Japanese trading and investment giant Marubeni is accelerating its sustainability transformation through significant reductions in carbon emissions, expansion of renewable energy assets, sustainable forestry management, circular economy initiatives, and climate-focused investment strategies as it advances toward its net-zero emissions target for 2050.
Marubeni’s sustainability agenda is overseen through its Sustainability Committee and executive leadership framework, integrating environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into corporate governance, investment decisions, and risk management processes, Marubeni Sustainability Report 2025 indicated.
Progress Toward Net-Zero Emissions by 2050
Marubeni remains committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 while pursuing interim climate targets for 2030. The company aims to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 50 percent from its FY2020 baseline of approximately 1.0 million tons of CO₂.
In FY2025, Marubeni reported Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions of 1.02 million tons of CO₂, reflecting the scale of its ongoing decarbonization challenge.
The company has delivered stronger results in investment-related emissions. Scope 3 Category 15 emissions fell from approximately 36 million tons of CO₂ equivalent in FY2020 to 24 million tons in FY2025, surpassing its 2030 target of 28.8 million tons well ahead of schedule.
Power generation assets accounted for approximately 21 million tons of these emissions, while raw resource projects contributed around 2 million tons. Marubeni also disclosed 35 million tons of CO₂ equivalent under Scope 3 Category 1 emissions and 800,000 tons under Scope 3 Category 2 emissions, enhancing transparency across its value chain.
Energy Transition Reshapes Portfolio Exposure
Marubeni’s climate disclosures aligned with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) provide detailed insight into energy transition risks and opportunities.
The company reported approximately ¥1,592 billion in Power Segment assets while maintaining ¥90 billion in credit and investment exposure linked to oil and gas exploration and production activities. Liquefied natural gas (LNG) assets represented an additional ¥50 billion in exposure.
Despite ongoing transition efforts, energy-related businesses continue to contribute significantly to earnings. Marubeni’s Energy & Chemicals Division generated net profit of ¥86.2 billion during FY2025. Within this segment, LNG projects contributed ¥4.4 billion, while oil and gas exploration and production operations generated ¥5.4 billion.
Coal Capacity Falls as Renewable Energy Grows
A major milestone in Marubeni’s decarbonization strategy has been the reduction of coal-fired power generation capacity.
The company reduced net coal-fired generation capacity from 3.0 GW to 1.3 GW, surpassing its medium-term reduction targets and moving closer to its long-term objective of eliminating coal-fired generation assets by 2050.
At the same time, Marubeni expanded renewable energy generation capacity to 1.4 GW across solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal projects.
The company has also established an operational energy-efficiency goal requiring at least a 10 percent reduction in combined electricity and gas consumption at its Tokyo headquarters by FY2026 compared with FY2016 levels.
Forestry Assets Store 11 Million Tons of CO₂
Natural capital remains a key pillar of Marubeni’s sustainability strategy.
The company manages approximately 300,000 hectares of overseas forestry assets, including 120,000 hectares of plantation forests. These assets collectively store biological carbon stocks equivalent to approximately 11 million tons of CO₂.
Marubeni’s Indonesian forestry subsidiary, PT Musi Hutan Persada, manages 271,799.27 hectares of PEFC-certified forest land under the Indonesian Forestry Certification Cooperation (IFCC) framework, with all harvested timber certified according to sustainable forestry standards.
In Australia, subsidiary WAPRES oversees 16,138 hectares of FSC-certified forestry land, supporting responsible forest management, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable timber production.
Circular Economy and Water Stewardship Gain Momentum
Marubeni continues to expand circular economy initiatives through ISCC PLUS certification across four subsidiaries, improving traceability for recycled plastics, bio-attributed materials, and circular polymers.
Water stewardship also remains an important environmental priority. During FY2025, total water intake across monitored operations reached approximately 276.9 million cubic meters, highlighting the importance of resource management across the company’s global footprint.
Internal Carbon Price of €86 Guides Investments
To strengthen climate-related decision-making, Marubeni applies an Internal Carbon Pricing mechanism of €86 per ton of CO₂.
Based on calculations aligned with the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), the carbon pricing framework helps incorporate climate risks and future carbon costs into investment evaluations.
The company also uses its Sustainability Assessment Tool to review all major investment proposals. The framework evaluates projects across 30 high-risk product and project categories using internationally recognized ESG indicators, helping improve capital allocation and sustainability risk management.
Environmental Governance Expands Across the Group
Marubeni continues to strengthen environmental governance through wider adoption of ISO 14001-certified Environmental Management Systems.
As of FY2025, 64 of Marubeni’s 498 group companies operated under ISO 14001 certification, representing 12.9 percent of the consolidated organization.
The Sustainability Management Committee conducted 11 stakeholder engagement meetings during the reporting period, covering climate disclosures, supply chain sustainability, human rights, and ESG performance. These activities support alignment with global frameworks including the UN Global Compact, TCFD, and TNFD.
Sustainability Investments Reach Hundreds of Billions of Yen
Marubeni is backing its sustainability ambitions with substantial investment commitments.
The company invested approximately ¥394.9 billion during FY2025 across strategic platform businesses, infrastructure, natural resources, and future growth initiatives. Planned investment and capital expenditure spending is expected to rise to approximately ¥670 billion in FY2026.
Under its GC2027 strategy, Marubeni has allocated approximately ¥1.7 trillion for cumulative growth investments through FY2027 while targeting cumulative cash generation of ¥2.6 trillion.
These investments are expected to accelerate renewable energy development, resource efficiency projects, sustainable infrastructure, and broader energy transition opportunities.
Outlook
Marubeni’s Sustainability Development Report 2026 highlights tangible progress across climate action, renewable energy deployment, sustainable forestry, circular economy initiatives, and ESG governance. The company has reduced Scope 3 investment-related emissions to 24 million tons of CO₂e from 36 million tons in FY2020, cut coal-fired generation capacity to 1.3 GW from 3.0 GW, expanded renewable energy capacity to 1.4 GW, maintained forestry assets storing approximately 11 million tons of CO₂, and implemented an internal carbon price of €86 per ton. Supported by planned investments of ¥670 billion in FY2026 and cumulative growth investments of ¥1.7 trillion through FY2027, Marubeni is strengthening its pathway toward net-zero emissions by 2050 while building a more resilient and sustainable global business portfolio.
SHAFNA FAZAL