Ishibashi Foundation, Operator of Artizon Museum, Obtains SBT Certification: First Japanese Art Museum to Obtain SBT Certification for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)

The Ishibashi Foundation (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Chairman: Ishibashi Hiroshi), a public interest incorporated foundation, has obtained SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises) SBT certification from the Science Based Targets (SBT) initiative* for its CO₂ reduction targets for 2030. This is the first time an art museum in Japan has obtained SBT certification.

The Ishibashi Foundation has set targets of maintaining zero Scope 1* emissions, reducing Scope 2* emissions by 100% by 2030, with 2020 as the base year, and working to track and reduce Scope 3* emissions.

Art museums require large amounts of electricity for air conditioning systems that are essential to the management and display of works. In light of this, in 2024 the Artizon Museum (Chuo-ku, Tokyo) advanced the introduction of renewable energy and achieved a 100% renewable energy share for the electricity used at the museum by adopting solar power generation through a Corporate PPA (Power Purchase Agreement) scheme and purchasing non-fossil fuel certificates with tracking.

In addition, with the expansion of the Ishibashi Foundation Art Research Center (Machida City, Tokyo)* in February 2025, the foundation substantially increased the number of solar panels on both the existing building and the new wing, establishing facilities capable of supplying approximately 20% of the electricity used in the building through on-site solar power generation. For the remaining electricity, as at the Artizon Museum, a program to purchase non-fossil fuel certificates with tracking was introduced in March 2025, achieving a 100% renewable energy share across the Art Research Center as a whole.

Since its establishment in 1956, the Foundation has addressed a range of social issues. In 2022, it renewed its commitment to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and contributes through both museum activities and grant programs to the protection of cultural properties, the promotion of universal education and outreach, and support for initiatives that address climate change and global environmental conservation.

*Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
The Science Based Targets initiative is an international initiative that encourages companies and organizations to set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets aligned with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting the increase in global average temperature to 1.5°C. It is jointly operated by CDP (an international NGO engaged in research and disclosure of companies’ and cities’ environmental information), WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature), WRI (World Resources Institute), and UNGC (United Nations Global Compact).

*Scopes 1, 2, 3
Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 are categories defined under the international GHG Protocol, which classifies greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from corporate activities according to their sources. Scope 1 refers to direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by an organization. Scope 2 refers to indirect emissions from the generation of purchased energy including electricity and heat. Scope 3 refers to other indirect emissions occurring across the entire value chain, from raw material procurement through disposal. To achieve carbon neutrality, organizations are required to track and reduce emissions across the supply chain as a whole.