Why Hitachi Energy Is Supporting the Next Generation of Changemakers

At Founders4Schools (F4S), sustainability is not a one-month topic or a standalone concept. It is a mindset that helps young people understand the world, their future careers, and their role in building a society that works for everyone.

This March, we are proud to launch Sustainability Month, sponsored by Hitachi Energy. Through this partnership, students will connect with an employer that is actively responding to global challenges using innovation, technology, and people. Hitachi Energy’s support helps young people see how sustainability shapes real-world decision-making and career opportunities.

Why Sustainability Education Matters

Today’s students are growing up in a rapidly changing world shaped by climate change, technological advances, and rising expectations around social responsibility. Sustainability is no longer just an environmental issue. It spans leadership, wellbeing, governance, diversity, technology, and economic growth.

For educators, sustainability provides a powerful context for learning. It allows students to apply subject knowledge to real-world challenges and supports careers education by showing how sustainability features across sectors and roles.

Sustainability Month is designed to help schools and colleges by:

• Linking curriculum learning to practical applications
• Supporting Gatsby Benchmarks through meaningful encounters with employers
• Helping students understand how sustainability connects to future career pathways

Why Hitachi Energy Is Supporting Sustainability Month

Hitachi Energy has a long-standing commitment to contributing to society through the development of original technology and products. For more than 115 years, this philosophy has guided its approach to innovation, growth, and social responsibility.

Hitachi Energy’s sponsorship of Sustainability Month reflects its structured approach to sustainability, which sits at the heart of its business strategy. Under the Inspire 2027 management plan, Hitachi Energy aims to contribute to a harmonised society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are balanced while achieving sustainable business growth.

Through Sustainability Month, Hitachi Energy shares this thinking with students and educators, showing how sustainability is planned, measured, and delivered within a global organisation.

Understanding Hitachi Energy’s Sustainability Approach

Hitachi Energy’s sustainability strategy, PLEDGES, was developed through a rigorous process informed by international sustainability standards and stakeholder engagement. Global frameworks, such as the European Sustainability Reporting Standards and the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board, helped identify key topics. Each business unit assessed risks, opportunities, and social impact across its value chain.

These insights were tested through dialogue with investors, international organisations, and non-governmental organisations, and approved by senior leadership. The strategy is structured around seven pillars:

• Planet
• Leadership
• Empowerment
• Diverse Perspectives
• Governance
• Engagement
• Sustainability for All

For students, this provides a clear example of how sustainability is embedded across an organisation and how different roles contribute to long-term social and environmental impact.

Connecting Sustainability to the Curriculum

Sustainability Month is designed with educators in mind. Activities and virtual assemblies link classroom learning across science, geography, design and technology, computing, and citizenship to sustainability themes.

The programme also supports careers education and Gatsby Benchmarks, offering students meaningful encounters with employers, access to labour market information, and insight into how classroom knowledge applies to future careers.

Engaging with professionals from Hitachi Energy allows students to see how sustainability informs real working environments, helping them make connections between the curriculum and practical outcomes.

What Students Will Gain

Through Sustainability Month and direct engagement with Hitachi Energy, students will:

• See how sustainability appears in real jobs
• Learn how organisations measure and manage social and environmental impact
• Explore how technology, leadership, and ethics intersect
• Develop awareness of careers linked to sustainability and innovation
• Understand how businesses contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

These experiences help students build knowledge, raise aspirations, and make informed decisions about their future pathways.

A Shared Commitment to the Future

Hitachi Energy’s sponsorship reflects a shared commitment with F4S to education, opportunity, and long-term social impact. By connecting students with employers addressing global challenges, Sustainability Month helps young people see that sustainability is not just an abstract concept. It is a real, achievable part of their future careers.

Together, F4S and Hitachi Energy are helping the next generation understand that sustainability is not only the future of work, but it is the foundation of it.

🔗 Read the Hitachi Energy Sustainability Report 2025