Sustainability

External Ratings

Inclusion in ESG Indices

The H.U. Group is highly evaluated by rating organizations around the world and has been selected as a constituent of many ESG indexes in Japan and overseas.

Logo Index Overview of the Group’s rating
FTSE Blossom Japan Index *1 An ESG investment index designed by FTSE Russell with a focus on Japanese companies. Those companies that demonstrate excellent ESG practices are selected.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has been selected for the second consecutive year since 2023.
FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative Index *1 An ESG investment index designed by FTSE Russell with a focus on Japanese companies. Indices reflect the performances of Japanese companies that demonstrate excellent ESG practices, which are comprehensively reviewed in each investment sector. In addition, to facilitate a shift towards a low-carbon economy, in sectors that produce significant quantities of greenhouse gases, only companies that have received favorable evaluations on climate change-related initiatives and governance improvements are included as constituents.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has been selected for the third consecutive year since 2022.
MSCI Nihonkabu ESG Select Leaders Index *2 The index is composed of stocks of companies with superior ESG performance targets of 50% by number of securities in market capitalization of the MSCI Japan IMI covering Japanese stocks as the parent index.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. was selected for the first time in 2024.
MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index *2 The index is composed of stocks of companies with superior ESG performance targets 50% of the free float-adjusted market capitalization within the MSCI Japan IMI covering Japanese stocks as the parent index.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has been selected as a constituent for eight consecutive years since 2017.
MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (WIN) *2 The index is composed of stocks of companies with excellent gender diversity scores in market capitalization of the MSCI Japan IMI covering Japanese stocks as the parent index.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has been selected as a constituent for six consecutive years since 2019.
S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index This index scores according to environmental information disclosure and carbon efficiency level (sales-based carbon emissions intensity).
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has been selected as a constituent stock for seven consecutive years since 2018.
Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Index ※3 Morningstar, Inc. designed this ESG index to emphasize companies in the Japanese market that have strong gender diversity policies embedded in their corporate culture and that ensure equal opportunities to employees, irrespective of their gender. H.U. Group Holdings Inc. was selected for the first time as Group 1, the highest ranking, in 2023.
SOMPO Sustainability Index Index The index is composed of some 300 stocks with strong reputations for environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG), selected based on the results of an ESG management survey conducted by SOMPO Risk Management Inc.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has been selected as a constituent for four consecutive years since 2021.
  • FTSE Russell (the trading name of FTSE International Limited and Frank Russell Company) confirms that H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. has been independently assessed according to the FTSE Blossom Japan Index and the FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative Index criteria, and has satisfied the requirements to become a constituent of the indices. Created by the global index and data provider FTSE Russell, the FTSE Blossom Japan Index is designed to measure the performance of companies demonstrating strong Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices. The FTSE Blossom Japan Index and the FTSE Blossom Japan Sector Relative Index are used by a wide variety of market participants to create and assess responsible investment funds and other products.
  • The inclusion of H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. in MSCI indexes and the use of any MSCI logo, trademark, service mark or index name does not constitute sponsorship, endorsement, or promotion of H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. by MSCI or any of its affiliates. MSCI indexes are the exclusive property of MSCI. MSCI index names and logos are trademarks or service marks of MSCI or its affiliates.
  • Morningstar, Inc., and/or one of its affiliated companies (individually and collectively, “Morningstar”) has authorized H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. to use of the Morningstar Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt Logo (“Logo”) to reflect the fact that, for the designated ranking year, H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. ranks in the top quintile of companies comprising the Morningstar® Japan ex-REIT Gender Diversity Tilt IndexSM (“Index”) on the issue of gender diversity in the workplace. Morningstar is making the Logo available for use by H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. for informational purposes. H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. use of the Logo should not be construed as an endorsement by Morningstar of H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. or as a recommendation, offer or solicitation to purchase, sell or underwrite any security associated with H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. The Index is designed to reflect gender diversity in the workplace in Japan, but Morningstar does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the Index or any data included in it. Morningstar makes no express or implied warranties regarding the Index or the Logo, and expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Index, any data included in it or the Logo. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall Morningstar or any of its third party content providers have any liability for any damages (whether direct or indirect), arising from any party’s use or reliance on the Index or the Logo, even if Morningstar is notified of the possibility of such damages. The Morningstar name, Index name and the Logo are the trademarks or services marks of Morningstar, Inc. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.

