Dialogue with Stakeholders

Materiality
Related ESG :
S G
Partnership: Stakeholder engagement
Partnerships for the Goals

Policy and approach

Based on its corporate philosophy Jun-Ri-Soku-Yu (adhering to reason leads to prosperity), the TOYOBO Group Charter of Corporate Behavior states “Communication with stakeholders: We will carry out fair and appropriate information disclosure and enhance corporate value through communication with our stakeholders.” In accordance with this basic approach, Toyobo group actively disseminates information and engages in communication activities. The content of activities are also regularly reported to the management team. The group strives to disseminate information in a timely, appropriate, and accurate manner to society as a whole, including our stakeholders such as customers, suppliers, shareholders and investors, employees, and local communities.

In our communication activities, we aim to promote an accurate understanding of Toyobo group and continuously enhance the Toyobo brand and corporate value while building relationships of trust by striving for two-way communication with stakeholders and the wider society as a whole.

Basic approach to information disclosure

Toyobo group endeavors to provide timely and appropriate information disclosure with consideration given to fairness and impartiality in order to continue to be a trusted company. The group also communicates actively with stakeholders, including shareholders and investors, to enhance its corporate value. These activities are based on the following approaches.

  1. Information disclosure as a social responsibility (accountability)
  2. Communication to enhance corporate value
  3. Communication to prevent damage to corporate value

< Targets >

As a member of society, Toyobo group will meet the expectations of stakeholders and contribute to the sustainable development of communities through collaboration with partners and cooperation in the regions where the group operates with the aim of solving social issues.

< KPIs and results >

Initiatives KPIs Targets
(FY2024)
Results (FY2024)
  • Active dissemination of information, strengthening of disclosure
  • Dialogue with shareholders and investors
  • Dialogue with employees
  • Collaboration and dialogue with industry, government, and academia
  • Coexistence with local communities
1.
No. of press releases
75 per year
84
2.
No. of interviews with investors
150 per year*
113
3.
Frequency of meetings with employees and labor unions
At least 60 times per year
60
4.
Frequency of engagement with stakeholders
Three times a year
3
  • Target covers the period from August 2023 to July 2024

Dialogue with stakeholders and investors

Financial results

Every fiscal year, our company holds financial results briefings for financial institutions, including for institutional investors and analysts. The President personally provides briefings for full-year and second quarter financial results, explaining the details of the results and future management policy.

For first quarter and third quarter results, the Executive Officer controlling IR operations conducts online briefings of results.

IR information

Toyobo is enhancing and expediting information disclosure in Japanese and English on the company's investor relations website.
Toyobo also provides financial results, business results presentations, its Medium-Term Management Plan, annual securities reports, fact books, integrated reports, and so forth, on its investor relations website together with archives. Timely disclosure materials (financial results, etc.) are posted on the investor relations website at the same time as public announcements are made.

In addition, Toyobo provides on-demand streaming of presentation videos for a certain period after the date of the financial results presentations.
Q&A summaries and briefing scripts are posted for one year to promote fair disclosure.

Going forward, Toyobo will endeavor to enhance the materials and functions it provides to facilitate ease-of-use for all shareholders and investors.

Annual general meetings of shareholders

The Annual General Meeting of Shareholders is held each year in late June at Toyobo's Head Office in Osaka.

Number of shares and shareholders (As of March 31, 2024)
Number of shares authorized for issue 200,000,000
Shares issued to date 89,048,792
(Including 949,992 treasury shares)
Number of shareholders 64,504
Composition of shareholders (Based on number of shares held) (As of March 31, 2024)

Composition of Shareholders by Type (As of March 31, 2120)

Employees

Toyobo group communicates with employees by introducing the company's management policies and activities through various media such as the group newsletter in booklet form, the intranet, and the company-wide bulletin board.

The group started an “organizational culture and job satisfaction survey” for all employees in 2021. Most recently, the second survey was conducted in September 2022.

● Dialogue between management and labor

We are promoting open discussions between labor and management towards achieving the “TOYOBO PVVs” and fostering the foundation for each employee to find fulfillment and satisfaction in their work.

Meetings of the Central Management Council, attended by representatives of the labor union headquarters and of company management, are held once a year, and meetings of the Branch Management Councils are held once a year at each of the nine branches in Japan.

The labor union is represented at meetings of the Central Management Council by staff from the union headquarters, and is represented at Branch Management Council meetings by staff from the relevant union branch, while the company is represented by the President at meetings of the Central Management Council, and by the business site manager or plant manager at Branch Management Council meetings.

