[Faculty of Business Administration] Collaborative class between Mizuho Securities and Hyogo Prefecture

On July 3rd, in the Faculty of Faculty of Business Administration 's "Financial Accounting" class (taught by Professor Kubota), we welcomed representatives from Mizuho Securities' Sustainability Promotion Department and the Hyogo Prefectural Government's Planning Department Regional Revitalization Division and Finance Department Fiscal Division to give lectures on the themes of "ESG Investment and Sustainability" and "SDGs Initiatives in Hyogo Prefecture."

Mizuho Securities provided an explanation of the relationship between SDGs and ESG investing, as well as the basic concepts and evaluation methods of ESG investing. They also clearly explained the characteristics and issuance history of Green Social Sustainability (GSS) bonds, using concrete examples.

Hyogo Prefecture gave a presentation on the structure of the SDGs and the role that local governments play, and introduced specific initiatives of the prefecture, such as the "Hyogo Field Pavilion," the "Hyogo Industry SDGs Certification Project," and examples of companies participating in the SDGs Hub. They also gave a detailed explanation of the role of local government bonds and Hyogo Prefecture's extensive track record of issuing green bonds, making it a valuable opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of activities that are directly relevant to the practical work of local governments.

Following the lecture, the instructors carefully answered six questions that had been submitted in advance by the participating students, including "How do Lecturer evaluate a company's ESG activities?" and "What are some SDGs activities that are easy for students to participate in?"

Surveys from students who attended the course revealed many positive comments such as, "My understanding of ESG investing has deepened," and "Hyogo Prefecture's specific initiatives were impressive," indicating that it was a very beneficial lecture.

This lecture provided students with a very meaningful opportunity to proactively consider the connection between ESG investment, sustainability, and SDGs and their own learning and future.

(Source: Faculty of Business Administration)