Defining a New Corporate Purpose and Momentum for Impact Mizuho Group’s impact approach gained significant momentum in 2023, coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the company. As part of this milestone, the company redefined its corporate purpose: “Proactively innovate together with our clients for a prosperous and sustainable future.” 105 More than a tagline, this shift signaled an integration of corporate philosophy with an impact-oriented approach—an acknowledgment that financial success and social value creation are not opposing forces but mutually reinforcing. A critical insight emerged: impact could serve as the unifying thread across multiple sustainability themes. Rather than addressing issues like decarbonization, resource recycling, and biodiversity in isolation, Mizuho saw impact as the lens to connect these challenges into a cohesive strategy. This thinking was formalized in 2024, when Mizuho Group, Inc. and six other Mizuho Group subsidiary companies published the Impact Business Compass—a policy framework that defines Mizuho’s role in the impact economy. 106 The Compass articulates not just the why, but the how: how Mizuho intends to integrate impact into financial and non-financial services, how it will measure value beyond profits, and how it will co-create impact with clients. As part of the Impact Compass, Mizuho has developed a new “Yardstick” for its impact measurement and evaluation. In its words, “This new way of measurement seeks to articulate social and environmental value and reflect it on the integrated value of corporations.” 107 At its core, the Impact Business Compass is anchored in three principles: 108 n Supporting a sustainable society by providing financial and advisory solutions that align business activities with long-term impact. n Generating intentional impact —ensuring outcomes are deliberate, measurable, and co-created with clients. n Fostering a positive cycle of impact and revenue, where financial success and social value reinforce one another, mobilizing capital markets as a tool for change.
192
Ten Years in the Making
Powered by FlippingBook