Environmental Management
Policy and Strategy
Kyowa Kirin Group is engaged in business activities pursuant to its clear-cut commitment to the environment, aiming to achieve its targets in accordance with the Kyowa Kirin Group Environmental Policy. We are also seeking to decarbonize our company and its value chain so that we can actively protect the global environment for the sake of the next generation.
Kyowa Kirin Group's various environmental policies are consistent with Kirin Holdings' policies. The "Kirin Group Environmental Vision 2050" presents a vision of the ideal society that is our Group’s aim, and we will be working with Kirin Holdings to realize this vision.
Kirin Group Environmental Vision 2050
In 2020, the Kirin Group to which our Group belongs revamped its existing long-term environmental vision and formulated the Kirin Group Environmental Vision 2050 as a new long-term strategy for strengthening social and corporate resilience.
The Kirin Group's aim goes beyond minimizing and neutralizing negative impacts, and entails having a positive impact on society that transcends the bounds of our own company. Under this new vision, we will work together with a broad array of stakeholders, beginning with our customers, to enrich society and the Earth for future generations by generating positive impacts on nature and people.
Environmental Policy
Our Group's environmental management activities are based on the Kyowa Kirin Group Environmental Policy. We have also established internal rules and standards that stipulate specific procedures for environmental management, and these complement the policy.
Kyowa Kirin Group Environmental Policy
Revised on June 6, 2025
- I.PURPOSE
We at the Kyowa Kirin Group seek to fulfill our philosophy, “The Kyowa Kirin Group companies strive to contribute to the health and well-being of people around the world by creating new value through the pursuit of advances in life sciences and technologies.” Under our philosophy, we aim to achieve our vision of “make people (facing illness) smile.” We will achieve both social sustainability and the Group’s sustainability by realizing our vision.
From the perspective of continuing our business activities in a sustainable manner and considering the impact on a wide range of stakeholders including future generations, we will work to reduce the environmental impact on the entire value chain, including climate change.
The activities for reducing global environmental impact are composed of those outlined in “IV. GUIDING PRINCIPLES”: “Important Environmental Initiatives to be Undertaken by the Kyowa Kirin Group,” “Initiatives for Ensuring Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations,” and “Environmental Initiatives to be Undertaken as a Member of the Kirin Group.” - II.SCOPE
This Group Policy applies to all employees working in the Kyowa Kirin Group, regardless of nationality, region, position, or title (such as executives, employees, contract workers, temporary staff, etc.), as well as full-time or part-time status.
We will also encourage relevant stakeholders to act in accordance with the guiding principles set forth in the policy. - III.DEFINITIONS
Kirin Group's Environmental Vision 2050:
The vision with the aim of strengthening the resilience of society and the company. Under this vision, together with the young people who will lead the future, the Kirin Group will create a prosperous world for the next generation.
Environmental management system:
This refers to a framework that enables organizations to manage and improve their environmental impact. It outlines the process through which organizations formulate and implement policies, objectives, and procedures to achieve sustainable operations. - IV.GUIDING PRINCIPLES
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1.Activities for Reducing Global Environmental Impact
- 1.1Important Environmental Initiatives to be Undertaken by the Kyowa Kirin Group
- To achieve sustainability for both the group and society, we have set out the “Important Environmental Initiatives to be Undertaken by the Kyowa Kirin Group” from the perspectives of impact materiality and financial materiality. We regularly review these important environmental initiatives in light of changes in our business environment and societal trends.
- We have recognized the response to climate change as being the most important environmental initiative for us. We will work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout our value chain, including through the use of renewable energy.
- 1.2Initiatives for Ensuring Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations
- To prevent environmental contamination, we have set out “Initiatives for Ensuring Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations”. In addition to complying with environmental laws, regulations, agreements, and other relevant requirements, we also set additionally stringent voluntary management standards.
- The “Initiatives for Ensuring Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations” encompass resource circulation, including waste management, prevention of pollution of water, soil, and air, as well as the conservation of biodiversity.
- 1.3Environmental Initiatives to be Undertaken as a Member of the Kirin Group
- To contribute to the achievement of the "Kirin Group's Environmental Vision 2050”, we have set out ”Environmental Initiatives to be Undertaken as a Member of the Kirin Group.
- The "Environmental Initiatives to be Undertaken as a Member of the Kirin Group" include not only the "response to climate change" mentioned in section 1.1, but also the "response to water resources" through the reduction of water usage, and the "response to biological resources" through the sustainable utilization of biological resources.
- 2.Environmental management system
- To ensure the effective implementation of the initiatives outlined in item 1 above, we have established an environmental management system and are committed to continuously improving our performance.
- To promote the reduction of environmental impact, we conduct environmental education and awareness activities for employees to enhance their environmental awareness.
