Seven & i Group operates around 22,800 primarily retail stores throughout Japan and has grown to be used by approximately 22.2 million customers each day. In order to prevent the development of these businesses from increasing the negative impact on the environment, we are working with various stakeholders in the value chain to reduce CO2 emissions caused by energy consumption, reduce waste, and promote recycling, among other efforts.
In May 2019, we announced the "GREEN CHALLENGE 2050" Environmental Declaration, in which we establish Seven & i Group's ideal society as one that is decarbonized, has a circular economy, and is in harmony with nature. We established goals for 2030 and 2050 related to CO2 emission reduction, plastic countermeasures, food loss and waste / organic waste recycling countermeasures, and sustainable procurement. We believe that reducing waste of energy, resources, and raw materials to achieve our goals will lead to cost reductions.

Climate change is a serious threat that will affect future generations through rising sea levels, erratic weather, impacts on the agriculture and fishing industries, and more. According to the "Special Report: Global Warming of 1.5℃" released by the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) in 2018, the average temperature has risen by about 1.0℃ compared to before the Industrial Revolution, and it is said that CO₂ emissions must be reduced to net zero by 2050 to keep the temperature rise at 1.5℃.

Throughout the world, one in nine people suffers from malnutrition, while in Japan, 25.5 million tons of food is wasted every year. Of this, the amount of food loss and waste - edible food that is discarded - is 6.12 million tons, which is equivalent to every person throwing away a bowl of rice every day.

Plastics, which are highly convenient, are used in various situations in our lives, and over 8.3 billion tons* of plastic have been produced since 1950. Meanwhile, 9% of plastic is recycled and 79% is sent to landfills or disposed of in nature. At this rate, it is estimated that 12 billion tons of plastic will be sent to landfills or disposed of in nature by 2050, and there are reports that the amount of plastic in the ocean exceeds the amount of fish*. The issue facing us is to build a recycling-oriented economic society that makes effective use of existing resources without waste.

In addressing this material issue, Seven & i Holdings contributes to achieving goals 2, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, and 15 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by reducing CO₂ emissions and waste of food products, and so forth.