Climate Bonds Café: SMBCs Approach to Social Value Creation

Climate Bonds Café: SMBCs Approach to Social Value Creation

From Climate Bonds Initiative by Climate Bonds Initiative

June 1, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

This episode features a discussion on SMBC Group's approach to creating social value within the context of sustainable finance in Japan.

Japan is at a pivotal moment in its energy transition, and its financial institutions are under pressure to prove that sustainable finance is more than a label. In this episode, Climate Bonds Initiative CEO Sean Kidney sits down with Masayuki Takanashi , Executive Officer and Group Chief Sustainability Officer of SMBC Group, for a frank conversation on how SMBC Group creates Social Value, and what credible sustainable finance actually looks like in practice. Topics covered: SMBC Group's "Social Value Creation" strategy and what it means in practice The SMBC Sustainable Finance Framework — what it does and why it matters Transition finance and Japan's path to decarbonisation Customer engagement and the integrity of sustainable finance Mobilising sustainable capital in Asia Introduced by Yumiko Watanabe, Head of Japan Programme, Climate Bonds Initiative.

People in this episode

Host: Sean Kidney

Guest: Masayuki Takanashi

Topics covered

  • Social Value Creation
  • Sustainable Finance
  • Transition Finance
  • Decarbonisation
  • Customer Engagement
  • Sustainable Capital

Keywords

  • sustainable finance
  • social value
  • SMBC Group
  • decarbonisation
  • transition finance
  • customer engagement
  • sustainable capital

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SMBC Group, Climate Bonds Initiative

Places: Japan

More episodes of Climate Bonds Initiative

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Climate Bonds Initiative podcast page.