Stéfan Le Dû
Founder & General Manager - Ichigo Bloom
Europe
Japan
Stéfan's Introduction

I'm a French sustainability changemaker based in Tokyo. After 15 years in public policy for the French government, I moved to Japan in 2016. Initially at the French Embassy, I then joined the private sector to accelerate corporate sustainability mindsets.

In 2024, I launched Ichigo Bloom, a collective of freelance facilitators offering sustainability education in Japan.

What brought you to sustainability?

My career started in public policy for urban development, where environmental considerations were present but not central. In the early 2010s, France merged its environmental, land-use, and energy ministries, opening doors to sustainability roles.

My first true sustainability position focused on urban renewable energy, leveraging my experience in urban planning while venturing into a new domain. After this, I landed a role as sustainable development councilor at the French Embassy in Tokyo.

Living in Japan, I realized the country wasn't as "green" as I initially thought. This, combined with the rising global focus on climate change following the adoption in 2025 of the Paris Agreement, awakened me to the urgency of sustainability. Things that I didn't use to think a lot about before 2015, like the CO2 impact of my flight from Paris to Tokyo, became a constant consideration. Over the past decade, sustainability has become the core focus of my work.

Which sustainable actions are you in charge of or have you implemented in your organisation?

I currently lead global intelligence for Asuene, a Japanese climate tech startup offering GHG management solutions. This involves tracking international regulations that might impact Japanese and Asia-Pacific companies, like the EU's CSRD and CBAM.

Additionally, I launched Ichigo Bloom in 2024. This initiative aims to bridge the gap between Japanese organisations and the wealth of sustainability education resources available in other regions, especially Europe. I work with a collective of passionate freelance facilitators to deliver workshops like the Climate Fresk and Biodiversity Collage in Japanese.

Which challenges did you meet and how did you overcome them?

The language barrier can hinder Japanese organizations from connecting with global sustainability trends. Without translation into Japanese, many companies are unlikely to engage with these trends. When the TNFD released its framework to help businesses understand biodiversity risks in October last year, only two languages were available: English, for the whole world, and Japanese, for Japan. CDP also does extra efforts to translate all its documents and questionnaires to Japanese.

While my Japanese language skills are still developing, I've learned to work effectively with others who have the expertise I lack. By combining my understanding of global sustainability trends and experience in Europe with the communication expertise of Japanese talent, we create a powerful team. This approach is at the heart of Ichigo Bloom.

We break down language and cultural barriers, helping Japanese companies embrace the necessary mindset shift for true sustainability.

What are you most proud of?

Launching Ichigo Bloom fills me with pride. Despite my limited entrepreneurial and private sector experience, this initiative allows me to create positive impact while offering a platform for freelance sustainability professionals to monetize their expertise.

Another accomplishment I'm proud of is TOO HOT TO BE COOL, a Tokyo event series featuring local rock bands raising awareness and funds for climate action. The sold-out first edition in April 2024 raised money for WWF Japan's forest protection projects in Southeast Asia. My hope is to grow this volunteer-driven event. Connecting climate action with art and entertainment is rare in Japan. I would love to see a famous manga author creating a story about climate change: this could spark change!

What would be your top 3 pieces of advice to the Matcha Initiative users?
  1. Balance Patience and Impatience: As consultants/educators, we need to embrace the urgency to take action, to push organizations to accelerate their sustainability journey, yet also demonstrate patience when progress is slow. Losing their attention due to impatience is counterproductive (something I've witnessed in Japan).
  2. Go International: Climate change and biodiversity loss are global crises. While focusing on my experiences in Japan, I sometimes sense a "bubble" mentality, where some stakeholders believe Japan is protected from climate risks and the need for low-carbon business models. No country is immune, and no country can solve this alone. This is a truly collective and international challenge, for all mankind.
  3. Have Fun!: We work in a serious field, some might say scary, but staying motivated long-term requires finding joy in building services or products that help organizations transform. When we enjoy what we do, it's easier to inspire others and ultimately achieve our goal: mobilizing more people for the green transformation.
In which field could you help The Matcha Initiative users as a buddy?
  • Kick Start Help
  • Experience Sharing
  • Sustainability Career Advisor
Please describe how you could help The Matcha Initiative users as a buddy?

I'd love to share with community members my experience in public organizations in Europe, and what I learnt in Japan since 2016.

Stéfan's main sustainability skills

Awareness / Climate Policy

Stéfan kindly accepts to answer your questions.

If you need additional insights, you can send him a message.