Key findings from the results ofKeidanren CBCC Survey on CSR(Provisional Translation)2017 July
Council for Better Corporate Citizenship (CBCC)

What is CBCC ?
Name : Council for Better Corporate Citizenship
URL : http://www.keidanren.or.jp/cbcc

Founded : September 1989 by Keidanren
Mission : To promote Japanese companies’
CSR and to support their CSR initiatives by;
1) Collecting and disseminating information on CSR,
2) Hosting meetings and seminars on CSR,
3) Conducting exchange with various entities both inJapan and foreign countries, etc.

Chairman : Mr. Masaya Futamiya(Chairman, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance Inc.)
1

Members : 86 companies

About the Keidanren CBCC Survey on CSR
1. Purpose :
1.
2.
3.

To get the latest information on what Japanese companies are thinking anddoing about CSR
To promote understanding of Japanese CSR
To encourage Japanese companies committed to CSR

2. Targets : Keidanren and CBCC members (1,363 companies)
3. Period : 1/31 - 2/28, 2017
4. Number of valid responses :AllCBCC members

Number of surveys sent （①）
Number of valid responses（②）

1,363
167

8754Response rate（②／①）

12.3 %

62.1 %

5. Questionnaires :2Ⅰ．Basic thinking on CSR
Ⅱ．Responses to CSR issues
Ⅲ．Supply chain management
Ⅳ．CSR reporting
Ⅴ．Stakeholder engagement
Ⅵ．SDG recognition and initiatives
Ⅶ．Examples of CSR initiatives

1. What does CSR mean to your company?
(Multiple answers allowed)

Contributing to solving social issues throughbusiness

32

127

159

Contributing to realizing a sustainable world

38120

158

Realizing corporate philosophy

43112

Creating corporate values

30124

155
154

Meeting stakeholders' expectations

10141

151

Necessary for business continuity

8138

146

Risk management

3131134Attracting talented people 0116

Investment for future growth 0107

Other1 7803

◎・・・Cited as “most applicable”

116
107
◎

50

○100(number)
1502002. Which standards/guidelines are important for yourcompany?
(Multiple answers allowed)

4

3. What are the challenges in promoting CSR at your company?
(Multiple answers allowed)
Lack of understanding and initiative by
employees

35114

Lack of understanding and initiative bybusiness units

37102

Insufficient resources(e.g., personnel, budget)

15

Lack of leadership by executives

81◎・・・Cited as “the biggest challenge”

112100◎

Other 1 3511866

190139103

46

Lack of understanding by executives

149

42040○（number）

60

80

100 120 140 160

4. What challenges do you face in promoting CSR within yourcompany?
(Multiple answers allowed)
Difficulty in sharing a basic recognition ofCSR within the company

102

Shortage of resources (e.g., personnel,budget) for initiating CSR training
Insufficient time for employees to be trainedin CSR

1777

8

Widespread approach of prioritizing profitabove CSR

210◎・・・Cited as “the biggest challenge”8944651120401449481

Other 4 7642◎
6080○(number)
100 120 140 160

5. Does your company identify material issues(materiality) ?
Notidentified,13%
Intend toidentify, but
not decided
when, 19%

In the process ofidentifying, 16%

7

No answer, 1%

AlreadyIdentified,52%

6. Does your company publish a Policy Statement on Human
Rights ?
Discussing 11.0%
Will shortly publish 4.5%

Already published 84.5%

8

7. Which human rights issues are important for your company?
(Multiple answers allowed)

98. Does your company conduct Human Rights DueDiligence?
Don't know 8%

No answer
1%

Already conducted34%

Not conducted, noplan 23%

Under disucussion
26%
Will conduct shortly 9%10

9. To what extent has your company introduced HumanRights Due Diligence?
No answer, 2%

Other, 16%
To the wholevalue chain, 7%

To direct andindirect
suppliers, 14%

Only to thecompany, 27%

To direct
suppliers(TierⅠ), 18%

To direct suppliers and customers/clients, 16%11

10. Does your company implement sustainable procurement?
No answer
1%

No 20%

Yes 79%1211. What action does your company take in your supply
chain/value chain to promote CSR?
(Multiple answers allowed)
Providing procurement guidelines

107

Dialogue with suppliers

103

Adding articles on CSR to conracts

67

Cooperating with capacity building (i.e.,education/training)

63

Auditing suppliers

62

Supporting suppliers' CSR efforts

41

Other

1334
050

(number)
10015012. What are the challenges in supply chain management atyour company?
(Multiple answers allowed)
Difficult to define the scope of supply
chain/value chain

49

Insufficient resources for supply chain
management (e.g., personnel, budget)33

Too many supply chains to manage

19

Weakness of suppliers' governance

17

Widespread approach of prioritizing costand quality above supply chainmanagement

15

Other

76
74

107

82

101
72

55

41

12556
◎

6 13 19○( number)
014◎・・・Cited as “the biggest challenge”

20

40

60

80 100 120 140

13. Which standards/guidelines are important for your CSR
reporting?
(Multiple answers allowed)

1514. On what points do you disclose information?
(Multiple answers allowed)

1615. Does your company issue an Integrated Report ?
Other, 2%

No answer,
1%

Already
issued, 36%
Not issued,
42%

17Under discussion,
12%

Plan to issue,
8%16. What do you think about regulating the disclosure ofnonfinancial information?
Company should decide its disclosure policy inaccordance with the nature of its business

45%

Company should disclose as much as possible,or should explain in case of non-disclosure

