Climate Change

Biodiversity​

Rakuten’s approach : Rakuten strives to leave a better environment for generations to come by leading the fight against climate change.

The Rakuten Group recognizes climate change as one of the most pressing issues facing society today.
Changing weather patterns and the increased risk of extreme weather events affect global citizens as well as our operations. To fulfill our responsibility as a global company and align with our corporate mission, we strive to contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society.
To do so, we assess and disclose our greenhouse gas emissions with the aim of reducing them throughout our value chains by improving energy efficiency, adopting clean energy solutions, and helping our customers reduce their own emissions using our products and services.
Please see our Group Environmental Policy for the full text.

TCFD Index

Thematic Area Recommendation Links
Governance Disclose the organization’s governance around climate-related risks and opportunities. Governance
Strategy Disclose the actual and potential impacts of climate-related risks and opportunities on the organization’s businesses, strategy, and financial planning where such information is material. Strategy
Risk Management Disclose how the organization identifies, assesses, and manages climate-related risks. Risk Management
Metrics and Targets Disclose the metrics and targets used to assess and manage relevant climate-related risks and opportunities where such information is material. Metrics and Targets

Governance

To strengthen the Rakuten Group’s overall response to climate change, a clear and robust management structure is essential. Recognizing this, Environmental Management Department was established in January 2022 as a dedicated organization to strategically drive environmental initiatives. In May 2025, to further enhance the integration of sustainability efforts and environmental strategies across business units, this department was merged with the Sustainability Department, and reestablished under the Operations Division as the new Sustainability Promotion Department.
The Sustainability Promotion Department is responsible not only for planning and promoting the Group-wide sustainability strategy, but also for evaluating and monitoring the progress of sustainability initiatives across all business units and driving continuous improvement. Important matters related to climate change are overseen at the executive level by the Group COO (Chief Operating Officer), who also serves as a Board Member and Head of the Operations Division. Under this direction, the Sustainability Promotion Department works in collaboration with international initiatives and both internal and external stakeholders to clarify environmental responsibilities across all business units. It also conducts internal audits covering the completeness and accuracy of environmental data, progress toward goals, regulatory compliance, and the identification of risks and opportunities to improve environmental performance, such as energy efficiency.
In addition, each business unit appoints an environmental point of contact (PIC) who works closely with the Sustainability Promotion Department. These PICs are responsible for the implementation of environmental initiatives at the operational level, managing risks and opportunities, and ensuring effective information sharing.
Under this three-layered structure—executive leadership, the Sustainability Promotion Department, and environmental PICs—we are strengthening our ability to address climate change across the Group.
Progress and key activities are reported quarterly to the Group Sustainability Committee via the Environmental Subcommittee, which may also recommend further analysis or decision-making as needed. These updates are also reported to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis to ensure proper governance at the Group level.

Group Sustainability Commitee

Strategy

We conducted a scenario analysis to identify climate-related transition risks (risks related to the transition to a decarbonized society), physical risks (risks related to the physical impacts of climate change), and opportunities for the entire Rakuten Group.

Set Scenarios and References

Scenario Reference
Scenario in which a decarbonized society is realized quickly
(1.5 degrees Celsius scenario)
Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario (NZE) by International Energy Agency (IEA)
Scenario in which physical impacts become apparent
(4 degrees Celsius scenario)
Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP8.5) in the 5th Assessment Report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

Identified Risks/Opportunities and Responses/Initiatives

1.5 degrees Celsius Scenario
Category Type Main Risk / Opportunity Time Horizon Impact Response / Initiative
Transition Risk Policy & Legal Increased reporting obligations for environmental metrics Short - Long Small ・Improvement of internal structures for environmental data collection
Introduction of carbon pricing mechanisms (such as carbon tax) Mid - Long Small ・Reinforcement of GHG reduction initiatives through energy efficiency improvement/renewable energy adoption
Market Loss of revenue opportunities due to delayed development and delivery of decarbonized products/services Mid - Long Small ・Enhanced development of environmentally conscious services
・Promotion of campaigns for raising environmental awareness
Reputation Reduced revenue or degraded reputation due to insufficient climate change countermeasures Mid - Long Small ・Active ESG-related information disclosure
・Reinforcement of GHG reduction initiatives
Opportunity Resource
Efficiency
Increased introduction of new technology for climate change response Short - Long Large ・Reinforcement of initiatives to optimize resource distribution utilizing artificial intelligence (AI)
Energy Source Increased use of renewable energy in response to rising carbon prices Short - Long Medium ・Promotion of renewable energy adoption through participation in RE100
Products/
Services
Increased environmentally conscious customer behavior due to increased interest in environmental issues Short - Long Medium ・Improvement of brand image through promotion of GHG reduction initiatives
・Improvement of external information disclosure
Market Increased use of public-sector incentives Short - Long Medium ・Improvement of reputation through participation in public-sector projects
4 degrees Celsius Scenario
Category Type Main Risk Time Horizon Impact Response / Initiative
Physical Risk Acute Increased business damage due to extreme weather events
(such as droughts, floods, typhoons, and hurricanes)
Short - Long Medium ・Improvement of BCP (Business Continuity Plan)
・Improvement of disaster countermeasures
Chronic Increased electricity costs for data center equipment cooling due to rising temperatures Mid - Long Small ・Promotion of energy efficiency improvement initiatives at data centers
・Promotion of research and development for energy efficiency improvement

