Replacing the power
used
by base stations
with renewable energy

The annual greenhouse gas emissions from our business activities amount to approximately 680,000 tons of CO2 equivalent (fiscal year 2019 results), which is equivalent to the emissions of approximately 250,000 average households Within those, more than half of our electricity is used at mobile phone base stations (hereinafter “base stations”), where our core business is mobile telecommunications. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we are switching to electricity^*1 from substantial renewable energy supplied by our subsidiary SB Energy Corp., and has achieved the goal of switching 30% of the electricity used by base stations to substantial renewable energy by fiscal year 2020 and more than 50% by fiscal year 2021.In fiscal year2022, more than 70% of the electricity used at base stations will be switched in stages to substantially renewable energy sources.

In addition, we are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by gradually switching to substantially renewable energy sources for power used by facilities and equipment other than base stations, and we are also working to reduce power consumption by further saving energy in network facilities through the replacement of energy-saving equipment and more efficient air conditioning systems.

[Note]

• *1 Electricity which is essentially 100% renewable energy utilizing non-fossil certificates that specify renewable energy.

Power efficiency utilizing
AI, IoT, etc.

It is said that the impact on the global environment can be predicted by utilizing AI, IoT, big data, and other cutting-edge technologies to analyze the massive amount of environmental data through AI learning features. In order to become able to implement various countermeasures based on those predictions, the world's attention is focused on the application of cutting-edge technologies to environmental problems.
We are striving to maximally utilize cutting-edge technologies and synergies between group companies to achieve power efficiency in our facilities and equipment and implement measures to reduce the environmental load.

Reducing the environmental load through the development of next-generation batteries

We are striving to reduce the environmental load through research and development aimed at the development and practical application of next-generation batteries. Power consumption is increasing through the evolution of devices, which is leading to an increase in CO2 emissions. Increasing the capacity and energy density of batteries equipped in devices can enhance the performance and efficiency of devices and equipment and reduce the load on the environment.
Moreover, the “SoftBank Next-generation Battery Lab” was established in June 2021. In October 2021, in collaboration with Empower Greentech Inc. of the U.S., we succeeded in demonstrating a lightweight, high-capacity, high mass energy density lithium metal battery whose mass energy density is more than twice that of conventional batteries (520 Wh/kg class).
By encouraging research development and early commercialization, we aim to serve as a platform to promote the development of next-generation batteries.

Initiatives Related to
Scope 3 Reduction

As part of our efforts to reduce Scope 3 emissions, we are also considering measures such as offsetting credits, permanent carbon removal, forest carbon sequestration, and oceanic carbon uptake in cases where complete elimination of emissions is not achievable. We have endorsed the establishment objectives of the CO2 Capture, Utilization, and Storage (CCUS) Consortium, which was created by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology to conduct research and development on CO2 capture, utilization, and storage technologies. Our participation aims to contribute to the overall improvement of industry-wide technologies.

Additionally, we have joined as an initial member of the Natural Capital Credit Consortium (NCCC) and aim to promote forest conservation by contributing to the creation of carbon credits through the utilization of IT.

As part of the effort to reduce overall CO2 emissions of society, we have launched the “Future and Coral Project” in collaboration with Okinawa Onna Village, which actively promotes coral planting and environmental conservation, along with numerous companies and organizations. Through the conservation activities of coral reefs, we contribute to the promotion of CO2 absorption in the oceans by restoring marine ecosystems.
Furthermore, our group company, SB Power Corporation, offers a household electricity plan called “Shizen Denki”, which has zero CO2 emissions. For each contract, SB Power Corporation contributes 50 yen per month as an activity support fund, providing support for forest conservation activities.

Additionally, we have started calculating the carbon footprint for some of our products, and we plan to expand this assessment to cover more products in the future.