“Enriching lives and the world” is the corporate message of the Sumitomo Corporation Group. We are developing our business around the world with the aim of realizing a sustainable society and enriching people's lives. The background to this message is a phrase that conveys the Sumitomo Group's business philosophy: “Benefit for self and others, private and public interests are one and the same.” It means that Sumitomo’s business, while benefiting Sumitomo, must also benefit the nation and benefit society. This philosophy is the source of our Group's sustainability management and has long been placed at the core of our business activities.

In November 2023, I was appointed Chief Sustainability, DE&I Officer, a newly established position which aims for further acceleration of sustainability management and DE&I promotion.

The Sumitomo Corporation Group, an integrated trading company, operates in all areas of the value chain across a wide range of business sectors, and while there are many challenges to promote sustainability in complex supply chains, we believe that there are also business opportunities to help solve social issues.

Mitigation of climate change is an urgent issue, and we are working not only to reduce emissions from existing businesses, but also to create next-generation businesses that will contribute to achieving a carbon-neutral society.

Additionally, we have set a long-term goal of respecting human rights in all of our businesses and supply chains and have been conducted human rights due diligence in every business unit since 2021. Although these efforts are modest, we are seeing greater awareness on human rights being cultivated among our employees through initiatives such as identifying businesses with high human rights risks and developing countermeasures.

In an age of rapid change, cooperation with external stakeholders is essential to advancing sustainability management. We will promote dialogue with stakeholders including discussions at the Sustainability Advisory Board, which was established in March 2022, and also through proactive disclosure of sustainability information, including TCFD and TNFD.