Message from the Chair of the Sustainability Management Committee
~Beyond “profit is just a by-product of business”~

In the words of our founder, Fusajiro Kanematsu, “Our purpose as a Company is not only to build a sound and flourishing business, but to fulfill our responsibilities as a corporate citizen, contributing to society and the security and well-being prosperity.” This philosophy continues to serve as the foundation of all the Group’s corporate activities.

Fusajiro was a man who, at the age of 44, took the giant step of entering into trade with Australia, founding what is now the Kanematsu Corporation at a time when life expectancy was estimated at 50 years. His approach was to treat life as a series of challenges with a view toward the future of Japan. Despite already being a successful businessman in the Kansai region at the time of the Company’s founding, Fusajiro made a leap of faith and devoted his entire fortune to advancing the Australian business. At that time, those in the Kansai business community believed “Kanematsu was out of his mind” for his reckless pursuit of the challenge and ideal of restoring to Japanese hands the trading rights that had been monopolized by foreign trading houses since the unequal treaties of the end of the Edo period.

Just what was it that motivated Fusajiro? As a man who held that “profit is just a by-product of business,” this was not about personal gain, but rather about enabling the Japanese people to prosper by espousing fair business practices and thereby ensuring the ongoing enrichment of their way of life. This integrity resonates with us today as we strive to ensure the continued sustainability of our planet by maintaining and revitalizing biodiversity and natural capital.

Under “integration 1.0,” the medium-term business plan that kicked off in April 2024, we have defined our mission as “making supply chains more efficient and sustainable,” incorporating the philosophy that has been passed down from our founder, while establishing “becoming a solutions provider leading the transformation of efficient and sustainable supply chains” as our vision. We intend to promote sustainable businesses that can put the planet’s natural environment on a recovery track and pursue the common good of society as a whole.

The follwing table depicts the changes in the Group’s ESG scores over the past four years. Although these scores have improved year by year as a result of enhanced disclosure in line with Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) guidelines and human rights initiatives, there is still room for further increase in the Group’s current ESG score. By accelerating our ESG initiatives and ensuring appropriate information disclosure and engagement, we will continue our efforts toward sustainability management and increasing our corporate value as a company that contributes to a sustainable society in line with the aspirations of our founder, Fusajiro.