19%

Government should make rules on disclosing
nonfinancial information

14%

Businesses should make voluntaryrules/guidelines on disclosure

14%

Other5%Company should oppose change to the currentrules

3%No answer

1%0%

1810%20%30%(percentage）
40%50%

17. What is your company doing to enhance the credibilityof your CSR reports?
(Multiple answers allowed)
Internal audit

80

Comments from third party
institutions/experts

80

Dialogue with stakeholders

77

Assurances by third party institutions

70

Dialogue with consumers

36

Other

26

Review by bussiness associations

22(number)
019

20

4060

80

100

18. Which stakeholders does your company regard asimportant?
(Multiple answers allowed)

Employees

166

Consumers, custmors

165

Clients

162

Shareholders, investers

155

Local communities

155NPOs／NGOs

99Experts

89

Other

24
02050100(number)
150
200

19. Is your company engaging with your stakeholders in yourCSR efforts?
No answer1%

No 13%

Yes 86%21

20. What kind of engagement does your company have withyour stakeholders ?
①120

②119

③138

④106

⑤108

⑥⑦(Multiple answers allowed)

674（number）
050
100
150
①Collaboration in developing codes of conduct, CSR policy, materiality guidelines, and action
plans②Participation in preparing CSR reports③Collaboration in implementing CSR initiatives④Inviting stakeholders to CSR briefings⑤Cooperation in conducting CSR surveys⑥Participation in internal meetings on CSR⑦Other22

21. How does your company make use of stakeholder
engagement?
(Multiple answers allowed)
Preparing and revising CSR reports

115

Improving its CSR initiatives

112

Developing/strengthening CSR structure

80

Strengthening business partnerships

72

Reflecting it in reviews of CSR policy

68

Development/innovation of goods andservices

65

Strengthening marketing

41

Other

23

90（number）
50

10015022. What are the challenges in engaging with stakeholders?
(Multiple answers allowed)
Difficult to decide to what extent weshould reflect stakeholders' views

78

Other

56

Difficult to decide whichstakeholders should be prioritized

38

Difficult to get involvement fromtop management

33

Don't know how to engage withstakeholders

26
0

24

204060（number）
80
100

23. Is your company engaging with SDGs?

Other, 3.6%

No answer, 0.6%

Don't know about SDGs,
3.6%
No reaction or plan,
20.4%

Alreadyengaged, 30.5%

Plan to engage,
9.6%

Discussing how to react, 31.7%

25

24. How does your company engage with SDGs?
(Multiple answers allowed)

Mapping its businesses tothe framework of SDGs

37

Beginning to take action toachieve SDGs

26

Integrating SDGs into its
business plan

14

Making policy on SDGs

13

Other10（number）

260

10203040

25. What do the SDGs mean to your company?
(Multiple answers allowed)
Contribution to creating a sustainable
society

31

Contribution to solving social issues
through business
Main tools for creating corporate
values

77
1185

64

65

6
◎

0
◎・・・Cited as “most applicable”

13199

82

Investment for future growth 1
Other 15

5488

Risk management 32713310220406080○ （number）
100 120 140

26. Which goals of SDGs are important for your company?
(Multiple answers allowed)①No Poverty

113445②Zero Hunger 94132③Good Health and Well-Being
245377④Quality Education
154762⑤Gender Equality
1464
78⑥Clean Water and Sanitation 93544⑦Affordable and Clean Energy
2751
78⑧Decent Work and Economic Growth 1167
78
⑨Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
244468⑩Reduced Inqualities 34144⑪Sustainable Cities and Communities
155065⑫Responsible Consumption and Production
185876⑬Climate Action336194⑭Life Below Water 73441⑮Life on Land 115162⑯Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions 24446⑰Partnerships for the Goals 74552(number)◎○0204060
8010028◎・・・Answered as “the most important”

Examples of Japanese companies’ Initiatives on SDGs (1) Development of Weather Index Insurance Supporting poor villages through working closely and providing funds
 Provision of technological assistance to farmers to help improve
productivity
 More visible food supply chain
 Development of digital blood pressure monitors to help prevent lifestylediseases Use of Big Data to help predict outbreaks of epidemic disease Promotion of ICT tools in education, and development of tools for teachingrobotics
 Promotion of scholarship systems
 Support for women’s career development, and provision of LGBT culturalcompetency training to employees
 Measures to encourage day-care facilities to move into our real estate holdings
to help eradicate the problem of children waiting for day-care places Development of systems to optimize use of water infrastructure29

 Promotion of water hygiene education in partnership with UNICEF and othersExamples of Japanese companies’ Initiatives on SDGs (2) Investment in electricity generation and renewable energy using woodbiomass
 Development of energy-saving products Human resources strategy to bring about work-style reforms and create
innovation
 Support for production activities and job creation in the local community Improvements to productivity in factories by harnessing the IoT (Internet ofThings), and improvements to safety and quality at production sites
 Development and provision of products suitable to the physical characteristicsof each individual Business activities to contribute to growth and development in developing
countries and emerging economies
 Building of efficient and safe urban infrastructure Collaboration with local governments, companies, and universities
 Development of company’s brands that consider the environment andsuppliers Efficient use of resources and reduction of final disposal rate

30

Examples of Japanese companies’ Initiatives on SDGs (3) Eco-First Pledge submitted to Japan’s Ministry of the Environment.
 Operation of environmental management systems (such as formulating
implementation plans) Joint research in collaboration with research institutions on the ecology andecosystem of bonito, which provides the raw materials for our products, andsupport for the preservation and ideal use of marine resources Efforts to promote accreditation under forest certification systems andsustainable sourcing of raw materials that considers the environment andsociety.
 Development of license plate recognition to support urban safety Efforts to promote fair competition and prevention of corruption
 Proactively engaging with and playing a leading role in initiatives launched inJapan and around the world to fulfill our social responsibility

31