September 22, 2010

Sumitomo Chemical Donates 400 Thousand Olyset® Nets to Millennium Villages- Collaborating Toward Achievement of the Millennium Development Goals -Sumitomo Chemical (Sumitomo) has announced that, in cooperation with the Millennium Village Project inAfrica being promoted by the Columbia University Earth Institute, the United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), and the US NPO Millennium Promise, it will make a donation of 400,000 of its
anti-malarial Olyset® Net mosquito nets (a donation worth over US$2 million) to every Millennium Village in2010-2011.

This follows a previous donation in 2006 of 330,000 nets. The disribution of Olyset® Nets to Millennium
Villages has been among the factors contributing to reported decreases in the rates of malaria infection in thevillages. The 400,000 Olyset® Nets will be used to replace existing nets and will also be distributed tohouseholds that have not previously received nets.

At present, approximately 250 million persons become infected with malaria every year, and some one
million persons annually die from the disease. Of these cases, 90% occur in Africa, and a majority of thefatalities occur among children under the age of five. Malaria prevents adults from working and children fromattending school, and it is estimated that the economic burden malaria imposes on Africa amounts to US$12
billion per year. This makes the prevention of malaria an essential precondition for eradicating poverty.

The Olyset® Net is a highly durable mosquito net that retains its insecticidal efficacy for over five years
because it incorporates an insecticide in its fibers. It is an economical and effective means of protecting
people from the mosquitoes that transmit malaria. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) has
endorsed the use of the Olyset® Net. In order to meet the increasing demand, Sumitomo has been
expanding production capacity, and now boasts a capacity of 60 million nets annually. Of this number, 29
million nets are produced in Tanzania, which provides employment for approximately 7,000 persons,contributing to vitalization of the local economy.

The Millennium Village Project is an initiative for providing the fundamentals necessary for impoverishedregions to achieve self-sufficient development. The Millennium Villages comprise some 80 designatedvillages in ten African countries, which receive comprehensive support for food production, infectious disease
prevention, and securing drinking water and electricity. This initiative is expected to provide practicalcontributions to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals*. Japan’s and other countries’
national governments, international organizations, foundations, and the private sector are collaborating as
project partners.

Sumitomo Chemical will continue to support the eradication of poverty from Africa through its businessactivities in partnership with a variety of organizations.

*Millennium Development Goals (MDGs): Adopted as an action plan by the United Nations in September
2000 based on the UN Millennium Declaration, the Millennium Development Goals include goals to beachieved in eight categories such as poverty, education, the environment, and human rights.