Tokyo, 9 March 2023 – Enel X Japan, a leader in Virtual Power Plant and Demand Response services, in partnership with the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ICCJ), hosted an event in celebration of ‘Mimosa Day’ on International Women’s Day, at the Italian Embassy in Tokyo. Mimosa Day is an Italian tradition on International Women’s Day, where a mimosa flower is given to women as a symbol of appreciation and to celebrate women’s strength and vitality.
The event theme was ‘Sustainability and Inspiring Female Leaders’, and featured a panel discussion with leading female executives including: Ms. Marta Marmiroli, General Manager, Power System ICT Design Department, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, Ms. Mina Masaya, Executive Managing Director, Fuji TV Network Inc., and Ms. Toshimi Kasai, Head of Human Resources, Enel X Asia Pacific.
Ambassador of Italy to Japan, Mr. Gianluigi Benedetti, opened the event, and said, “On International Women's Day, we are very proud to have hosted this important event at the Embassy that brings together both Italian and Japanese female executives from industrial, energy and media backgrounds to discuss the role of women in promoting sustainability. Italy is at the forefront of the international effort to strengthen gender equality in our society.”
Country Manager of Enel X Japan and host of the event, Mr. Hiromitsu Miyamoto, said, “Sustainability is a key part of our parent company Enel’s strategy, and is embedded in Enel X’s mission to support businesses along their journey to achieve net zero and sustainability targets. In Japan we help companies think differently about the way electricity is used, to support the grid and the country’s transition to renewable power. Mimosa Day provides the perfect forum to bring international and local distinguished female leaders from Japan’s leading organizations to discuss sustainability best practices from different perspectives. Guests took away learnings of what they can do, both personally and at a corporate level, to help realize a more circular and sustainable society.” He said.
Highlights from the panel discussion included: Ms. Toshimi Kasai, Head of People & Organisation, Enel X Asia Pacific said, “We are part of one of the world’s largest energy companies with a core focus on sustainability, including the uptake of renewable energy, decarbonization and electrification. In Japan our work is helping to accelerate the energy transition, while helping businesses to decarbonize and achieve net zero targets. While the energy transition can ensure sustainable and inclusive economic and social growth, we recognize that to succeed it requires people from diverse backgrounds. We are committed to gender equality, as a diverse workforce is essential for developing innovative and more inclusive products and services.”
Ms. Mina Masaya, Executive Managing Director, Fuji TV Network Inc, said, “My understanding of ‘sustainability’ is that it’s essentially about life as human beings on this planet. The earth may be far better off without us humans as far as the natural environment is concerned… so what do we do with nature if we want to survive as a species? That is the simple question and answer everyone of us needs to hold in mind and act in each individual’s sustainable way, so that we don’t burn out the planet or ourselves. Perhaps start from the Japanese word ‘hodohodo’ which means ‘in moderation’.
Ms. Marta Marmiroli, General Manager, Power System ICT Design Department, Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, said, “As an Italian working in Japan for the energy sector, I was thrilled to participate in this event. I hope the panel discussion encourages women to consider the sustainability challenge as a top priority and inspires them to contribute to the solution with new ideas and practical actions.”
Enel X is one of the largest independent Virtual Power Plant (VPP) and demand response aggregators in Japan, managing a portfolio of customer electricity load to support several energy markets across the country. Commercial and Industrial customers participate in Enel X’s VPP to support the grid when there is a supply-demand imbalance, and are paid for this service, which helps to stabilize the grid, and to enable more renewable generation resources. Enel X holds the leading position in demand response globally, with around 8.5 GW of capacity currently managed and assigned in the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania.
