Materiality
Five Material Issues
The Onward Group identified five material issues in accordance with the mission statement, "Enriching and adding color to people's lives while caring for the planet."
The Group is promoting sustainable management that pursues coexistence with the global environment by identifying "business activities that enable coexistence with the global environment and sustainable future" and "growing together with partners" as material issues related to the Group's business activities, including manufacturing.
"Workstyles that enhance and add color to employees' lifestyle as well" and "workplace where diverse individuals are engaged" are identified as material issues concerning our earnest desire to be an enterprise where diverse and unique personnel can exhibit their strengths. We are pursuing workstyle reform initiatives and cultivating a working environment where diverse employees can flourish.
From the viewpoint of corporate governance, we identified "fair management with integrity" as a material issue and are striving to establish a management foundation supporting the Onward Group's concerted efforts to be an indispensable enterprise earning the trust of society.
Working with our stakeholders to achieve targets, we will pursue sustainable management that illuminates a path to the future.
Materiality Identification Process
1) Identification of (environmental, social, and economic) issues
Referring to the GRI Standards, the SASB Standards, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, and evaluation items of ESG rating agencies, we identified 63 items concerning those environmental, social, and economic issues that are considered to have major impacts.
2) Prioritization of issues and check of validity
We identified and organized the customers' and other stakeholders' expectations toward the Onward Group and priority issues to be addressed, as well as the impacts on them. Reflecting the opinions of external experts, and those responsible for various divisions of the Onward Group, we selected 17 items concerning the issues and checked their validity.
3) Identification of material issues (materiality)
Through discussion at the Sustainability Committee chaired by the Representative Director, President and CEO of Onward Holdings and with external experts, five material issues (materiality) were identified.
4) Formulation of action plans and setting of quantitative targets
We are formulating action plans in accordance with the Group's material issues (materiality) and setting medium- to long-term quantitative targets. Through proactive engagement in a collaborative endeavor with stakeholders, we intend to achieve these targets.