Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

Editorial Policy

Introduction

The Asahi Kasei Group issued our frst Environment Report in 1991, and we began issuing a CSR Report in 2006 with content expanded to include social responsibilities. Through these reports, we have further enriched communication with our stakeholders and continually fulflled our accountability.

In line with a trend mainly in Europe to combine fnancial and non-fnancial information in a single integrated report, in 2014 we issued an Asahi Kasei Report replacing our Annual Report and CSR Report. At the same time, since then we disclose information on the details of our CSR activities using this website.

Since fscal 2019, we have termed this report the "Sustainability Report" both on our website and in its downloadable form. In the report, we present the Group's approach to sustainability and contributions to achieving a sustainable society, in accordance with the concept "Care for People, Care for Earth" presented in our Medium-term Management Initiative "Cs+ for Tomorrow 2021," which was launched in fscal 2019. The framework for our activities is organized into Environment (E), Society (S), and Governance (G), and comprehensive information is provided on policies, systems, activities, numerical data, etc.

Reporting period

The primary focus is fscal 2020 (April 2020 - March 2021). Some information pertains to the period subsequent to this.

Organizational boundary

Information herein pertains to Asahi Kasei Corp. and consolidated subsidiaries as of March 31, 2021, unless otherwise noted. On April 1, 2016, Asahi Kasei Corp. became an operating holding company through the absorption of three of its core operating companies, Asahi Kasei Fibers Corp., Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp., and Asahi Kasei E-materials Corp. The former company names may appear in this report.

Data with difering scopes or coverage is presented in footnotes.

With respect to Responsible Care reporting, the scope is operations inside and outside of Japan which implement the Asahi Kasei Group's Responsible Care program. A list of the business sites implementing the program is presented below.

Asahi Kasei Group's Responsible Care

Inquiries

Please contact us via the website or telephone if you have an inquiry.

To submit an inquiry through the website, please use the following form:

https://www.asahi-kasei.com/contact_us/contact/

Guidelines consulted

We reference the following guidelines and framework when disclosing information related to sustainability.

GRI "Sustainability Reporting Standards (2016)"

Ministry of the Environment "Environmental Reporting Guidelines (2018)"

SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) Standards

International Organization for Standardization "ISO 26000"

Publication

Published October 2021 in Japanese

Next scheduled publication: October 2022

Previous publication: October 2020

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Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

Management Message

Continually taking challenges for sustainability with the dual perspective of "Care for People, Care for Earth"

The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered seismic shifts around the world. There is increased awareness regarding life, health, and hygiene. New social issues have come to the forefront, and people's values with respect to how they live and work have changed. Furthermore, the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions which are considered to cause climate change, and the difculty of doing so, have become even more apparent, and eforts to achieve carbon neutrality are gathering steam around the world. There is also an urgent need to address human rights issues, such as by correcting and preventing human rights violations that result from business activities, including forced labor. The importance of taking action to achieve a sustainable society will only continue to rise.

Asahi Kasei's Group Mission is to contribute to life and living for people around the world. The expression "Care for People, Care for Earth" encapsulates our commitment. We will continue our eforts to contribute to a sustainable society and care for both people and the earth, which is now more vital than ever before.

Regarding Care for People, we are advancing initiatives that contribute to achieving a society where people can lead active lives in the "new normal" both during the pandemic and thereafter. When COVID-19 swept the world, we responded by increasing production of ventilators and material for protective medical gowns, while maintaining a stable supply and increasing the production of bioprocess flters for the manufacture of vaccines and therapeutic agents. We are also advancing in the felds of pharmaceuticals and medical devices for orthopedics and critical care to address the needs of aging populations around the world over the medium to long term. We are also developing our Homes business which enables people to lead fulflling lives in security and comfort over the long term.

Regarding Care for Earth, we are working to contribute to the achievement of a carbon-neutral sustainable society. In May 2021, we announced our goal of becoming carbon neutral in our GHG emissions by 2050. Achieving carbon neutrality is a major challenge for us, having business operations centered around chemicals. However, we believe that our generation should shoulder the responsibility of working towards this goal so that we can ensure a bright future for subsequent generations. At the same time, chemistry can make signifcant contributions to reducing global GHG emissions and making a sustainable society a reality. We will create new value for society through our technologies and products in the chemical-centric Material sector while ofering ZEH (net zero energy houses) and high-performance thermal insulation in the Homes sector.

In a discontinuous and uncertain business environment where the future is obscure, we need to frmly solidify our foundations as we move forward. We will continue to take challenges of contributing to a sustainable society while ensuring compliance, safety and quality, and respect for human rights, as well as appropriate communication with stakeholders.

Hideki Kobori

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Asahi Kasei Group Sustainability Report 2021

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