General Trading Business Unit
Lifestyle Business Unit
Pharmaceutical Business Unit
Hospitality Business UnitApproach and Initiatives for Sustainability
Our company group develops various business activities under the theme of “Health and Environment” and strives to create new values unbound by conventional thinking with both a progressive spirit to always cope with changes of the times and a steady manufacturing spirit.
Amid the growth of the world’s population and expansion of the economy scale, we aims to create a comfortable and affluent society through our business activities and promote management for realizing a sustainable society to be passed on to the future generation. Furthermore, while always being aware of respect for human rights, we shall build an organization where the employees can grow and work with good quality of life, and shall establish a working environment that enables all employees to play active roles and have a long career in Kowa Group.
Governance
The important matters regarding sustainability are reviewed and deliberated at significant meetings, including the board of directors, and incorporated in our company group’s management strategies.
In the Kowa Group Internal Control Committee, which is held with the aim of maintaining and improving internal control, we identify risks related to sustainability and the Chief Internal Control Officer, who is also the representative director, reports to the Board of Directors.
Business Strategies
Our company group selects the four items, “Respecting Human Rights”, “Promoting Health”, “Environment” and “Social Contribution”, as the important issues of sustainability in the Kowa Group Internal Control Committee. We aim to promote the sustainability management of our company group while responding flexibly to the rapidly changing social and business environments.
Respecting Human RightsWhile always being aware of respect for human rights, as stipulated in Kowa Group Charter of Corporate Behavior and Kowa Group Human Rights Policy, our company group shall establish an organization where employees can improve themselves and work with good quality of life. We shall also prevent forced labor and discrimination throughout the entire supply chain.
Supplier Code of Conduct・Declaration of Partnership Building
Our company group aims to contribute to the resolution of social issues by promoting initiatives such as legal compliance, respect for human rights, and environmental conservation together with our suppliers in order to realize a sustainable and stable supply chain.
To this end, we will strive to deepen our understanding through two-way communication with our suppliers while at the same time requesting that our suppliers proactively implement the "Kowa Group Supplier Code of Conduct".
Furthermore, we have announced the “Declaration of Partnership Building” in February 2023, with the aim of building new partnerships by enhancing cooperation, co-existence and co-prosperity with all suppliers in our supply chain and business operators striving to create values.
●Human Resource Development Policy
Enhancing the stratified education and training, our company group is promoting development of human resources who can respond to changes in business environments and create changes by themselves.
In addition, we respect the individuality of each person and provides various opportunities for career choices, including support for self-development and implementation of overseas language training programs.
●Internal Environment Improvement Policy
Our company group strives to develop a workplace where all employees can play active roles, maintain a good balance between work and life and continue working for many years based on the awareness on necessity to ensure diversity in human resources. In addition, we aim to extend the average years of service for female career-track employees and increase the proportion of female manager ratio by fostering an organizational culture that encourages female employees to feel fulfilled in working and continuously build their careers.
Promoting Women’s Empowerment
Our company launched the women’s empowerment project to continuously promote women’s empowerment from various perspectives and started activities to foster awareness of building up the next generation and realize an environment in which women can work healthier in a longer period of times. We aims to collect needs relating to women’s workstyles, identify issues and establish a cross-departmental network, and will promote activities to improve the working environment for women, review and revise the related systems and programs as needed.
Promoting HealthThrough promoting Japanese-style self-care, including new drug development, our company group is contributing to maintaining our customers’ health and improving medical care. We have also declared promotion of “Health and Productivity Management” for achieving well-being of our employees and their families, and we will continue to strive for further improvement in health-related issues.
Health and Productivity Management
Our company group is engaged in the Health and Productivity Management of Kowa Group by introducing the “Health and Productivity Management Program” which is an integrated approach combining some tools such as our company's original health application “KOWA MILEAGE CLUB” and the application with which you can remotely consult a doctor anywhere and anytime you need.
Health and Productivity Management Meeting
At the biannual Health and Productivity Management meeting, the Representative Director serves as the Chief Health Officer and dedicated departments act as the Head Office, and promote health and productivity management in collaboration with Kowa Health Insurance Society, Kowa Workers Union, occupational physician and public health nurse.
Environmental MeasuresThrough our business activities, our company group is taking climate change countermeasures as well as actions to prevent various types of pollution, and promoting initiatives to contribute to sustainable development of the society based on the “Environmental Policy of Kowa Group”. Furthermore, in order to reduce impacts on the business of our group and to raise awareness of contribution to biological diversity conservation, we have expressed our support for "Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) Initiative for Biodiversity Conservation".
Climate Change Countermeasures
Our company focuses on realization of carbon neutrality as an important issue in the environmental measures and is making efforts to propose and create more eco-friendly lives as well as to reduce the environmental impact of our business activities. To take actions for realizing a sustainable society more proactively as a company, we have joined the “GX League” promoted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in February 2024.
※The GX League is a framework in which a group of internationally competitive companies that are boldly taking on the challenge of transitioning to carbon neutrality will drive GX.
Contributing to SocietyOur company group aims to realize a healthy and prosperous lifestyle through initiatives like regional revitalization via support for sports and assistance in case of disaster.
Disaster Support
To support the disaster areas affected by the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake that occurred on January 1, 2024, our company has donated 10 million yen to Ishikawa Prefecture, where the damage was especially severe. We have also delivered emergency relief supplies (disposal heat packs) to the disaster areas to support victims.
Risk Management
In our company group, various risks in the business activities are identified and managed by the Kowa Group Internal Control Committee, and the internal control manager, who is a representative director, periodically reports the risk management to the board of directors. With regard to sustainability, risks relating to the environment, human rights and human resource development are identified and risk management is continuously conducted.
Regarding the operation status of risk management relating to sustainability, each division or department implements risk management and the internal control manager, who is a representative director, reports the status of the risk management to the board of directors twice a year in accordance with the company’s risk treatment policies determined by the Internal Control Committee. The management procedures in major business processes are clarified to confirm that rules of the internal control are thoroughly followed.
Metrics and Targets
●Activities of Internal Environment Improvement
| Metrics | Targets | Results※ （FY2023） |
|---|---|---|
| Female manager ratio | 5.0％ or more （FY2024） |
3.1% |
| The average years of service for female career-track employees |
8.2 years or more （FY2024） |
7.9 years |
※Figures of Kowa Company, Ltd. are presented.
●Climate Change Countermeasures
Recognizing the risk of climate change, our company is promoting activities for decarbonization and making efforts to reduce the environmental impact with goals of achieving at least 46% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by FY2030 in comparison with FY2013 and reaching carbon neutrality by FY2050, which are the same levels with the quantitative targets of the Japanese government.