ESG Ratings

In recognition of our ongoing efforts to promote sustainability, we have received high ESG ratings from various rating organizations in Japan and overseas

Index Overview of the Group’s rating
MSCI ESG Ratings * The MSCI ESG Rating rates companies on a scale of 'AAA' to 'CCC' according to their exposure to ESG risks and how well they manage those risks relative to peers.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has earned the highest rating of AAA for the third consecutive year since 2022.
MSCI ESG Ratings
CDP Based on the questionnaire related to global environmental issues, the CDP, an international NGO, assess the responses from companies, etc. and discloses the information. H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has received the second highest rating of "A-" in the CDP Climate Change Report for three consecutive years since 2021.
Additionally, the Supplier Engagement Rating (SER) rates how effectively companies collaborate with suppliers regarding climate change issues and in 2023 the Group received the second highest score of A- rating.
In 2023, we responded to the water security questionnaire for the first time and received a D rating.
ISS ESG ISS ESG is an ESG investment-related solutions business unit of Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a world-leading US proxy advisory firm, and is one of the leading ESG rating agencies. H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. has been certified the "Prime" status in “ESG Corporate Rating” by ISS ESG since 2023. ISS ESG
Sustainalytics’ ESG Risk Ratings The ratings focus on ESG issues that pose significant risks to corporate performance and rate companies on three aspects of corporate governance, material ESG issues, and industry-specific issues.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has earned a rating of “Low Risk”, the second highest, since 2020.
Health & Productivity Stock Selection The Health & Productivity Stock Selection is jointly selected and published by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange to recognize enterprises that focus on and strategically carry out efforts about their employees’ and other workers’ health from a management perspective. H.U. Group Holdings Inc. was selected for the first time in 2024. 2023 White 500 Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), and Nippon Kenko Kaigi
Certified Health and Productivity Management Organization
Large Enterprise Category (White 500)
Nippon Kenko Kaigi, jointly with the METI, presents awards to large and small and medium-sized enterprises that have implemented particularly excellent health management based on their efforts to meet local health issues and the health promotion initiatives of the organization.
H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. has been certified as a "Certified Health & Productivity Management Outstanding Organization (White 500)", which was selected from the top 500 corporations in the large enterprise category for the third consecutive year since 2022.
Health & Productivity Stock Selection
Digital Transformation Stock (DX Stock) METI selects and publishes the list of DX Stocks jointly with the Tokyo Stock Exchange (TSE) and Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA) selecting outstanding companies which have established internal systems for promoting digital transformation (DX) to improve corporate value.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has been selected for the second consecutive year since 2023.
Digital Transformation Stock (DX Stock)
Digital Transformation (DX) Certification H.U. Group Holdings Inc. has been certified as a DX-certified company under the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)'s digital transformation (DX) certification system in February 2023. As a social infrastructure company protecting lifelines with a focus which focuses on lab testing and its related services, the Group will construct and stably operate a highly reliable IT infrastructure system, increase the efficiency of business using IT infrastructure, reform businesses using ICT and promote DX. Digital Transformation (DX) Certification
Toyo Keizai Inc.
CSR Company Ranking
The ranking evaluates Japanese companies from four aspects of CSR initiatives (human resources and utilization, environment, corporate governance, and social responsibility) and financial aspects.
H.U. Group Holdings Inc. was rated as follows in the 2024 edition rankings.
(1,712 companies surveyed)
✔ CSR Company Ranking:
Ranked 196th overall and 5th by industry

* The use by H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. of any data of MSCI ESG Research LLC or its affiliates (“MSCI”) and the use of MSCI logos, trademarks, service marks, or index names herein do not constitute a sponsorship, endorsement, recommendation, or promotion of H.U. Group Holdings, Inc. by MSCI. MSCI services and data are the property of MSCI or its information providers and are provided “as is” and without warranty. MSCI names and logos are trademarks or service marks of MSCI.