Sustainability
Our Approach to CSR/ESG
In order to meet society’s expectations and build trust, Asteria aims to contribute to its sustainable development by proactively communicating with customers, shareholders, employees, business partners, local communities, and all relevant stakeholders when conducting business activities.
Basic Principles
- Asteria will create value through “connectivity” and maintain a customer-oriented approach.
- Asteria will have explainable reasons for all of its decisions and meet shareholders’ expectations.
- Asteria will respect diversity, personality and individuality, while valuing employee job satisfaction and pride.
- Asteria will continue to grow together with its business partners in working towards the goal of “connecting the world”.
- Asteria will contribute to society by creating value that is beneficial to people.
Efforts toward SDGs
Asteria views the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, as important issues that society needs to address. With the SDGs presented as globally shared goals to set a clear direction in which to work towards, many companies which have begun to take proactive efforts. We, too, are working on business activities with the SDGs in mind.
Social
Social Contribution Activities
In order to realize a healthy and prosperous society and encourage its sustainable development, Asteria engages in “social contribution activities”, including support for young people who will lead the future.
Support for Kamonohashi Project
Since 2011, Asteria has been supporting the “Kamonohashi Project”, a non-profit organization working to eradicate human trafficking in Cambodia and India.
As with our business, we focus on supporting social contribution activities that we can identify with and advocate for.
Participation in Charity Marathon
The rise in depression is said to have started in the IT industry. The “NIPPON IT Charity Ekiden” is a relay race held every year to help unemployed people who have been made socially vulnerable by this industry reintegrate into society.
As part of our social responsibility, we invite our employees to participate in the event in 2-3 teams each year, and get involved with supporting young people who will represent the future through this sport.
Diverse Work Styles
Asteria actively promotes the creation of a work environment that supports diverse work styles to ensure that personnel from various backgrounds can continue to thrive.
Promoting Diversity
We aim to realize a society that respects diverse values through activities aimed at creating employment for sexual minorities (LGBT), foreign nationals and people with disabilities. Since our founding, we have committed to a gender, nationality, race, religion and ideology-free stance when it comes to hiring and promotion, and strive to create a comfortable working environment for our employees.
In 2017, CEO Hirano spoke at “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE,” an international diversity promotion forum organized by The Economist. The event, held in Hong Kong, featured Hirano as the only representative from Japan. The session explored how company leaders are actively addressing diversity, with a particular focus on LGBT inclusion, in their respective countries.
Telework
To ensure employee safety and business continuity in the event of a disaster, we provide all employees with the equipment and environment needed for telework, including laptops, tablets, and other communication devices.
Telework is the norm in Asteria and has been actively implemented company-wide.
Sabbatical Leave/ Birthday Leave
For the purpose of maintaining work-life balance (work-life harmony), we have introduced a month-long sabbatical leave for employees who have been with the company for a total of six years or more. Every year, several employees take advantage of this system to refresh themselves, acquire qualifications, study abroad or engage in personal development activities such as joining a volunteer group.
Employees can also take birthday leave every year on their birthday or in the 15 days before or after to refresh themselves.
Childcare Support
In order to create an environment in which employees raising children can work comfortably in accordance with their lifestyle, we do not set uniform rules as a system. Instead, we support work styles that accommodate each employee’s individual needs, such as shorter working hours, working from home and child care leave, while taking into account company rules and legal perspectives.
Environment
Environmental Conservation Activities
While building a favorable “ecosystem” with our business partners and end users, we will also focus on developing an ecosystem to achieve “co-existence and co-prosperity” with the natural environment. Through these activities, we will implement measures to build an ecosystem between “the global environment and nature” as well as “society and industry” from a medium- to long-term perspective, aiming to realize a sustainable society.
We aim to build an “ecosystem” that not only benefits our business partners and end users, but also fosters “coexistence and co-prosperity” with the natural environment. Through these activities, we aim to implement measures that establish an ecosystem linking “the global environment and nature” with “society and industry” focusing on a medium- to long-term perspective, to achieve a sustainable society.
Promoting Paperless Operations
The use of our product Handbook X and tablet devices have helped reduce the amount of paper used for meetings and sales activities.
We have reduced paper printing by up to 60%, helping to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Asteria Green Activity
We are engaged in “Asteria Green Activity,” activities that aim to create a sustainable society and natural environment.
Regional Revitalization Project with Oguni Town, Kumamoto Prefecture
In 2015, we began forest conservation activities for Oguni cedar (a brand of timber from Oguni), promoting the use of lumber from thinning, and working to revitalize the forestry industry. We have produced toys and novelties using Oguni cedar as gifts for employees and user companies. Oguni cedar is also incorporated in our office interior to give warmth to the space.
Regional Revitalization Project with Semboku City, Akita Prefecture
In FY2016, we formed a partnership with Semboku City in Akita Prefecture to promote the introduction of ICT for industrial revitalization. Since then, we have worked together on projects such as making videos captured by drones available to watch using our product Handbook at each tourist site, as well as conducting experiments to enhance tourism services with tablets.
“Corporate Furusato Nozei” (Hometown Tax Donation) to Oguni Town and Semboku City
Asteria provides Oguni Town with 1 million yen each year to fund its business plan, titled “Make more use of Oguni cedar for a long time“, and another million to Semboku City for its cherry blossom conservation and tourism promotion activities. Both business plans have been approved by the Cabinet Office as projects eligible for the “Taxation System for Supporting Regional Development (Corporate Furusato Nozei)”.
Governance
Working toward Transparent and Sound Management
Our management objective is to become a company that contributes to society as a whole, including shareholders, customers, employees and other stakeholders, through continuous business growth.
To this end, we aim for highly transparent and sound corporate management, and have been working to strengthen corporate governance by inviting outside directors since the company’s establishment.
In addition, we have enforced thorough compliance by directors and employees a fundamental management principle.
Our core policy is to adhere strictly to laws and regulations while conducting honest and fair corporate activities that uphold social norms.
For information regarding our corporate governance structure and practices, please refer to the following page.
