Announcement Regarding Issuance of Green Bonds

Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd.

(Tokyo, Japan - February 1, 2023) – Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. (“Asahi”) is pleased to announce that it will publicly offer Green Bonds (Unsecured Corporate Bonds) within the Japanese domestic market. Today, Asahi submitted an amendment to the shelf registration statement concerning the issuance of green bonds to the Director of Kanto Local Finance Bureau. Green bonds are designed to raise funds for exclusive use in business which works to help solve environmental problems. This is the second green bonds issued by Asahi.

Asahi plans to use the proceeds from the green bonds for capital investments, promotion of renewable energy for the energy to be used and initiatives for CO₂ absorption in Tosu Brewery of Asahi Breweries, Ltd., which is scheduled to commence operations in 2026, as well as procurement of recycled PET and biomass plastic, purchase of renewable energy for the entire Group.

In Tosu Brewery, Asahi aims to achieve “Carbon Negative” in 2026, where the CO₂ absorption exceed CO₂ emissions.

For over 100 years, Asahi has been enjoying the gifts of nature such as water, agricultural product and so on. In order to pass on the nature’s gifts to the future generations by actively promoting efforts to address a wide range of environmental issues. Asahi established Asahi Group Environmental Vision 2050 in February 2019 and updated it in February 2023(“New Vision”). The New Vision states, "Planet Positive," as what Asahi would like the world to be like, and aims to reduce the burden on the environment from its business to zero, and to maximize value to the global environment through circularity.

In the Vision, Asahi sets 4 pillars of its environmental initiatives at 1. Climate Change, 2. Packaging, 3. Agricultural Raw Materials, and 4. Water Resources, and defines what Asahi would like the world to be like in 2050, then promotes measures for the achievement of the New Vision. With the proceeds from the green bonds, Asahi commits to further accelerate its efforts to work towards the realization of a sustainable society as well as the growth of its business operations.

Summary of green bonds

*　This organization supports the issuance of green bonds by giving advice regarding the formulation of green bond frameworks and on obtaining second-party opinions.

- For the issuance of its green bond, Asahi has formulated a green bond framework which specifies Asahi’s policy concerning the four core components (1. Use of proceeds, 2. Process of project evaluation and selection, 3. Management of proceeds, and 4. Reporting), which are defined in the 2021 edition of Green Bond Principles published by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) (“2021 GBP”) and Green Bond Guidelines 2022 published by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment (“Green Bond Guidelines 2022”).

- Asahi received a Second-Party Opinion from Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd. to ensure transparency and alignment with the 2021 GBP and the Green Bond Guidelines 2022, and to attract more investors.

＜About Asahi’s sustainability＞

https://www.asahigroup-holdings.com/en/sustainability/index.html

＜Green Bond Framework＞

https://www.asahigroup-holdings.com/news_file/file/20200904-0101_green_bond_framework.pdf