How Business Footprinting Is Reshaping Sustainability from the Boardroom to the Supply Chain
For decades, Japan has been a quiet pioneer in measuring humanity’s demand on our planet, using the power of Ecological Footprint accounting. Now, that foundational work is moving decisively from national statistics into the heart of corporate strategy. A new wave of Japanese businesses is adopting Footprinting for businesses. In the process, they discover a clearer, more actionable path to true sustainability.
Beyond Carbon: Seeing the Whole Picture
While carbon emissions dominate the climate conversation, a company’s impact on nature is multidimensional. It involves water, forests, fisheries, and fertile land. The Ecological Footprint synthesizes all demands that compete for nature into a single, understandable unit: global hectares (gha). It answers a foundational question: Because of this company’s existence, how much does this company contribute (or detract from) ecological overshoot?
This holistic view is becoming a corporate superpower. Unlike a carbon-only lens, Ecological Footprints reveal the structure of a company’s relationship with nature. It shows where in the supply chain the pressure points lie: is it in raw material sourcing, manufacturing, or product use? Is the product dependent on resource flow to operate? What does it displace? This makes it an indispensable tool for:
- Strategic Planning: Informing decisions that decouple growth from ecological impact.
- Supply-Chain Resilience: Identifying hidden dependencies on fragile ecosystems.
- TNFD & ESG Disclosure: Providing robust, science-based data for mandatory and voluntary nature-related reporting.
By aligning operations with the core Ecological Footprint principle of ecological regeneration, companies aren’t just reducing harm, they’re designing business models that not only help humanity operate within Earth’s budget, but also generate strategic advantages for the business.
The Policy Catalyst: Japan’s Nature-Positive Turn
Why is this accelerating now in Japan? The shift has been catalyzed at the highest level.
In 2023, the Japanese government formally embedded the Ecological Footprint into its National Biodiversity Strategy (2023-2030), recognizing it as a key indicator for monitoring corporate impacts on ecosystem services. The Ministry of the Environment actively promotes Ecological Footprint in its TNFD guidance workshops. Maybe this was also encouraged by co-founder Mathis Wackernagel, and his PhD advisor Bill Rees, receiving the Blue Planet Prize from the Asahi Glass Foundation in 2012.
The message to the private sector is clear: understanding your full ecological footprint is no longer a niche exercise—it’s integral to Japan’s transition to a nature-positive economy. This policy signal has turned interest into action, creating fertile ground for Business Footprinting to take root.
From Early Adopters to Mainstream Momentum
The track record in Japan is growing, built on strong partnerships. Global Footprint Network, alongside its dedicated Japanese partners Ecological Footprint Japan (EFJ) and IDEA Consultants, Inc., has been at the forefront of this corporate journey.
The path was blazed by forward-thinking companies like Kao Corporation (2012) and Daiichi Sankyo Group (2016). Today, the movement is gaining powerful momentum. Industry leaders are now publicly integrating Ecological Footprint into their core sustainability vision:
- Fujitsu (with IDEA, 2024) is using Ecological Footprint to advance its vision for a sustainable world.
- Alps Alpine (with EFJ, 2025) is applying it to explore “coexistence with nature”.
These aren’t just one-off reports; they are deep strategic explorations into how a company can thrive by respecting planetary boundaries.
The Researcher at the Heart of the Movement: Meet Katsu
Behind this growing momentum is a network of dedicated experts. In Japan, a central figure is Katsunori Iha (Katsu), Global Footprint Network’s lead researcher and specialist in MRIO applications, based in the country. Katsu is more than an analyst; he is a crucial bridge between the global Ecological Footprint methodology and its practical, impactful application in the Japanese business context.
He works closely with partners at EFJ and IDEA, providing the scientific backbone, clarifying complex data, and ensuring that every Business Footprint assessment is both rigorous and relevant. When a company like Alps Alpine or Fujitsu asks, “What does this mean for our specific supply chain?” Katsu helps translate the numbers into strategic insight. His role is pivotal in ensuring that Japan’s corporate adoption of Ecological Footprint is built on a foundation of scientific integrity and local understanding.
The Road Ahead: A Model for the World
Japan’s expanding practice of Business Footprinting marks a new phase for the metric itself, from a macro indicator to a micro decision-making tool. It’s opening new applications, inspiring nature-positive business models, and proving its value in the TNFD era.
As the steward of the Ecological Footprint methodology, Global Footprint Network supports this global evolution through fostering collaboration worldwide. To make the National Footprint & Biocapacity Accounts, independent and well governed, it set up an organization dedicated to those accounts: FoDaFo. FoDaFo now works with York University to produce and advance these accounts.
The experience being gained in Japan, spearheaded by local partners and experts like Katsunori Iha, is a valuable blueprint for other regions.
The compass for companies that want to stay relevant points to nature. For companies ready to navigate the transition to becoming future-proof, Business Footprinting provides the map.
Find out more:
Is your organization ready to explore its Ecological Footprint?
Global Footprint Network and its partners welcome you to join this growing movement. Contact us to discover how Business Footprinting can illuminate your path to resilience and longevity. For more information, contact Katsunori Iha (Katsu).
Inspired by Japan’s two-decade journey with the Ecological Footprint. Learn more about the history here: Two Decades of Ecological Footprinting in Japan