Case Study: Supporting Yamagata's Manufacturing Sector with the 'Yamagata GX Management School'

e-dash (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Tuma Yamazaki) was commissioned by Yamagata Prefecture (Governor: Mieko Yoshimura) to organize the 'GX Management School' to support local corporate decarbonization efforts. As part of the prefecture's 'Zero Carbon Yamagata 2050' initiative, the program was designed as a hands-on 'management school' rather than a standard seminar. Across four sessions, participants gained knowledge and conducted end-to-end tasks, including calculating their own carbon data and creating concrete reduction plans.

Targeting manufacturers in Yamagata, the program aimed to transform decarbonization from a cost into a business opportunity. Using the 'e-dash' cloud service, firms visualized Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions. Through strong collaboration between Yamagata Prefecture and three local financial institutions (The Yamagata Bank, The Shonai Bank, and The Kirayaka Bank), 14 manufacturing companies participated.

With the industrial sector accounting for approximately 30% of Yamagata's emissions, and with manufacturing highly represented, decarbonizing the supply chain is vital for competitiveness. The collaboration between the government and financial institutions successfully broke down barriers—such as the perception of decarbonization as an expensive burden or a lack of know-how—effectively triggering a major shift in corporate mindset.