Definitions of Time Horizon / Impact

【Time Horizon】
Label Description
Short-term Next 3 years
Mid-term -2030
Long-term 2030-
【Impact(Risk)】
Label Description
Small Little impact
Medium Services and/or
operations are delayed
Large Services and/or operations
are disrupted
【Impact(Opportunity)】
Label Description
Small Little impact
Medium Some services and/or operations
are impacted
Large Entire group is impacted

Risk Management

Climate-related risks are identified, assessed, and managed as part of Enterprise Risk Management (ERM), Rakuten Group’s risk management framework, by the Environmental Management Promotion Department.
For more details on Rakuten’s ERM, visit the Risk Management page.

Metrics and Targets

To manage the risks and opportunities posed by climate change to our company, we are pro-actively managing environmental impact data, including greenhouse gas Scope 1 emissions (direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the company itself), Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions accompanying the use of heat, steam, and electricity supplied by other companies), and Scope 3 emissions (indirect emissions other than Scope 1 and Scope 2).
Data for each metric is updated in the ESG Databook around June every year.

As a step towards realizing a decarbonized society, the Rakuten Group achieved carbon neutrality, or net-zero*1 greenhouse gas emissions*2, from all Group business operations, including consolidated subsidiaries, in 2023. Please see our press releasefor more information.

Starting in 2024, Rakuten Group's greenhouse gas emission reduction targets are outlined in the table below. These targets have been certified as Science Based Targets (SBT) by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi*3), which is an international climate change initiative. Please see our press releasefor more information.

Metrics Targets
Scope1 emissions Direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions
from the company itself
・Reduce absolute scope1 and 2 emissions 99.7% by 2032
from a 2022 base year
Scope2 emissions Indirect emissions accompanying the use of heat,
steam, and electricity supplied by other companies
Scope3 emissions Indirect emissions other than Scope1 and Scope2 ・Reduce absolute scope3 emissions 30.0% by 2032
from a 2022 base year
・Reduce scope3 emissions from all sold electricity 76.8% per MWh
by 2032 from a 2022 base year

*1 We promoted energy efficiency and renewable energy adoption groupwide for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and offset remaining emissions by using carbon credits and investing in reduction activities
*2 Total of Scope 1 emissions (direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the company itself) and Scope 2 emissions (indirect emissions accompanying the use of heat, steam, and electricity supplied by other companies), with third-party verification obtained and estimated in accordance with the GHG Protocol, the international standard for estimating and reporting GHG emissions volume
*3 The SBTi is an international climate change initiative jointly established by the United Nations Global Compact, CDP (an international NGO tackling climate change and related issues), WRI (World Resources Institute), and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature).

Rakuten’s Efforts

In Our Own Operations

Over 97% of Rakuten's energy usage is electricity, 95% of which is consumed in our mobile network, data centers and offices.

Improving the efficiency of our facilities' electricity usage and managing the sources of the electricity we use are the necessary first steps towards greener operations and minimizing our environmental impact. We promote various measures across the Group by raising our employees’ environmental awareness through e-learning courses and Asakai (weekly all-hands morning meetings).

Overall Value Chain

Partnerships & Initiatives

Rakuten participates in both domestic and international partnerships and initiatives to collaborate with stakeholders on achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and tackling climate change.
When new directions related to climate change or other issues arise within the partnerships and initiatives in which Rakuten participates, the Sustainability Promotion Department reviews whether they align with the Rakuten Group’s environmental policies and actions, as well as with international frameworks such as the Paris Agreement.
If it is determined that there are discrepancies between the new direction and the Rakuten Group’s policies, the Sustainability Promotion Department will consider making recommendations to the respective partnership or initiative or potentially withdrawing from it.
Any matters under consideration that may have a broader impact on the entire Group are reported to the Group COO, who chairs the Group Sustainability Committee. These matters are then discussed and addressed at the Group Sustainability Committee and the Environmental Subcommittee. When necessary, updates and decisions are also reported to the Board of Directors.
In 2024, besides our membership to the Japan Association of New Economy, none of our lobbying activities nor trade association participation were related to climate action.

Data & Third-Party Assurance