Ph.D. in Environmental Science

Member of the GRI Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB). Lead author for the IPBES Nexus Report. In addition, he is also a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and sits on the ISO Technical Committees on Sustainable Finance (TC 322) and Environmental Management (TC 207). Furthermore, he belonged to the Technical Working Groups of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB), the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), and the Green Finance Network Japan (GFNJ).

Member of the GRI Global Sustainability Standards Board (GSSB). Lead author for the IPBES Nexus Report. In addition, he is also a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and sits on the ISO Technical Committees on Sustainable Finance (TC 322) and Environmental Management (TC 207). Furthermore, he belonged to the Technical Working Groups of the Climate Disclosure Standards Board (CDSB), the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI), and the Green Finance Network Japan (GFNJ).

Prof. Dr. Kim Schumacher is originally from Luxembourg and prior to joining Kyushu University in August 2022, he was a Lecturer and Research Fellow in Sustainable Finance and ESG at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. In addition, he is an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Oxford. Past work included consulting activities for the Luxembourg Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Sustainable Development and research as a postdoctoral researcher in sustainable finance at the University of Oxford. He also had adjunct lecturer positions at the University of Luxembourg and the United Nations University in Tokyo, Japan.

Research theme：His research focuses on ESG risk and impact metrics, sustainable finance policies, sustainability reporting frameworks, ESG data-related greenwashing and carbonwashing activities, green bonds, natural capital, biodiversity and ecosystem services, biodiversity and carbon offsets, renewable energy project development, and TCFD/TNFD disclosure. These research activities all serve the underlying purpose of determining what are the material risks that companies and countries are exposed to from climate change and how they can through proper integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors foster genuine positive sustainability impacts. This includes the exploration of the double materiality concept, which looks at both the stakeholder-level sustainability-related risks and impacts, which means that companies, financial institutions and governments need to also consider their impact on the environment, biodiversity, climate, and the SDGs when making investment decisions.

Keyword：Sustainable Finance, ESG Investment, Climate Change, Japan, EU

Research period： 2022.8 - 2025.3

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Factors and Green Productivity: The Impacts of Greenwashing and Competence Greenwashing on Sustainable Finance and ESG Investing International journal

#Kim Schumacher

2023.4

ESG in Japan Exploration of Risks and Opportunities in the Startup Investment and Venture Capital Sectors

#Kim Schumacher Yong Jun Baek Shigeo Nishikizawa

Asian Development Bank Institute  2023.8 

Reevaluating the Effects of Environmental Regulations on Innovation and Productivity Invited International conference

#Kim Schumacher

2022.11 

ESG in Japan: Exploration of risks and opportunities in the startup investment and venture capital sectors International conference

#Kim Schumacher

2023.3 

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Factors and Green Productivity: The Impacts of Greenwashing and Competence Greenwashing on Sustainable Finance and ESG Investing

#Kim Schumacher

SSRN Environmental Policy & Governance eJournal   2023.1

Ten new insights in climate science 2022 Reviewed

@Maria A. Martin et al. # Kim Schumacher

Global Sustainability   2022.11

Sustainability reporting in Asia: Are the EU’s initiatives the benchmark for ESG disclosure in the region?

2022.10

Society for the Environment

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)

Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)   Lead Author   Foreign country

2022.1 - 2025.3   

International Organization for Standardization (ISO)   Technical Committee Member   Foreign country

2019.6 - 2025.3   

Screening of academic papers

Role(s)： Peer review

2023

Screening of academic papers

Role(s)： Peer review

2022

FutureEarth Japan Hub International coauthorship

2024.1 - 2024.3

FutureEarth General Secretariat 

Competence Greenwashing: The impact of ESG skills misrepresentation on corporate sustainability performance

Grant number：24K16445  2023 - 2026

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science  Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research  Early-Career Scientists

FutureEarth Global Research Network Fund

2023

2022  Tokyo Insitute of Technology, School of Environment and Society, Graduate major in Global Engineering for Development, Environment and Society  Classification:Part-time lecturer  Domestic/International Classification:Japan 