In labor-management discussions, we discuss themes such as business conditions, wage increase adjustments, and the status of the work environment.

● KAERU activities

In April 2018, Toyobo group started the KAERU activities (kaeru means “to change”) throughout the company with the participation of all officers and employees. Within this activity, we hold dialogue and exchange workshops to deepen communication between officers and employees. Organizational development workshops are also actively being held.

  • Dialogue and exchange workshops: FY2024: Conducted 132 times with 1,138 participants (total number of times conducted since FY2019: 407, with 4,561 participants)
    * Out of the above, there were four dialogues and exchange workshops between executives and employees, with 154 participants (cumulatively held 62 sessions since FY2019, involving a total of 340 participants).
  • Organizational development workshops: FY2024: Conducted 90 times, with 311 participants (total number of times conducted since FY2019: 221, with 1,635 participants)
● Toyobo Group Learning

Since June 2022, we have been hosting an event called “Toyobo Group Learning” approximately once a month, aimed at learning about our group's businesses, products, and employees' job roles.

Through presentations by young employees, participants learn about the businesses and products our group focuses on, fostering exchanges among employees and serving as a catalyst for internal communication. Starting from fiscal 2025, these events will not only be held at our headquarters but also at various business locations and factories.

First "Evening Learning" session

● Personalizing sustainability

To personalize sustainability for employees, we are conducting sustainability lecture sessions by internal and external speakers, as well as disseminating information through our intranet.

Every year in January and February, we hold a “Sustainability Week” featuring employee-participatory events and distribution of educational content to promote sustainability awareness among employees. In the FY2024 Sustainability Week, approximately 500 participants took part.

Overseas business sites

In Toyobo group, we promote smooth implementation of global business activities by actively sharing information with our overseas business locations.

Each year, local staff of overseas business sites visit Japan for training. The curriculum has the three following objectives.

  1. Deepening understanding of Toyobo's management policies and business;
  2. Deepening interaction with Japanese employees;
  3. Applying what was learned in the training to the trainees' work in their home countries.

Toyobo also has an overseas business training system for selected young employees to spend six months out of a one-year program at an overseas business site learning the basics of language, culture, and overseas business while interacting with local staff.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we have been using local visits, online meetings, and cloud sharing services to facilitate smoother and more frequent communication with our overseas locations.
Previously, we emphasized sharing financial information such as revenue and investments. In addition to that, we now actively share sustainability information including governance, risk management, and compliance.

Stakeholders

Toyobo carried out four cases of communication in FY2022 - FY2024 ( Position at that time ) :

  • In December 2021, "Mitsui Chemicals Group's approach to ESG promotion"
    Mr. Ken Migita, General Manager, Corporate Sustainability Division, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.
  • In June 2022, "Business and human rights" - Human rights initiatives in the Corporate Sector -
    Ms. Akiko Sato, Business and Human Rights Liaison Officer, United Nations Development Programme
  • In September 2022,"BASF initiatives to accelerate sustainability management"
    Mr. Hiroki Ishida, Representative Director and President, BASF Japan Ltd.
  • In February 2023, “Practice of sustainability and information disclosure - Initiatives based on the ISSB disclosure draft-”
    Mr. Katsuya Kikuchi, Head of Responsible Investment Department,Tokio Marine Asset Management Co.,Ltd.
  • In April 2024, “The outline of sustainability disclosure standards”
    Mr. Katsuya Kikuchi, ESG specialist, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co.,Ltd.

Mr. Ken Migita General Manager, Corporate Sustainability Division

Mr. Ken Migita
General Manager, Corporate Sustainability Division, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc.

Ms. Akiko Sato Liaison Officer, UNDP

Ms. Akiko Sato
Liaison Officer, UNDP

Mr. Hiroki Ishida Representative Director and President, BASF Japan Ltd.

Mr. Hiroki Ishida
Representative Director and President, BASF Japan Ltd.

Mr. Katsuya Kikuchi Head of Responsible Investment Department,Tokio Marine Asset Management Co.,Ltd.

Mr. Katsuya Kikuchi
Head of Responsible Investment Department,Tokio Marine Asset Management Co.,Ltd.

Mr. Katsuya Kikuchi ESG specialist, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co.,Ltd.

Mr. Katsuya Kikuchi
ESG specialist, Tokio Marine Asset Management Co.,Ltd.

Please see below for our past communication.

Local communities

Please see the Social Contribution page for more details.