Our lives are already affected by climate change, with rising temperatures and frequent major disasters such as heavy rain and flooding in various regions. What will happen to the global environment, world, and society if these circumstances remain unchanged? How should we respond to these changes?
At the TOMY Group, we envisioned what society will be like (scenario) in 2030 and 2050 if the temperature rise is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius or lower compared to the pre-industrial-revolution level, as well as if the temperature rises 4.0 degrees Celsius from the above level by 2100. We then held a workshop for the TOMY Group’s Officer study session and a workshop for employees from across seven departments, and discussed climate-related risks and opportunities. This page introduces contents of the cross-departmental workshop for employees.
At the TOMY Group, we specifically envisioned what society will be like (scenario) in 2030 and 2050 where the temperature rise is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius or lower compared to the pre-industrial-revolution level, as well as where the temperature rises 4.0 degrees Celsius from the above-mentioned level in 2100. We then had seven departments -- Business Department, Management Planning, Production and Procurement, Accounting and Finance, General Affairs, PR and IR, and Sustainability and CSR -- hold a discussion about the negative impact (risks) to be faced by the TOMY Group and its business opportunities associated with demand for toys and asobi(play), which are expected in the respective cases.
the level of impact, and others in the future.
Risks
- Customers will visit stores less frequently due to temperature rise.
- It will be difficult to hold the PLARAIL EXPO and other events offline.
- Toys will be deformed during transportation due to extreme heat.
- Logistics schedule will be delayed due to natural disaster.
Opportunities
- It will be easy to transport products to cold regions.
- Materials and products will be developed by taking advantage of heat.
- Interesting sales floors will be created using VR.
- Toys will be delivered by utilizing 3D printers.
Risks
- Customers’ ethical awareness will be raised, leading them to avoid products which are not environmentally friendly.
- Toy subscription will be the mainstream, with a decline in purchases of new products.
Opportunities
- Indoor toys will be popular.
- Water toys like water pistols will be popular.
- Online businesses will flourish greatly.
- Environmental classes and the similar events will increase at schools, and environmentally friendly toys will be used as teaching materials.
- Digital technologies will be familiar, leading people to go back to analog technologies.
Risks
- It will be difficult to come up with ideas on good products and services due to extreme heat.
- Commuting will be hard due to extreme heat.
- Employees’ health will be affected by risk of heat stroke, etc.
Opportunities
- Remote work will create more opportunities to work with overseas people, and innovation will be created from diversity.
- We will spend more time with our families because we will work mostly at home.
- Remote work will allow us to work wherever we like, such as overseas, and new ideas inspired by local cultures will lead to the creation of new products and services.
Risks
- We will face more government requests and regulations, such as carbon tax and information disclosure.
- People will be unable to spend money on toys and other articles of taste because clothing, food, and housing will be insufficient.
Opportunities
- Material prices will decrease with the spread of eco-friendly materials.
- We will create new products and services by collaborating with companies who share the same ethical awareness.
- Japan will have more immigrants, and language barrier-free board games will be popular as communication toys.
- When priority is given to the level of happiness over GDP, TOMY will be able to contribute more to society through asobi(play).
In addition to opinions about preparations for the situations expected in the future, many ideas were given on measures to cater to market needs, even in a tough environment. Toward the future, we will address climate change in a Group-wide manner and create ties between people through asobi(play), thus helping to make society better.
We have built a new system for continually considering and implementing what we should do to address environmental problems, through the process of considering climate action that includes this workshop.
At the TOMY Group,
we will minimize the negative impact of our business on climate change,
so as to protect the environment and allow children to enjoy toys
with a smile 100 years from now,
and create new asobi to continue providing excitement, surprise, emotion, and smiles.
