Overall Assessment
The value creation story presented in the integrated report, beginning with President Yamaguchi’s message, clearly highlights the Group’s material issues focus on contributing to women’s health and animal health. I hope the Group will continue to refine its specialized expertise and strive to become a one-of-a-kind total healthcare company that creates significant social value.
Noteworthy Achievements and Expectations for the Future
I commend the ASKA for organically linking its integrated report, sustainability website, and other resources to provide comprehensive and well-organized information disclosures, covering a range of areas including the value creation story, material issues, KPIs and results, ESG charts, and ESG data. By utilizing the strengths of each medium, the Group communicates information clearly, making it easy for stakeholders to access the information they seek. I highly praise the Group’s approach to and enthusiasm for information disclosure, including its decision to publish third-party opinions starting this year.
I also applaud the Group’s initiative to estimate and disclose the social impact of its business activities in monetary terms to visualize the value they create in the integrated report. Investors are increasingly interested in the social impact of companies, in addition to financial risks and returns. This initiative not only appeals to external stakeholders but also enables employees to reaffirm the Group’s meaning for existence, boosting their motivation. I hope the Group will continue to deepen and enhance its disclosure of social impact.
Mint+, launched in 2020, along with its subsequent expansion into Mint+ teens and Mint+ Femknowledge, demonstrates a compelling story. I regard the launch of the service and its expansion as a highly strategic approach to creating social value. In addition to supporting the physical and mental health of women, I hope the Group will broaden its focus to include issues that undermine women’s health, as well as their root causes, and actively engage in solving the broader societal issues related to women’s health.
The United Nations assessment indicates that gender equality is one of the SDGs where progress has particularly lagged, highlighting the need for intensified efforts to address this issue as a global priority, both within the SDGs and the post-SDGs agenda. The Group has made significant contributions to advancing women’s rights, particularly in areas such as reproductive health and women’s participation in society. Having already established a foothold in global business, including through investments in a pharmaceutical company in Vietnam, I expect the Group to continue seizing growth opportunities in global markets—in both emerging and developing countries—while further advancing its efforts to contribute to the SDGs both in Japan and globally.
Areas for Further Initiatives
Japan ranks low in the Global Gender Gap Index. While the Group is promoting women’s advancement as part of its commitment to contributing to women’s health, the proportion of women in management positions remains low at 11.4%. The Group needs to step up its efforts to empower women in the workplace, including increasing the ratio of women among executives and employees. I encourage the Group to view its current situation as a significant opportunity for improvement and approach this challenge with a positive mindset.
In addition to creating social value through products, it is important for companies to fulfill their social responsibilities, including protecting human rights and conserving the environment, throughout their business processes. I commend the Group for clearly outlining its approach to these responsibilities in its basic CSR policy and for disclosing information in alignment with the ISO 26000 framework. A key area of focus going forward should be the protection of human rights in business activities. I encourage the Group to establish a human rights due diligence system in line with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, ensuring respect for the rights of everyone involved in its operations. These initiatives should go beyond internal issues, such as harassment and women’s empowerment among the Group’s employees, to address the broader rights of various stakeholders. The Group must identify and manage human rights risks across its supply and value chains, establish systems to support these efforts, and disclose relevant information, all the while continuing to strengthen its commitment to human rights protection.
Another important area of focus should be contributing to nature positivity. Companies need to analyze both their dependence and impact on natural capital and develop strategies and set targets toward achieving global nature-positive goals. They are also increasingly required to disclose their progress in these efforts as part of their financial reporting. In the pharmaceutical industry, companies have already begun disclosing information in line with the framework of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), and I encourage the Group to actively follow suit.
Fostering Dialogue and Pursuing Ongoing Efforts
In terms of communicating with stakeholders, I recommend creating opportunities for direct dialogue, not only with external experts but also with a diverse group of stakeholders. In addition to briefings and seminars, I encourage the Group to prioritize two-way communication and engage in constructive dialogue with stakeholders, listening to their expectations and demands to gain valuable insights. I also suggest applying these insights to create more value as a Group.
Sustainability initiatives are a continuous process of ongoing improvements. I encourage the Group to actively participate in various subcommittees of the United Nations Global Compact and other activities, engaging with other signatory companies in friendly competition to further strengthen each other’s sustainability efforts. I also recommend that the Group actively participate in other sustainability initiatives.