How Fujitsu balances both prioritiesSolving societal issues or achieving business growth
Article | 2025-6-30
10 minute read
Fujitsu is promoting a Net Positive business approach, actively creating positive impacts on society and the environment through its corporate activities. Fujitsu’s Net Positive Index, independently researched and developed by Economist Impact, revealed that companies with a mature Net Positive approach demonstrate higher profitability and greater investor confidence. However, many companies struggle to fully realize Net Positive due to conflicts with other business priorities and organizational resistance. This article will showcase how Fujitsu has overcome these challenges, using specific initiatives as examples.
Net Positive is a concept that aims to go beyond reducing the negative impact of corporate activities in order to create a positive impact on society and the environment. Fujitsu believes that companies have a societal responsibility to pursue Net Positive at the same time as growing their businesses.
The Net Positive Index surveyed companies across 5 industries (financial services, manufacturing, mobility, retail and energy & utilities) in 17 countries in North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region to find out how they are tackling Net Positive.
According to the Net Positive Index, companies across every industry with a sufficiently mature Net Positive approach were more likely to achieve revenue and market share targets and to gain investor confidence. This underscores the fact that pursuing Net Positive will benefit both business growth and society, as well as the environment. Despite the fact that many executives and decision makers understand the benefits of both, very few companies are truly Net Positive. While the factors vary, the most common internal challenges were “conflict with other business priorities (52.9%)” and “organizational resistance to change (46.4%)”.
How can companies overcome barriers within their organizations to promote Net Positive? In this article, Takashi Yamanishi, Corporate Executive Officer, EVP, CSSO (Chief Sustainability & Supply Chain Officer), will talk about Fujitsu's efforts to promote Net Positive and explain the value that Fujitsu can support customers’ efforts.
― First of all, please tell us about Fujitsu's Net Positive initiatives.
Yamanishi: Fujitsu defines Net Positive in the following way: “As a member of society, Fujitsu must address the materiality of solving global environmental problems, developing a digital society, and improving people’s well-being. We aim to maximize our impact on society through technology and innovation, along with making a positive financial impact on Fujitsu (monetary impact from our business activities).” We incorporate this thinking into company-wide strategies while at the same time, encouraging each business group to clarify its own materiality-related efforts and performance indicators in its business plans. They are, in turn, responsible for driving these efforts.
Specifically, we measure our impact on society and the environment, and the financial impact created by our efforts based on our approach to materiality: “solving global environmental issues,” “developing a digital society,” and “improving people's well-being,” with the aim of making both impacts positive.
When undertaking a Net Positive initiative, it is important to understand the current position of your company by visualizing the positive and negative impacts on your business, environment and society. Against this backdrop, we can help maximize positive impacts and minimize negative impacts to enhance the maturity of Net Positive.
