Nippon Keidanren supports corporate social responsibility and cooperation on environmental problems as outlined in our Charter of Corporate Behavior and Global Environment Charter. Nippon Keidanren and our member companies have supported programs in the United States and other regions of the world which assist those in need and address environmental challenges.
United States: Profoundly moved by the scope of the human tragedies that befell the United States on September 11, 2001, during the weeks after the attack, the Japanese business community, individuals and affiliates located in the United States contributed over $32 million to support the families of the victims and their communities. Most of these funds were sent directly to the Red Cross, the September 11 Fund, and the Salvation Army. In addition, a separate $3.75 million Japan Relief Fund was collected by Keidanren from 1,190 companies, business organizations, and individuals in Japan. The fund was disbursed among three non-profit organizations: the New York Community Trust, Scholarship America, and the Washington Grantmakers’ Community Capacity Fund. Donations have also gone through the Terumo Corporation.
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf Coast states in September 2005, Keidanren created a 3.6 Billion Yen ($3 million) Hurricane Katrina Fund to help with recovery efforts. About 659 member companies contributed to the fund, including in-kind goods and services. Donations have been disbursed through the Red Cross.
Developing Countries: Keidanren has provided support in the Middle East and Asia to those who are less privileged or have been devastated by natural or human disasters to help rebuild their communities and lives. Keidanren has supported a range of programs, including:
- Activities by SHAPLA NEER, a Japanese NGO dedicated to overseas development support;
- Community-building projects in Nepal and Bangladesh;
- Asian People’s Exchange, which works with NGOs in Indonesia to strengthen social infrastructure and provide industry training;
- Action with Lao Children (ALC), which promotes literacy, children’s rights, and works on narcotic abuse prevention by providing a safe haven; and
- Peace Winds Japan, which aids people displaced or impoverished by conflict in the Middle East
Support for the Environment: Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund. In 1991, to implement the goals established in the Keidanren Global Environment Charter, we established the Keidanren Committee on Nature Conservation to facilitate efforts to cut pollution emissions, conserve energy and protect the environment. The Committee subsequently established the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund to support environmental protection activities, including foreign and Japanese NGO-administered nature conservation projects in developing counties. The fund provides training for personnel to work on international conservation projects, and promotes efforts to educate Asian communities of the importance of and different methods that can be utilized to preserve the environment.
Programs that Keidanren has supported include:
- Community participation in village planning and conservation at Cao Hai Nature Reserve in China;
- Conservation and management of sea turtles in the Java Sea in Indonesia;
- The Eco-Scouts Program in the Philippines; and
- The Environmental Education and Afforestation Program in Ubon Rachathani, Thailand.
The One Percent Club: In 1991, Keidanren established the One Percent Club. The Club is a voluntary group of corporations committed to donating one percent of their earnings, one percent of their disposable income, and/or one percent of their time for philanthropic activities.
