Asuene Signs Club Partner Agreement with Kashima Antlers

Asuene Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Tokyo, Representative Director and CEO: Kohei Nishiwada, hereinafter "Asuene") has signed a club partner agreement with Kashima Antlers FC Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture, Representative Director and President: Fumiaki Koizumi, hereinafter "Kashima Antlers").

Asuene will support Kashima Antlers' proactive actions aimed at realizing a sustainable local community and returning value to future generations through SPL consulting and environmental education and human resource development via "ASUENE ACADEMY." By combining the strengths of both companies, the aim is to further accelerate climate action in the J.League and promote decarbonization and sustainability through "Sport Positive Leagues (SPL)."

Background of the Partnership Agreement

In recent years, particularly in European sports, mechanisms that evaluate clubs not only on wins and losses but also on their contributions to the environment and society have become widespread. In Japan as well, the J.League is promoting "Climate Action" to address climate change issues, and a new era is dawning where the value of football clubs is measured by their contributions to the community and environment, with participation in SPL starting in 2026 as part of this initiative.

Kashima Antlers has been promoting practical initiatives to enhance the sustainability of the entire local community by leveraging the passion of sports, such as building a local energy production and consumption model through the introduction of solar power at its own facilities and reducing emissions during fan travel in collaboration with fans.

Moving forward, the club aims to further deepen its unique sustainability activities and, by aligning with SPL, an international environmental assessment indicator that the J.League will participate in from 2026, strive for the realization of a more sustainable local community together with the community, partners, fans, and supporters.

Under its mission of "Creating a better world for the next generation," Asuene provides "ASUENE," a sustainability AI platform with the No. 1 cumulative number of installations in Japan*. In addition to calculating, reporting, and disclosing Scope 1-3 emissions implemented with advanced AI, it also offers specialized consulting services that comply with domestic and international regulations and initiatives.

In addressing the challenges of creating new environmental value through sports and realizing a decarbonized society, Asuene strongly resonated with the potential for community contribution by combining technology and sports, as promoted by the Antlers, leading to this partnership agreement.

Details of Initiatives with Both Companies

Based on this partnership, Asuene and Kashima Antlers will implement initiatives focused on "Visualization of CO2 Emissions and Support for J.League Climate Action & SPL Consulting" and "Environmental Education and Human Resource Development" through "ASUENE ACADEMY." The solutions for visualizing and reducing CO2 emissions from both companies will be fused with practical application and communication capabilities through the sports field.

Moving forward, Asuene will promote the realization of a society where future generations can continue to enjoy soccer with peace of mind and a decarbonized society by utilizing decarbonization and ESG management solutions.

What is Sport Positive Leagues?

"Sport Positive Leagues (SPL)" is a system that quantifies a club's climate action, allowing for a clear understanding of its progress and the direction it should aim for at a glance. It collects data on the status of 12 key climate action initiatives for clubs belonging to participating leagues. This includes sports-specific environmental performance, such as energy efficiency of stadiums and facilities, use of renewable energy, recycling and waste reduction efforts, management of CO2 emissions from fan and player travel, and promotion of environmental education for the community and players, among a wide range of activities.

Subsequently, an effect analysis is quantitatively performed using SPL's unique scoring system, calculating a total score with weightings assigned to category themes such as energy, waste, and transportation. SPL then issues scores for each league in a format familiar to sports fans, a league table, and participating clubs are showcased across leagues. The system is characterized by its data-driven approach, which visualizes environmental efforts and promotes the sharing of best practices by publicizing scores, thereby providing motivation to pursue higher goals.

https://www.jleague.jp/climateaction/spl/

Comments from Each Company

Fumiaki Koizumi, Representative Director and President, Kashima Antlers FC Co., Ltd.

"We are extremely encouraged and delighted to have signed a club partner agreement with Asuene Co., Ltd., one of Japan's leading sustainability companies.

Kashima Antlers has always walked alongside our hometown community, aiming for the sustainable development of society through sports. To further deepen our club's long-standing efforts on environmental issues, it is necessary to respond effectively to the ongoing 'J.League Climate Action' and the 'SPL,' in which we will participate from 2026 as part of it. To achieve this, we need to visualize our club's past efforts as objective data, evolve them into more effective actions, and accelerate our environmental initiatives.

We are confident that through collaboration with Asuene, which possesses advanced AI technology and specialized knowledge, the precise visualization of our club's CO2 emissions and environmental education for the community will advance dramatically. Moving forward, with the support of Asuene, we will powerfully advance towards realizing a future where the next generation of children can enjoy soccer in a rich environment, united with our fans, supporters, partners, and the local community."

Kohei Nishiwada, Founder, Representative Director and CEO, Asuene Co., Ltd.

"I am sincerely delighted to announce the signing of this partnership agreement with Kashima Antlers. An era has arrived where the J.League participates in SPL, and essential initiatives for sustainability are demanded in the world of sports.

I am convinced that by combining Kashima Antlers' influence on the community and its bond with fans with our company's solutions, we can create a sustainability movement that spreads from the Kokai region of Ibaraki to all of Japan. We will powerfully advance towards realizing our mission, 'Creating a better world for the next generation,' together with Kashima Antlers."

About Kashima Antlers FC Co., Ltd.

Company Name: Kashima Antlers FC Co., Ltd.

Location: 26-2 Kōjōji Ushiro-yama, Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture

Representative: Fumiaki Koizumi

Official Website: https://www.antlers.co.jp/

Asuene Company Profile

Company Name: Asuene Co., Ltd.

Business Activities:

- Sustainability AI Platform "ASUENE"

- Supply Chain Management AI Platform "ASUENE SUPPLY CHAIN"

- Sustainability Recruitment AI Platform "ASUENE CAREER"

Group Companies:

- Carbon Credit Integration AI Platform "Carbon EX"

- Third-Party Assurance/Verification & Disclosure Advisor "ASUENE VERITAS"

- AI Data Integration Platform "Anyflow"

- AI Energy Reduction Platform "NZero"

Capital: 8.3 billion yen (including capital surplus)

Representative: Founder, Representative Director and CEO Kohei Nishiwada

Address: 6F, Tokyo Toranomon Global Square, 1-3-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo

Locations: Japan, Singapore, USA, Thailand, UK, Philippines

URL: https://corp.asuene.com/

*No. 1 in cumulative domestic installations for ASUENE: Survey by Tokyo Shoko Research / as of July 2025 survey.