isumi City, Chiba Prefecture

NTT East-South KANTO (NTT EAST)

In Chiba Prefecture's city of Isumi, which is surrounded by the rich nature of the Satoyama and Satoumi areas, with a view to realizing sustainable fisheries, we are tackling the challenge of the digital transformation (DX) of the fishing industry through which industry members come together to improve the value of fish. We are working on a demonstration project that visualizes fish freshness unique to fishing ports and community-oriented DX for sales management, the reduction of weighing operation and so forth to help monitor water temperature and salinity with the use of IoT and shorten lead times up to the shipment of fish.

Smart Recycling at Scale (Container Parks)

NTT Ltd Belgium

Employing digital platforms at recycling parks makes it possible to simultaneously optimize the removal and replacement of trash bins. Trash bins for residents are constantly at the ready for that purpose. Residents can verify online what level of trash bins are available in order to avoid unnecessary movement by car. In doing so, they can mitigate their ecological footprint. This makes it possible to avoid dissatisfaction expressed by residents who may feel compelled to discard their trash in another location without the need to take it home with them.

Wingcopter - a startup taking off to improve and save lives

NTT DATA Business Solutions

Wingcopter uses drones to deliver last-mile medical goods to remote areas of Malawi, located in Eastern Africa. During flood season in particular, such locations are normally cut off from medical supply chains. Wingcopter provides services to over 115,000 people in this fashion. Furthermore, local residents have undergone training as drone monitors and pilots, and opportunities for education and employment have arisen.

Predictive Medication Procurement

NTT Ltd, Nihilent, NTT Innovation Lab Israel

This project serves to keep contamination caused by the disposal of unused medication and capital losses to a minimum. As a joint endeavor with the Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, we As a joint endeavor with the Schneider Children's Medical Center of Israel, we developed a tool for predictive medication procurement.

Superior CSR Measures Prize

NTT Academy and IT For Girls for a sustainable future

NTT Ltd Brazil

In Brazil, high-quality education and gender equality are important issues that are directly reflected in the ability to achieve U.N. SDGs. In accordance with on SDGs #1, 4, 5 and 8, the NTT Academy and IT For Girls program is providing technical training to economically disadvantaged individuals with a focus on comprehensive IT education and employment in Brazil. In cooperation with vendors and NGOs, NTT has provided training and free certificates to society, positively affecting the lives of over 5,000 individuals.

Sustainability of German data centers

NTT DATA Business Solutions AG

Global Managed Services offered by NTT DATA Business Solutions promise the provision of solutions for green IT and sustainability within NTT's data centers. Our job consists of the planning, development and operation of private, public and hybrid cloud platforms for our customers. "Managing customer clouds" is our mission. We are putting our full efforts behind tackling the U.N.'s sustainable goals as we further expand our high-quality, appealing managed services while simultaneously implementing a zero-CO2 emission policy within NTT's data centers. implementing a zero-CO2 emission policy within NTT's data centers.

Japan's first "sustainable" smart rice terraces faming method originating from a remote island

DOCOMO Business Solutions（NTTcom）

To realize a "sustainable" rice terraces farming method that is friendly to both people and living things
In the rice terrace regions of Sado City, Niigata Prefecture, while pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used to improve productivity amid the graying of the population, coexisting with the ecosystem of living things (ibis) has been posing a serious issue. With this measure, the use of the likes of ridge mowers and paddy field weeding robots as well as advanced water management systems utilizing ICT to reduce costs, mitigate labor and improve earnings in order to promote reduced-agrochemical, agrochemical-free and chemical fertilizer-free cultivation have been introduced. Additionally, the possibility of shared services is also being verified in order to share the cost of introducing smart farm equipment and its benefits among the community.

Digi Kids

NTT Poland Sp. z o.o.

The war in Ukraine touched off in March 2022. We discovered a way to educate children who were forced to escape their home country with modern-world skills.

Next-generation human resource
development using "embot"

e‐Craft(NTT DOCOMO)

With "embot," children create original robots by assembling cardboard and electronic kit components. This monozukuri programming service uses a dedicated app to program assembled robots, making it possible to make them actually move. Initially, children will start off with a basic bear-shaped robot. Later on, they will be able to realize their ideas for creating other robots using familiar objects through a series of trial and error, and learn the basics of monozukuri and programming while enjoying themselves.

Urban development aimed at building a "Sendai Ecosystem"

NTT Urban Solutions

Having been certified as a "Sendai Metropolitan Center Rebuilding Project" in Miyagi Prefecture's city of Sendai, this project serves to conduct urban development through the rebuilding the Urbannet Sendai-Chou Building. We endeavor to build a "Sendai Ecosystem" with a view to realizing "Sendai: A City of Light Innovation," an aim of the Sendai Municipal Government. By connecting the "Next-Generation Irradiated Light Facility," a large-scale research facility scheduled to open in 2024, educational institutions such as Tohoku University and "Smart Innovation Labs" supplied by NTT EAST using the Urbannet Sendai-Chou Building and the NTT Group's ICT, we will proceed to realize the creation of new business and resolution of regional challenges.