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Providing Sustainability Information Disclosure Support Cloud 'SmartESG' and AI-Powered Draft Generation Service 'Answer Ease' to IHI

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Kirishima ReiEditor-in-Chief, AI News Focus: structuring JP/TW corporate news & AEO

Published Mar 30, 2026 8:10 PM ・ Updated Jun 29, 2026 2:01 AM ・ 9 min read ・ Source: PR TIMES

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⚡ Key Points

Cierpa & Co.
has begun providing its 'SmartESG' platform and 'Answer Ease' AI service to IHI Corporation as of March 1, 2026.
This partnership aims to centralize IHI's sustainability data management and streamline their responses to ESG assessments, including the S&P Global CSA.

Cierpa & Co. has begun providing its 'SmartESG' platform and 'Answer Ease' AI service to IHI Corporation as of March 1, 2026. This partnership aims to centralize IHI's sustainability data management and streamline their responses to ESG assessments, including the S&P Global CSA.

PRIMARY SOURCE PR TIMES View source Distributor: PR TIMES
Published: Mar 30, 2026

Cierpa & Co. (Headquarters: Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and CEO: Jun Sugimoto; hereinafter "Cierpa") is pleased to announce that it began providing its sustainability information disclosure support cloud, "SmartESG," and its AI-powered automatic draft generation service, "SmartESG Answer Ease" (hereinafter "Answer Ease"), to IHI Corporation (hereinafter "IHI") on March 1, 2026.

IHI operates under the management philosophy of "contributing to the development of society through technology" and "human resources are our greatest and only asset," addressing social issues related to infrastructure and industry and contributing to their resolution through technology.

Following the decision by IHI to adopt "SmartESG" and "Answer Ease," Cierpa commenced service provision in March 2026. By utilizing the "Database" and "Workflow" functions, IHI will centrally manage its sustainability information in the cloud and establish internal data collection processes. Furthermore, by using the "Focus" and "Benchmark" functions to visualize the relevance of diverse sustainability information, IHI will formalize the process for identifying key issues that the company should prioritize.

Additionally, IHI will utilize "Answer Ease" to respond to the "CSA (Corporate Sustainability Assessment)" operated by S&P Global, leveraging AI to improve the efficiency of its engagement with rating agencies. Cierpa is an S&P Global certified partner (*1), and "SmartESG" achieves API integration with the "CSA" portal (*2), enabling a seamless workflow from the generation of draft responses to final submission within the "SmartESG" platform.

(*1) Cierpa becomes the first APAC partner certified by S&P Global, strengthening the integration between "Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA)" and "SmartESG." https://smartesg.jp/news/20250529 (*2) Cierpa begins API integration with S&P Global's Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA) platform. https://cierpa.co.jp/posts/qDRw4nnh

Through the provision of "SmartESG," Cierpa will continue to support the further advancement of sustainability management for its client companies.

About "SmartESG" "SmartESG" is a data platform that centrally manages sustainability and ESG data scattered throughout a company, supporting strategic sustainability management. "SmartESG" contributes not only to the sophistication of corporate information disclosure and the strengthening of stakeholder engagement but also to accelerating the formulation and execution of sustainable management strategies. Since its launch in November 2022, it has been adopted by over 70 companies, primarily large enterprises, and is used by approximately 15% of companies with a market capitalization exceeding 500 billion yen. The cumulative market capitalization of companies using the platform has surpassed 200 trillion yen (as of August 2025). For product inquiries, please contact us via the following website: https://smartesg.jp/

About "SmartESG Answer Ease" "Answer Ease" is an assistant feature that uses AI to automatically generate draft responses to sustainability-related questionnaires based on a company's existing data. By utilizing AI as an assistant for the time-consuming and labor-intensive task of responding to sustainability and ESG questionnaires, companies can reduce their workload and achieve significant efficiency. Additionally, by providing the references used as the basis for the draft responses, the system is designed with accuracy and hallucination prevention in mind. https://smartesg.jp/answerease

Company Overview Company Name: Cierpa & Co. Representative: Jun Sugimoto, Representative Director and CEO Address: 1F TERRACE SITE GOTANDA, 3-6-32 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Established: September 2019 Capital: 100 million yen Business: Development and provision of the sustainability information disclosure support cloud "SmartESG," operation of the ESG/sustainability-focused media "ESG Journal Japan," and provision of consulting services by sustainability experts "ESG Advisory" - Corporate Website: https://cierpa.co.jp/ - Recruitment Website: https://cierpa.co.jp/recruit

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Source: PR TIMES
Category: partnership

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Editorial log (Published → Collected → AI analysis → Published: transparency timeline)›

Announced　Mar 30, 2026 8:10 PM — Distributor PR TIMES
Collected　Mar 30, 2026 10:56 PM
AI structured & analyzed　Jun 2, 2026 1:02 PM
Desk-reviewed & published　Mar 30, 2026 8:10 PM

FAQ

When did Cierpa begin providing the SmartESG cloud platform and Answer Ease service to IHI Corporation?

Cierpa began providing its sustainability cloud platform SmartESG and AI draft service Answer Ease to IHI on March 1, 2026.

Which SmartESG functions will IHI use to centrally manage its sustainability information in the cloud?

IHI will utilize the Database and Workflow functions of SmartESG to centrally store and coordinate its sustainability data.

How does SmartESG help IHI visualize relevance of sustainability data and prioritize key issues?

SmartESG offers Focus and Benchmark functions that visualize diverse sustainability information, enabling IHI to formalize and prioritize the most critical issues.

Which corporate sustainability assessment will IHI address using Answer Ease, and what integration does SmartESG provide for this assessment?

IHI will use Answer Ease to respond to S&P Global's Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), with SmartESG offering API integration that connects directly to the CSA portal for seamless draft generation and submission.

Who is the representative director and CEO of Cierpa, and what pioneering certification does the company hold in the APAC region?

Jun Sugimoto serves as Cierpa's representative director and CEO, and Cierpa is the first APAC partner certified by S&P Global, strengthening its integration with the Corporate Sustainability Assessment.

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Washin AI News Desk“Providing Sustainability Information Disclosure Support Cloud 'SmartESG' and AI-Powered Draft Generation Service 'Answer Ease' to IHI”AI News by Washin Village（和心村）, Mar 30, 2026. https://aeo.washinmura.jp/ai/cierpa-co-jp/en/news/2026-04-20-providing-sustainability-information-dis

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