Sumitomo Corporation has established the Corporate Sustainability Department, which is responsible for the planning of measures to promote sustainability and ensuring their implementation throughout the organization.
Meanwhile, the department coordinates with general managers, who are responsible for promoting sustainability within each business unit, and with the sustainability promoting staff of each business unit’s Planning & Coordination Department. The department also works with the sustainability promoting staff of relevant corporate departments and overseas regional organizations to ensure that sustainability promotion measures are fully implemented groupwide and also that the different business units/initiative and regional organizations pursue measures tailored to the specifics of their business or region.
The Corporate Sustainability Committee acts as an advisory body to the Management Council and discusses important policies, measures, and initiatives relating to the promotion of sustainability. Important initiatives relating to sustainability promotion are referred by the committee to the Management Council and the Board of Directors for further discussion. Some important initiatives are subject to the decisions of the Management Council and the supervision of the Board of Directors. In addition, we have established the Sustainability Advisory Board, which consists external experts, to provide advice and recommendations on overall sustainability management.

Main topics discussed and reported in FY2022

• Monitoring of Mid-term Sustainability Goals
• Operation of the Corporate Sustainability Committee
• Establishment of the Advisory Board
• Disclosure based on TCFD Recommendation
• Utilization of Internal Carbon Pricing
• GX League
• Status of Social and Environmental Risk Management
• Social Contribution Activities
• Environmental Management Activities
• Initiatives related to Biodiversity
• Initiatives for Enhancing Disclosure of Non-financial Information
• Results of ESG Ratings

Main Agenda in FY2023

• Expectation toward integrated trading and business investment company for addressing key social issues
• Effective measures for promoting sustainability management including structure and evaluation mechanism

External Advisors (FY2024)

Sadayosi Tobai, Chief Executive Officer, WWF Japan
Hidemi Tomita, Managing Director, LRQA Sustainability K.K.
Takashi Nawa, Professor, Kyoto University of Advanced Science and Visiting Professor, Hitotsubashi University Graduate School
Junko Watanabe, Attorney-at-Law, Nishimura & Asahi (Gaikokuho Kyodo Jigyo)