Main Q&As at Asahi IR Day 2022 - sustainability

A.Regarding investment, Scope 1 and 2, which aim to reduce CO₂ emissions by 70% by 2030, will be subject to investment. Since we are already on track for Scope 2 to a certain extent, we do not think a large investment is necessary. Therefore, Scope 1, which is the main issue to be addressed, will be the main subject of the project, with investment in hydrogen fuel, etc. to be undertaken from 2025 onward.

A.As global warming becomes more serious, we believe it is important to work on reducing carbon dioxide emissions while creating a market for environmentally friendly products and encouraging consumers to change their behavior. While awareness of ethical consumption is already growing in Europe and other regions, it has not yet reached that level in Japan. We would like to work with retailers to create a society and market where consumers can purchase environmentally conscious products even if the price is appropriately passed on to them.

A.The carbon tax estimates on containers are based on current emissions multiplied by the carbon price, and are not estimates for the case of 100% eco-friendly materials in 2030. Specific estimates are yet to be made, but the amount of impact will be smaller because the switch to eco-friendly materials will result in the use of recycled resin. As for aluminum cans, we will continue to shift to eco-friendly materials such as green aluminum, and we will work to achieve our goals while considering specific measures for supply, cost, and technical issues to be addressed.

A.In the WHO Global Alcohol Action Plan this time, a target was set as “By 2030, at least a 20% relative reduction (in comparison with 2010) in the harmful use of alcohol”. While the target itself is lofty, the policy of reducing inappropriate drinking is consistent with the direction of our activities. As part of our mission as an alcohol manufacturer, we will strengthen initiatives to promote responsible drinking. In addition, we believe it is important not to wait for the introduction of various regulations, but to involve industry groups and others to create a framework for initiatives on our own.

A.We believe that a 20% reduction in harmful alcohol use will not lead to a 20% reduction in the alcohol market.　On the other hand, this is an issue directly related to our business, and we will strengthen our brand for sustainable growth while integrating sustainability and management. In particular, our core business is to promote the medium- to long-term business portfolio set forth in the "Medium- to Long-term Management Policy”. We will also acquire the capability of human resource organization to realize this and implement the strategy.

A.We believe that the will and mindset of employees is very important because strategies and plans need to be executable. At this time, we have not yet been able to get down to KPIs for employees, but in the future, we would like to set targets for the engagement survey and set indicators that will allow all employees to become actively involved in sustainability. Regarding engagement surveys, we conducted a global engagement survey last year and are now working on a pulse survey*. To be effective, we believe it is necessary to clarify the actual situation, set up indicators, and take action, and we will promote efforts to establish such a cycle. We also believe that by reflecting sustainability in the performance management of our employees' daily work, they will come to place more value on sustainability, and we will proactively establish such a system.
*A method of surveying employee attitudes in which simple questions are asked repeatedly over a short period of time to ascertain employee satisfaction and mental health.

A.We believe it is important to respond to price increases and achieve stable procurement.
In procurement, we are considering not only quality, cost, and supply, but also sustainability factors. It is important to promote procurement that respects stability and human rights in addition to quality, as in the direct procurement of barley in Australia.