My name is Hidehiko Sogano, and I was appointed Chief Sustainability Officer (CSuO) in April 2023.
To further strengthen the Group's sustainability efforts, this CSuO position was created in the CXO system and Sustainability Office was established within the Corporate Planning Unit in the current fiscal year.
Promoting sustainability encompasses a wide variety of topics, including addressing climate change, biodiversity, and other environmental issues, as well as respect for human rights and diversity, and governance. In addressing these issues, we aim to provide the "sustainable well-being" to all stakeholders, the society they comprise, and the global environment that surrounds them. Even if we focus on only environmental issues, for example, unless the individuals who are trying to resolve the issues feel a sense of security across generations and a sense of well-being to lead a rich and healthy life, the efforts will not last long. If the society supports such efforts, it will spark a movement that will spread and become a force for ensuring the sustainability of the entire planet. Based on these ideas, the Group places importance on the well-being of each and every officer and employee and strives to maintain an environment that ensures diversity, fair and equitable evaluations, and the freedom to work in a way that allows each individual to think freely. In such an environment, we ask officers and employees to always consider what will foster the well-being of customers and all other stakeholders.
In fiscal 2022, the Group Sustainability Committee, which actively incorporates the opinions of outside experts, engaged in discussions about the ways to ensure the sustainability of society by providing the Four Experiential Values, customer experience that extends beyond the boundaries of insurance. The global environment is changing all the time, and the international community is becoming more uncertain. We need to think independently about what we can do for the sustainability of society and the global environment and then take action. As the core subsidiary, Dai-ichi Life has already set a goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 and is taking steady action to achieve that goal. This fiscal year, we formulated our Net Zero Transition Plan as a clear roadmap for reaching our target. We have formulated action plans, mainly focusing on the activities of Dai-ichi Life, of what we have been working on and what we plan to work on to "promote net-zero transition of the real economy through investment and financing activities" and "achieve net-zero emissions from business activities" as a financial institution.
In addition, we are a member of various international organizations that develop guidelines for such action plans and actively participate in the drafting of new frameworks from the outset. Since the establishment of GFANZ(*), for example, we have actively participated in various working groups, with the cooperation of the Group's overseas office. In addition, this fiscal year's Integrated Report includes a new section on promoting biodiversity. We also engage in human rights due diligence efforts to ensure respect for such rights.
These wide-ranging initiatives related to sustainability have evolved into Groupwide initiatives as we share best practices among Group companies. Also, the outcomes of such efforts are discussed by internal officers and employees, as well as all Board members. In these ways, we have been challenging ourselves to promote sustainability in every direction.
Through the aforementioned efforts, we are confident that the Group will continue benefiting all stakeholders in a sustainable manner. In our website, we provide details on initiatives promoted by the Group in the hope that you understand and support our commitment to sustainability. We would also like to receive your honest feedback, so please do not hesitate to contact us.
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Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero: The world's largest alliance of financial institutions committed to net-zero emissions.