Semester, Day Time or Duration：Autum Semester 2022 (Sept. - Dec.), Mon (17:30 - 19:10) and Thr (17:30 -19:10)

2023.3

University of Luxembourg University of Hamburg

Guest lectures on ESG, Sustainable Finance, and Greenwashing in Europe at the Universities of Luxembourg (9 March 2023) and Hamburg (22 March 2023)

☆Invited Guest Speaker, “The Greenwashing Equation”, Policy conference held at Centre Bancaire “19 Liberté”, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, 7 Mach 2024 (https://www.ifis.lu/)

☆Invited Guest Speaker, “ESG/グリーンウォッシングとコンピテンスグリーンウォッシングの是正に向けた産学連携の重要性”, FDSF (Future Design Initiative by Science and Finance) Global Conference 2023, Tokyo, Japan, 7 July 2023 (https://fdsf.jp/fdsfconf2023)

☆Invited Guest Speaker, “Sustainable Development Goals: Learning to Act, Learning to Achieve”, 21st TQA (Thailand Quality Award) Winner Conference: Achieving Performance Excellence for Corporate Sustainability, Bangkok, Thailand, 19 May 2023

☆Invited Guest Lecturer, “Brown Bag Lunch Seminar: Fiduciary Duties and ESG litigation risks”, Guest Lecturer at Sustainable Finance and Climate Protection Unit of University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany, 22 March 2023

☆Invited Guest Lecturer, “Greenwashing and competence risks across global green financial centres”, Guest Lecture at LISER (Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research), Belval, Luxembourg, 9 March 2023 (https://www.liser.lu/?type=module&id=99&tmp=3069)

November 2023: Asia Week 2023 Event Organizer – Research Discussion and Q&A on “Sustainable Business and ESG” with Prof. Alex Edmans (London Business School)

2023

Attendance of the Asia Productivity Organization's (APO) International Conference on Green Economy Growth: Synergizing Green Productivity and the Circular Economy to be held in Bangkok, Thailand to make a presentation on "Postpandemic Trends and Challenges: Updated EU Regulations to Promote Green Productivity and the Circular Economy", thus contributing to the development of sustainability in emerging Asian economies as the main target stakeholders were local civil society representatives and local/regional policymakers from the ASEAN region.

Asia Productivity Organization's (APO)  Bangkok, Thailand  2022.10

Expert Interviewee, Podcast “ESG: Science or Fiction: What does a head of sustainability actually do? Is having a sustainability specialist another strategy for greenwashing?”, Organising the Future Podcast by J O Hambro, 12 September 2023 (https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/episode-12-esg-science-or-fiction/id1627005728?i=1000627586459)

2023.9

Expert Interviewee, Podcast “Is Asia slower to tackle greenwashing because it is conflict avoidant?”, Eco-Business, 17 May 2023 (https://www.eco-business.com/podcasts/is-asia-slower-to-tackle-greenwashing-because-it-is-conflict-avoidant/) Newspaper, magazine

2023.5

Referenced Expert, ESMA (European Securities and Market Authority), Progress Report on Greenwashing, 31 May 2023, (https://www.esma.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2023-06/ESMA30-1668416927-2498_Progress_Report_ESMA_response_to_COM_RfI_on_greenwashing_risks.pdf; p.23)

ESMA Progress Report on Greenwashing  2023.5

Explicit mention of researcher and his "competence greenwashing" research in the article "Competence greenwashing: Are questionable ESG credentials putting climate goals at risk? " (URL: https://www.eco-business.com/podcasts/competence-greenwashing-are-questionable-esg-credentials-putting-climate-goals-at-risk/) Newspaper, magazine

Eco-Business  2023.3

Explicit mention of researcher and his "competence greenwashing" research in the article "How to build a sustainable bank" (URL: https://www.euromoney.com/article/2b9gs8js1vo1m51mehyps/esg/how-to-build-a-sustainable-bank) Newspaper, magazine

EuroMoney  2023.2

2024.3

Staying countory name 1：Germany   Staying institution name 1：University of Hamburg

2024.3

Staying countory name 1：Bangladesh   Staying institution name 1：Unisversity of Dhaka