Governance

The Sustainability Promotion Committee was established in August 2021 and promotes activities related to climate change.

Being a "leading-edge service company" as stated in our management philosophy, we have a basic aim of helping establish a society that is more convenient, enriched and sustainable than it is now by leveraging our unique expertise, management resources and the experience of our employees and by contributing to the development of society and the resolution of problems in a way that only Credit Saison can through its usual business operations.

Taking action to address sustainability-related issues such as the consideration of climate change and other global environmental issues, respect for human rights, the health and working environment of employees, the fair and appropriate treatment of employees, fair and appropriate trade with suppliers and crisis management to handle natural disasters and other events is very important in our management of our business. These actions help mitigate risks and create revenue opportunities. Based on this understanding, the Sustainability Promotion Committee was established in August 2021 as an organization for discussing the direction of our activities to achieve our sustainability-related strategies and to respond to inquiries from the representative director. The Committee is chaired by the Representative, Executive President and COO.

The Committee pursues the establishment of a sustainable society by taking action to address climate change and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, including the empowerment of women and other initiatives.

Being an advisory body to the Representative Directors regarding sustainability activities, our entire Group is strengthening its efforts to solve social and environmental issues through our business to realize a sustainable society. With the Representative, Executive President and COO serving as its chair, the Committee comprises globally minded male and female members who hail from within and outside the Company and are thus able to promote the exchange of various opinions.
The Committee has three working groups: the Climate Change Strategy Promotion WG,(*1) the DE&I (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion) Promotion WG and the Social Impact WG. Reporting to and receiving instructions from the Committee, the working groups periodically respond to questions from the Representative Director regarding the sustainability strategies and initiatives introduced throughout the Credit Saison Group, and report on these matters to the Board of Directors when necessary.(*2) Since September 2021, the Committee, the Climate Change Strategy Promotion WG and the DE&I Promotion WG have, in principle, met every month(*3) for discussion. The Social Impact WG was established in February 2023 and it engages in discussion as the other WGs do.

• *1   Working Group
• *2   Number of reports to the Board of Directors: 1 in FY2021 and 1 in FY2022
• *3   Number of committee meetings and WG meetings held
  　　Sustainability Promotion Committee: 7 in FY2021 and 9 in FY2022
  　　Climate Change Strategy Promotion WG: 11 in FY2021 and 10 in FY2022
  　　DE&I promotion WG: 9 in FY2021 and 9 in FY2022

＜Sustainability Promotion Committee organization chart＞



＜Sustainability Promotion Committee Members＞

Chairperson	Katsumi Mizuno, Representative, Executive President and COO
Vice Chairperson	Yoshiyuki Kimura, Executive Officer
Members	Nana Otsuki, Outside Director
	Kosuke Mori, Director, Senior Managing Executive Officer
	Kazue Yasumori, Managing Executive Officer
	Yuichi Kawahara, Executive Officer
	Hironao Wakamei, Executive Officer
	Satoko Takeda, Head of Advertising Manegement Office, Branding Strategy Dept.

Criteria for selection of members of the Sustainability Promotion Committee

• ・The chairperson shall be the Representative, Executive President and COO.
• ・Members shall be an executive officer in charge of a division such as the Corporate Planning Dept., Corporate Risk Management Dept., Treasury & Accounting Dept., Human Resources Dept., a sales development division or a global division or of an equivalent or higher level.
• ・The male-female ratio shall be generally fifty-fifty.
• ・The Committee will also include outside directors to hear opinions from objective and neutral perspectives.
• ・ Third-party organizations shall also be involved in Committee activities to obtain advice and recommendations in the area of their expertise.

Strategy

We predicted changes in the external environment and analyzed the impact of climate change on our operations in the future, in accordance with the TCFD framework and using a scenario analysis method.

It is important for us to pursue sustainable growth by mitigating climate change and adapting to it through our business activities. Based on this understanding, we believe that actions to address climate change are important in the management of our business. We identify and assess its impact on us by forecasting changes in the external environment and our operating environment accompanying the manifestation of climate-related risks and by identifying risk events. In the scenario analysis, we referenced multiple existing scenarios published by organizations such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

・Specifying the businesses to be analyzed

・Specifying risk items and opportunity items

・Process of assessment and management

・Definition of timeline (short, medium and long term)

・Definition of degree of importance (large, medium and small)

Risk management

The Risk Management Committee and Corporate Risk Management Dept. lead the efforts to mitigate risk and minimize the impact of risks should they occur. To this end, our employees regularly receive in-house training and endeavor to maintain our risk management system in accordance with the Risk Management Regulations, Regulations on Management of Risks of Losses and Crisis Management Regulations. Regarding the issues underlying the Credit Saison Group or governance-related matters accompanied by serious risks, the Group Strategic Management Department leads the supervision of the companies of the Credit Saison Group's execution of business and shares information with the supervisory divisions of the Credit Saison Group companies.

For climate change risks, the Sustainability Promotion Committee leads the formulation of policies and strategies for minimizing risks and seizing opportunities and structurally monitors related efforts.
The Comprehensive Planning Office of the Corporate Planning Dept., the Public Relations Office and the Corporate Risk Management Dept., which collectively are the administrative body supporting the Sustainability Promotion Committee, lead the regular review of risks and opportunities relating to climate change.

The Climate Change Strategy WG met more than ten times to deepen its discussions in FY2022 while in September 2021 the Sustainability Promotion Committee began to meet once a month to advance the discussion of climate change (a report was submitted to the Board of Directors in December 2021 and June 2022).

Metrics and targets