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In addition, Kyowa Kirin Group identifies issues (materialities) that our Group should prioritize due to their impacts on social sustainability and our Group's business. One of these environmental materialities is reducing our impact on the global environment, which has been incorporated into our Medium-term Management Plan 2021-2025. Kyowa Kirin is setting targets for each fiscal year and implementing measures accordingly. Climate change mitigation/adaptation and water resource management, which fall under the rubric of reducing environmental impact, have been positioned as core environmental issues, medium- to long-term targets as well as single-year targets set, and various measures implemented. For more information, please see the "Materiality and SDGs," "Climate change" and "Water resources management" pages.
Governance
Our Representative Director and Executive Vice President serves as the chief executive in overall charge of the Group’s environmental management inclusive of climate change issues, while the CSR Management Department is in charge of administering environmental measures for the entire Group.
The CSR Committee, chaired by the Representative Director and Executive Vice President, reports, deliberates, and makes decisions on important issues related to the Group's environmental management, including the status of global and regional activities and issues related to climate change risks and opportunities, at the quarterly Group CSR Committee meetings or Regional CSR Committee meetings held four times a year. The CSR Committee’s reports, deliberations and decisions are reported to the Board of Directors.
Environmental Monitoring
Our Group complies with environment-related laws and regulations and carries out environmental activities by setting stricter in-house control values. In addition, our plants and research laboratories operate ISO14001-compliant environmental management systems.
In May 2018, we have completed the update to the new standard ISO14001:2015 on all ISO14001 certified sites. As of January 1, 2019, we have from third-party certification to self-declaration of conformity.
Sites making ISO14001 self-declarations of conformity:
Takasaki Plant, Ube Plant, Tokyo Research Park, Fuji Site
Risk Management
Responses to Environmental Accidents
Potential environmental risks are incorporated into our Group's risk management system in accordance with our Group Rule for Risk Management, and are periodically determined, classified, and reviewed as well as continually managed using risk ledgers, etc., based on indicators such as the frequency of occurrence and the degree of impact. In the unlikely event of a serious incident, reports are submitted promptly to the Representative Director and Executive Vice President and the Board of Directors through the relevant organization responsible for crisis management and responses are quickly determined in accordance with the Group Crisis Management Regulations.
There were no legal violations or environmental accidents resulting in environmentally-related penalties anywhere in Kyowa Kirin Group in fiscal 2023.
Environmental and Safety Audits
Kyowa Kirin Group conducts yearly environmental and safety audits to confirm that its environmental and safety management system is functioning and operating properly. We conducted the environmental and safety audits on 4 companies encompassing 10 locations in fiscal 2023. The audits of our plants and research laboratories are conducted at a higher level by having not only the auditors from the head office but also the environmental and safety officers from other plants and research laboratories in the same company participate as auditors.
By investigating the root causes of the issues identified in audits and making systemic improvements, we are helping to prevent accidents, disasters and compliance violations.
Environmental Training
Employees engaged in environmental management are obliged to take regular specialized training on the environment. We also provide regular environmental training to general employees on an annual basis, using e-learning and other means to promote understanding of our environmental activities. In 2024, we have implemented a common training program for the entire Kyowa Kirin Group (worldwide).
Dealings with Suppliers
Kyowa Kirin Group has set forth the Kyowa Kirin Group Procurement Policy, established a Supplier Code of Conduct for suppliers to follow. These guidelines call on suppliers to take the initiative in addressing environmental issues, recognizing that such issues are common to humanity and essential to the company's operations and survival. We conduct an annual "Sustainable Procurement Questionnaire" for suppliers to analyze the current status of activities in the supply chain and identify issues that need to be addressed to achieve sustainable procurement. We also provide opportunities for suppliers to deepen their understanding of our sustainable procurement activities by holding supplier briefings to share information on issues and solutions across the supply chain. In 2023, 530 people from 395 domestic suppliers participated in the supplier briefings.
Response to TCFD Recommendations
In November 2021, we expressed our support for the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and we have been disclosing information on the impact of climate change on our business. Please see the "Information disclosure based on TCFD recommendations" page for details on our response to the TCFD recommendations.
In December 2018, Kirin Holdings Company, Limited, announced its support for the TCFD recommendations on behalf of Kirin Group to which our company belongs, and it has since been conducting climate change scenario analyses as well as resilience assessments of our management strategy, and have been announcing its results.
Independent Assurance
We have received third-party assurance*1 for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, energy consumption and water intake for the entire Kyowa Kirin Group in fiscal 2023 with the aim of ensuring the reliability and transparency of information.
The Kirin Group, to which the Kyowa Kirin Group belongs, has also obtained third-party assurance for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions and water intake for the entire Kirin Group, including our Group, for fiscal 2023.
- *1:Independent third-party assurance has been received from KPMG AZSA Sustainability Co., Ltd. in accordance with the International Standard on Assurance Engagement (ISAE) 3000 and the ISAE 3410.
