Aucnet Establishes Sustainability Policy to Promote Its Adoption of SDGs, Launches Website on Sustainability

News provided by

10 Sep, 2021, 06:00 GMT

- Aiming to Contribute to Sustainable Society by Realizing Circular Distribution on Global Scale -

TOKYO, Sept. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Aucnet Inc. (hereinafter "Aucnet"), headquartered in Tokyo, has recently announced its sustainability policy, "Circulating valuable goods on a global scale - Circulation Engine -," and launched a website on sustainability (URL: https://www.aucnet.co.jp/SDGs/en/). The move follows the announcement of the company's policies regarding the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (*) on June 29, the anniversary of its founding.

(*) The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, consisting of 17 goals and 169 targets, that were adopted at the U.N. Summit in September 2015.

"Circulating Valuable Goods on a Global Scale - Circulation Engine -" Aucnet started the world's first real-time virtual used car auction in 1985. Based on its philosophy of "Shaping the Future of Commerce," Aucnet has expanded beyond the used car business into a wide variety of other business areas, including used digital products, used motorcycles, pre-owned luxury brand items, flowers and used medical equipment. Aucnet has been working to build a "circular distribution" system that delivers "valuable goods" to "people who need them." Now that Aucnet has more than 33,000 member partners in over 40 countries around the world and is focusing on global business development, it has established a new sustainability policy, "Circulating valuable goods on a global scale - Circulation Engine -." As a company that contributes to a sustainable society by creating a system to efficiently circulate valuable goods in the market, Aucnet will further strengthen its efforts on sustainability. The phrase "Circulation Engine" conveys the message that Aucnet will further expand the "circular distribution" that it has been working on and become an engine that drives a society where goods are circulated on a global scale beyond industries, regions, and countries.

Sustainability Actions Linked to the Sustainable Development Goals In order to realize its sustainability policy, Aucnet has formulated four actions that are linked to the 17 goals set forth in the SDGs.

Action 1: Equitable Trading Around the World

Create an equitable and informationally gap-free trading environment where everyone around the world can trade with peace of mind in order to continue the circulation of goods on a global scale.

Host online auctions appropriate for the industry and goods
Jointly host online auctions with partner companies
Fair inspection and evaluation adapted to the industry and goods

Action 2: Maximizing the Value of Goods

Connect buyers and sellers around the world, maximize the value of goods, and circulate them.

Maximize the value of all kinds of goods and distribute them utilizing optimal matching methods.

Action 3: Keeping the Earth Beautiful

Contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions through efficient transportation and long-term use of goods through online auctions and other markets.

Carbon offset
Online auctions reduce CO2 emissions compared to physical auctions.
Auctions of used goods prevent CO2 emissions occurring in the disposal and production of new goods.

Action 4: Working with All Partners

Expand the scope of sustainability by building and promoting circular distribution with all kinds of partners beyond industries, regions and countries.

Membership business
Cooperation with companies in the industry
Together with local communities

Establishing New Metric for Sustainability Management

A new management metric, Gross Circulation Value (GCV), has been established to link the sustainability policy to specific actions. GCV is the total value of products circulated in the markets provided by Aucnet. The annual GCV for the fiscal year ending December 2020 was 379 billion yen, and the cumulative total is over 7 trillion yen to date. Aucnet, as a company that "connects and circulates various goods via information," will continue contributing to sustainability with many more partners, aiming to build toward a "sustainable society" for the future.

- Aucnet Company Profile

Company name: Aucnet Inc.
Head office: Aoyama OM Square, 2-5-8 Kita-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo (107-8349 Japan)
Representative: Kiyotaka Fujisaki, Chairman & CEO; Shinichiro Fujisaki, President & COO
Date of establishment: June 29, 1985
Capital: 1,765 million yen (as of Dec. 31, 2020)
Consolidated net sales: 24 billion yen (in 2020)
Consolidated number of employees: 821 (as of Dec. 31, 2020)
Stock: First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange (Stock code: 3964)