Euglena opens a new Call for CFO under 18 years old
As Post-SDGs discussions starts, 
it is essential to promote sustainability from a more future-oriented perspective.

Euglena Co., Ltd.

Tokyo, 1 September 2022 – Euglena Co., Ltd. (Euglena) today announced the opening of the call for new Chief Future Officers (CFOs) under the age of 18 who will work with Euglena to create a sustainable future, and Future Summit members who will work with the CFO.   
Euglena Call for CFO special website: https://www.euglena.jp/cfo/

■Background and History of CFO 
With "Sustainability First" as our corporate Philosophy, we are developing various businesses based on sustainability, including a healthcare business that supports the extension of healthy life expectancy, a biofuel business that aims to solve climate change, a sustainable agri-tech business that aims for circular agriculture, and social business in Bangladesh. 
Based on the idea that in order to create a sustainable future as a company, the generation that will be the central player of the future should participate in the company’s decision making, and in 2019 we established the position of CFO for those under 18 years old. This call for CFO marks the 4th term. Recommendations from past CFOs have drived discussions on sustainability at our company, including climate change, well-being, and post-SDGs initiatives, and have become part of our management decisions. 

Dialogue with elementary school students that led to the establishment of the CFO.
"Asked the adults of the future."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ws6mVSGtq_Q&t=3s


■About this Call for CFO 
The percentage of the world's population in the post-millennial generation^*1has already exceeded approximately 60% by 2020. In Japan, millennials are expected to account for more than half of the working-age population by 2025, and it is anticipated that there will be a shift from traditional capitalist values to values that emphasize sustainability^*2 . In fact, in recent years, there has been a growing movement around the world to focus not only on productivity and cost competitiveness, but also on reducing environmental impact and social inclusiveness, which requires a change in awareness and behavior, particularly among governments and companies  ^*3.
The SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) ^*4 are based on a commitment to "leave no one behind." The word "sustainable" means continuing into the future, and the idea is to think about the present from the future^*3.
Just as borders have no bearing on the issue of climate change, social issues must be addressed from a broad perspective, transcending various boundaries. The third CFO made a proposal on how a CFO should be: "As Euglena expands overseas, we need to listen to the voices of future generations not only in Japan but also in the countries where we operate.”  
With the post-SDGs discussions beginning around the world and just before the 2025 generational transition period in Japan, the year 2024 will require more borderless voices from the generations that will be involved in the future. In order to realize a truly sustainable society, we will be accepting applications for CFO positions in both Japanese and English.  

*1 Millennial generation: In Japan, this refers mainly to those born between 1980 and 1995 (there are various definitions).
*2 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. "White Paper on Trade and Industry 2021 Edition, Part II, Chapter 2: The Demand for New Growth Incorporating Common Values, Section 1: Growing Expectations for Corporate Behavior Toward a Sustainable and Inclusive Future Society." https: //www.meti.go.jp/report/tsuhaku2021/2021honbun/i2210000.html
*3 The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry of Japan. "White Paper on Trade and Industry 2021 Edition, Part II, Chapter 2, Request for New Growth Incorporating Common Value, Section 2: Meeting the Needs for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth.” https://www.meti.go .jp/report/tsuhaku2021/2021honbun/i2210000.html
*4 SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals): International goals for a sustainable and better world by 2030, as stated in the "2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development" unanimously adopted by member states at the UN Summit in September 2015. Goals (from the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan: https://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/oda/sdgs/about/index.html)

■Application details for the CFO and Future Summit members Requirements:​ ​
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Age: Under 18 years old
Term: Be able to work for one year (February 2024~January 2025)   

※Possible to change depending on the situation 

We are looking for the following individuals; 
・ Want to make a positive impact on society through Euglena Co., Ltd.  
・ Future-oriented 
・Be able to work as a team of CFO and Future Summit members 
Entry Details 
Please enter the "Euglena Call for CFO" special site below by clicking the "Entry Button" in either English or Japanese. For more detailed information, please visit the same site.​ ​
“Euglena Call for CFO” special site: https://www.euglena.jp/cfo/
Assignment
Q. How would you describe yourself in one word?
Q. What are the main social problems you want to solve in this world?   
Q. Why do you want to solve the social problem you mentioned above?
Q. As a CFO, you will work on your project to solve social problems you mentioned above through Euglena Co., Ltd. Tell us about your proposal on the CFO project.
・Title of the project
・Purpose of the project
・What do you think Euglena Co., Ltd. should do to solve social problems you mentioned above? 
・As a CFO, how do you plan to manage your project? For example, how will you manage your project schedule, team members, and communications with Euglena's employees? 


■Major initiatives of the past CFOs
1st CFO Kyoko Ozawa (born in 2002):
Abolishment of plastic bottles used among employees,
50% reduction of petroleum-derived plastic bottles used in our products etc. 

2nd CFO Rena Kawasaki (born in 2005): 
Supervised revision of the Business Objectives in the Euglena’s Article of Incorporation to reflect the SDGs,
Produced actions for SDGs in a client restaurant,
Took measures to foster internal culture etc.  ^​​

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3rd CFO Midori Watabe (born in 2006):
Appointed as the Chair of the Sustainability Committee,  
Enhancing internal communications of sustainability priorities with a view of post-SDGs etc. and others ongoing.​ ​
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About Euglena
Euglena Co., Ltd. is a Japan-based biotechnology-driven and sustainability-oriented growth company, starting from the world’s first success in outdoor mass cultivation of the edible microalgae Euglena in 2005. With “Sustainability First” as its corporate philosophy and its advanced R&D capabilities for proposing sustainable solutions to social problems, the Company has operated the Healthcare Business for marketing functional foods/cosmetics, the Biofuel Business for producing biofuels, and the Other Business in such areas as fertiliser, bioinformatics, farming, social business, etc. The Company went public in 2012 and is currently listed on the Prime Market of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.  
Further details can be found at www.euglena.co.jp/en
Sustainability featured website: https://www.euglena.jp/en/companyinfo/sustainability/ 


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