Formulation of Material Issues for CSR and Initiatives on the Issues

At the Toyo Ink Group, we believe that formulation of material issues for CSR, which are aimed at improving both the Group's corporate value and sustainability of society, is necessary for achieving the SIC27 long-term corporate vision and “Sustainable Growth” into the future. Therefore, we began tasks for formulating the material issues for CSR of the Toyo Ink Group in fiscal 2016 and completed them in fiscal 2017.
In fiscal 2018, we began CSR activities based on the material issues by linking them to the SIC-I medium-term management plan. Moving forward, we will review KPIs and targets and strive to improve activities of the overall Group through PDCA cycles.

The Process Used for Setting Materiality on CSR of Toyo Ink Group
Figure: 2016 / 2017 / 2018 / 2019 / STEP1 Selection of candidate materiality categories based on various guidelines. / STEP2 Putting candidate materiality categories in priority order (Mapping) / STEP3 Identifying high-priority categories through dialog with stakeholders / STEP4 Setting of materiality, our ideal state, and implementation categories / Dialog with stakeholders regarding materiality. / Start-up CSR activities based on materiality. / Dialog with stakeholders regarding CSR activities / Formulation of KPIs and FY2020 targets based on FY2018 results. / Issues for fiscal 2019 and after / Expansion and dissemination throughout the group. / Formulation and review of KPIs and annual targets. / Review and adjustment of materiality.

STEP 1: Identifying issues

By considering international guidelines and material issues at chemical manufacturers, among others, we identified aspects in which the Toyo Ink Group is believed to significantly impact the economy, society, and the environment, as well as candidate material issues that we must address.

STEP 2: Prioritizing material issues

Based on the candidate material issues identified, the CSR Promotion Committee mapped the issues, with coordinate axes of materiality for stakeholders and materiality for the Toyo Ink Group. Thus, the Committee narrowed the candidate issues down to high-priority ones.

Result of Mapping of Identified Material Issues
Figure: Materiality for stakeholders (Impact on stakeholder evaluation and decision-making) / Materiality for the Toyo Ink Group (Significance of the organization's economic, environmental, and social impact) / Responding to overseas environmental regulations / Provision of safe, secure products / Appropriate information disclosure / Promotion of BCM / Promoting measures for mitigating climate change / Improving customer satisfaction / True globalization / Innovations with Life Science / Promoting safety and disaster prevention activities / Innovations with Sustainability Science / Enhancing global human resource development and training programs / Prevention of corruption / Promoting chemical substances control / Local utilization of unused resources / Innovations with Communication Science / Respecting human rights and providing human rights education globally / Improving employees' health / Active participation of female and senior employees / Respecting the diversity of human resources / Initiatives for biodiversity and recovery of eco-system / Contributing to solving issues faced by local communities / Countermeasures against soil and groundwater contamination / Improving the level of the quality assurance system / Promoting occupational safety and health / Developing and spreading environmentally friendly products / Strengthening cooperation in the value chain / Enhancing activities for communicating with local communities / Promoting zero emission / Sharing the corporate policy and CSR value system / Promoting risk management and disaster response / Promoting CSR procurement / Ensuring unity of the Group / Ensuring the independence of outside directors / Promoting local production and local consumption in overseas markets / Increasing the percentage of employees with disabilities / Promotion of environmental education / Promoting work-life balance / Promoting dialogues with stakeholders / Human right assessment of suppliers and prevention of their involvement in human right abuse / Remedies for discrimination and inequality / Handling and solving complaints related to human rights / Improving the safety and health of customers / Abolishing forced labor and child labor / Enhancing support for childcare and nursing care / Increasing the eco-conscious efficiency index / Promoting the spread of rice inks / Enhancing the compliance system and consultation services / Reducing the environmental impact of distribution / Promoting compliance education / Fair marketing communications / Protecting consumer data and privacy / Handling and solving complaints related to labor practices / Contribution to local education and culture / Evaluating suppliers' labor practices / Contributing to eradicating poverty and hunger / Support for color management and universal design

STEP 3: Prioritizing the issues from stakeholders' perspective

We narrowed down the material issues further through communications with internal and external people, including dialogues with external experts and internal workshops.

In-house workshop was held to examine material issues and goals
Dialogue with Yokohama National University (FY2017)

STEP 4: Formulating the material issues

We organized the material issues that were narrowed down, ideal states, boundaries (extent of their impact), and other points, thereby clarifying the five material issues, position of each, and relationships between them. We then began CSR activities based on the material issues by linking them to SIC-I, the first medium-term management plan under the SIC27 long-term corporate vision.

Future initiatives and issues

In the final fiscal year of the SIC-I medium-term management plan, we will take the following actions.

  • Reviewing activities under SIC-I and revising the plan
  • Setting KPIs and targets under SIC-II, the next medium-term management plan
  • Instilling the issues further in the Group