Design and Implementation of Business Certification System for Achieving a Sustainable Society

Higashiomi City "Omishonin" Certification System as a Case Study

Abstract

Using the "Omishonin" certification system of Higashiomi City, Shiga Prefecture, as a case study, the study clarified the important elements in implementing a system to support the realization of a sustainable society by summarizing issues and responses at the design and operation stages, evaluation mechanisms, results of operation, and improvement plans. At the regional level, it is important to promote a clear understanding of the relationship between business activities and regional sustainability, and the study proposed to draw a regional original sustainable vision and to use the contribution to the realization of that vision as a certification criterion. Twenty-one local businesses were certified based on the evaluation of their contribution to the region in terms of social, economic, and environmental aspects of their business activities. Future issues are to promote the sharing of the philosophy of sustainable regions and to study a method to evaluate the contribution to the region more quantitatively.