2025/3/31
- CSR
Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
Suntory Holdings Limited
Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited
Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd.
Alliance for Water Stewardship Convenes Leading Companies Dedicated to Advancing Water Stewardship in Japan
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Tokyo, Japan (March 31, 2025) — Today, five companies - MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc., Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Suntory Holdings Limited, Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited, and Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd. - are announcing their collaboration as Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) Members to advance credible water stewardship in Japan.
Convened by AWS, the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group, made up of AWS Members in Japan, supports the AWS mission: to ignite and nurture leadership in credible water stewardship that recognizes and secures the social, cultural, environmental, and economic value of freshwater. The purpose of the group is to help build recognition and demand for credible water stewardship amongst companies operating in and from Japan.
Recently, various water issues have become apparent in Japan, such as disasters caused by aging water infrastructure, rising water charges, and the devastation of forests in catchment areas previously maintained by forestry workers due to a lack of these workers. Water is also impacting agricultural imports, with frequent droughts and heavy rains around the world affecting crop yields and contributing to rising raw material prices. To deal with such water risks, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to work together to address water issues and the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group, is a pivotal step in aligning leading companies in Japan with global water stewardship goals. AWS defines water stewardship as: the use of water that is socially and culturally equitable, environmentally sustainable and economically beneficial, achieved through a stakeholder inclusive process that involves site- and catchment-based actions.
In cooperation with AWS Secretariat, the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group will promote responsible water resource management in the basin amongst companies based in Japan, and will create an environment in which organizations across sectors can work together to conserve water resources in the basin, thereby spearheading corporate responses to water risks that become apparent in basins both in Japan and overseas. Specifically, the group’s action will include providing a Japan program which incorporates training and capacity development, promote corporate networking and collaborative activities in the basin, and enhance cooperation with governmental agencies.
AWS is an international organization dedicated to advancing credible water stewardship, established by leading organizations pursuing social, environmental and economic goals, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Today, AWS is a global membership network of businesses, NGOs and the public sector and AWS members play a pivotal role in growing and strengthening the water stewardship community of practice. AWS is also a sustainability standard system, and certification against the AWS Standard is a global benchmark for responsible water use. Globally, there are more than 200 AWS members and 300 AWS-certified sites. In Japan, four AWS members have headquarters locally and there are already four AWS-certified sites. AWS, with the support of AWS members based or operating in Japan, has identified Japan as a strategic country for promoting water stewardship in 2025.
Adrian Sym, Chief Executive of AWS, said, “Japan is home to several companies with many years of experience in water stewardship. However, they increasingly face growing water risks, both in and outside Japan, that require urgent unilateral and collective action. To drive progress, the Alliance for Water Stewardship is proud to convene the Japan Water Stewardship Leadership Group, bringing together key stakeholders to collaborate, share insights and accelerate solutions. This marks an exciting new chapter for water stewardship in Japan – one that will build partnerships and help pave the way for a more water-secure future for all.”
The group welcomes participation from public, private and civil society sectors committed to advancing water stewardship in their organizations and beyond. Participants must first become AWS Members. For more information visit https://a4ws.org/Japan/.
Water Stewardship activities by each party
MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings, Inc.
・MS&AD Insurance Group Holdings is working towards realizing a resilient and sustainable society by engaging in 'Green Resilience,' which aims for disaster prevention and reduction, as well as regional revitalization through the conservation and utilization of nature. The Group is promoting the creation of mechanisms for integrated flood control in the Kumagawa river basin and the implementation of water circulation conservation in the Kumamoto region, where factories are increasingly concentrated, in collaboration with local universities and financial institutions.
・Furthermore, MS&AD InterRisk Research & Consulting, member of the Group, supports natural-related issues, water risk management, and the promotion of collective action in river basins, for companies based on scientific knowledge.
Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
・Through the provision of diverse water treatment products and services to our customers, Kurita broadly contributes to solving environmental challenges, including issues related to water resources.
・Kurita has participated in the Water Resilience Coalition, engaging in collective actions to address water challenges in the Colorado River Basin in North America, the PCJ Basin in Brazil, and the Citarum River Basin in Indonesia.
・Furthermore, Kurita has been a member of the AWS since 2024, focusing on water stewardship at our group’s sites.
Suntory Holdings Limited
・In 2018, Suntory Tennensui Oku-Daisen Bunanomori Water Plant became the first in Japan to receive AWS Certification. Along with the Okudaisen Plant, Suntory Kyushu Kumamoto Plant and Suntory Tennensui Minami Alps Hakushu Water Plant are the only three Japanese company plants which currently hold the highest Platinum certification.
・Since 2021, an agreement has been established with AWS headquarters, allowing Suntory to collaborate with WWF Japan to promote the dissemination of water stewardship among companies based in Japan.
Coca-Cola (Japan) Company, Limited
・As a global member of AWS, Coca-Cola is committed to responsible water resource management in watersheds around the world. As of March 10, 2025, we have earned AWS certification for 19 locations worldwide, including the Coca-Cola Bottlers Japan Hakushu Plant.
・Moving forward, we aim to promote water stewardship within our business to increase water use efficiency in collaboration with communities in Japan.
Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd.
・Yachiyo Engineering Co., Ltd., founded in 1963, is an engineering consulting firm offering comprehensive consulting services. We have extensive experience in research and analysis related to the water cycle and water resources in watersheds, and in formulating policies such as water cycle plans and water-related ordinances for national and local governments.
・We also provide support for water resource management and risk assessment for private companies and have recently contributed to improving watershed health by facilitating the introduction of AWS.
