The Ministry of the Environment administers the ESG Finance Awards Japan to recognize and commend financial institutions and organizations actively engaged in ESG finance, as well as companies making efforts in sustainable corporate management.

　The recipients of the 7th ESG Finance Awards Japan have been selected, and the awards were presented on February 16, 2026.

Scenes from the Award Ceremony Held on Wednesday, February 16

1. Overview

　The Ministry of the Environment established the ESG Finance Awards Japan in 2019 to promote and expand ESG finance. This award aims to recognize and commend financial institutions and organizations actively engaged in ESG finance, as well as companies making efforts in sustainable corporate management, and to share these initiatives with society. This year marks the seventh round of the awards.

　The initiatives submitted for consideration were reviewed by the ESG Finance Awards Japan Selection Committee, and recipients were selected in each category. The awards were conferred on February 16, 2026.

Opening Remarks by Minister of the Environment Hirotaka Ishihara

2. List of Award Recipients (subcategories in parentheses)

[Minister of the Environment Awards] Gold Prize: 7 recipients, Silver Prize: 8 recipients

[Chair of the Selection Committee Awards] Bronze Prize: 9 recipients, Special Award: 4 recipients, Thematic Award: 7 recipients

[Investors of the year]

Gold:                Robeco Japan Company Limited (Asset Managers)

Silver:               Nissay Asset Management Corporation (Asset Managers)

Bronze:             Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance Company (Asset Owners)

Special Award: Japan Automobile Recycling Promotion Center (Asset Owners)

[Banks of the year]

Gold:                THE SHIZUOKA BANK, LTD.

                        Mizuho Bank, Ltd.

Silver:              The Higo Bank, Ltd.

　　                 The Bank of Yokohama, Ltd.

Bronze:            The San-in Godo Bank, Ltd.

Special Award: The Fukui Bank, Ltd. and Fukui Byora Co., Ltd. (jointly awarded)

[Issuers/Borrowers of the year]

Gold:                 Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd.

Silver:               Mitsubishi HC Capital Inc.

Bronze:             Central Nippon Expressway Company Limited

Special Award: N/A

[Financial Services of the year]

Gold:                Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd. (Securities)

Silver:               Rating and Investment Information, Inc. (ESG Evaluation and Data Providers)

Bronze:             Mizuho Securities Co., Ltd. (Securities)

Special Award: Sustainable Lab Inc. (ESG Evaluation and Data Providers)

[Thematic Awards (Financing of the year)]

Net Zero Award:               Senshu Ikeda Lease Co., Ltd.

Nature Positive Award:    THE SHIGA BANK, LTD.

Circular Economy Award: Dai Nippon Printing Co., Ltd.

[Environmentally Sustainable of the year]

Gold:                 ITOCHU Corporation

                         Sekisui House, Ltd.

Silver:               Kurita Water Industries Ltd.

                         DAIWA HOUSE INDUSTRY CO., LTD.

                         Meiji Holdings Co., Ltd.

                         Bronze: Osaka Gas Co., Ltd.

　　　　　　    KONICA MINOLTA, INC.

　　　　　　    SKYLARK HOLDINGS CO., LTD.

                         TOPPAN Holdings Inc.

                         Mitsubishi Materials Corporation

Special Award: MITSUI-SOKO HOLDINGS Co., Ltd.

[Thematic Awards (Environmentally Sustainable of the year)]

Net Zero Award:               Tokyu Fudosan Holdings Corporation

　　　　　　　　　　      Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha

Nature Positive Award:    Nissui Corporation

Circular Economy Award: LIXIL Corporation

3. Gold Prize – Reasons for Selection 

Robeco Japan Company Limited

As a long-established responsible investor with a global presence, Robeco Japan has been highly commended for serving as a bridge between investors in Japan and Europe and for contributing to the advancement of Japan’s sustainable finance market. In addition, the company has continued to advance its practices through measures such as engagement on corporate governance based on international standards and the development and full-scale implementation of evaluation methodologies that integrate nature-related perspectives. Taken together, the company was recognized for its consistently high-standard initiatives, including the incorporation of new perspectives, and for its efforts that serve as a useful reference for other institutions regardless of business type, resulting in the award of the Gold Prize.

THE SHIZUOKA BANK, LTD.

THE SHIZUOKA BANK has been highly commended for further strengthening collaboration with regional financial institutions, local governments, and local industries within Shizuoka Prefecture, while steadily advancing concrete initiatives with an eye toward expansion to other regions. The bank has also made a significant contribution to promoting ESG across Shizuoka Prefecture by proactively pursuing new areas, including the development of initiatives such as supporting borrowers in calculating Scope 3 emissions through “Shizuoka GX Support Z”, as well as proactively taken on nature-related initiatives. The bank was recognized for its ability to translate these wide-ranging initiatives pursued from a long-term perspective into financial business practices, resulting in the award of the Gold Prize.

Mizuho Bank, Ltd.

Mizuho Bank has been highly commended for formulating a “Grand Design” for Japan’s future industrial structure, leveraging its strengths in industry research; engaging proactively in dialogue with large corporations; deploying a wide range of initiatives in areas such as ship finance and carbon neutrality ; and thereby deepening both its business strategies and the substance of its initiatives. Mizuho Bank is also distinguished by its comprehensive approach to the circular economy and natural capital. The bank has contributed to expanding the potential of ESG finance in Japan and enhancing corporate value, and was recognized for its role as a model case for other financial institutions, resulting in the award of the Gold Prize.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL CO., LTD.

SEKISUI CHEMICAL raised financing for the development of highly anticipated perovskite solar cells. As this is an ambitious new technology with a potentially significant societal impact, the company has continued in-depth dialogue with investors with a view to practical application in 2027, steadily advancing the social implementation of innovation. The integration of management and finance, along with financing focused on perovskite solar cells as a core element of GX, was recognized as a symbolic case. The innovation in clearly linking R&D with green finance was highly evaluated, resulting in the award of the Gold Prize.

Daiwa Securities Co. Ltd.

After conducting in-depth analysis of the circumstances and needs of both issuers and investors, Daiwa Securities has proactively engaged in taken on highly thematic transactions such as orange bonds and provided optimal sustainable finance frameworks, demonstrating an ideal approach as a securities firm. Its sustained efforts in internal talent development and organizational capacity-building were also highly valued. Through consistently clear and concrete explanations, the company has facilitated deeper understanding in its dialogue with issuers. This series of highly effective initiatives was highly commended, resulting in the award of the Gold Prize.

ITOCHU Corporation

As a general trading company with a diverse range of business domains and supply chains, ITOCHU was highly commended for comprehensively identifying environmental risks and opportunities and aligning them with its growth strategy at a time when high growth is required to support capital-efficient management at global standards. The leadership demonstrated by executive officers in pursuing company-wide synergies, together with the establishment of robust sustainability governance that enables long-term decision-making, serves as a benchmark for other companies. It was also particularly noted that the company’s pioneering efforts on natural capital within its non-resource businesses have contributed to assessing and verifying the resilience of its natural rubber operations, resulting in the award of the Gold Prize.

Sekisui House, Ltd.

Sekisui House was highly commended for advancing innovative responses to a wide range of environmental challenges beyond climate change, including the quantitative evaluation of its contributions to nature positivity through planting initiatives and its “House to House” initiative, which seeks to achieve horizontal recycling of housing. The company advocates “ESG management focused on value creation”, putting into practice the idea that the creation of social value leads to enhanced corporate value. Particular note was also given to the company’s strong leadership in engaging diverse stakeholders, including industry peers and supply chains, to address environmental challenges across the industry as a whole, resulting in the award of the Gold Prize.