Open

Stakeholder Engagement

Basic Approach

Canon thinks it is important to have ongoing dialogue with its diverse stakeholders to communicate the company’s thinking to them and to listen carefully to their feedback with the aim of deepening mutual understanding. We consequently strive to maintain close communication with stakeholders using departments in charge at Group companies worldwide as points of contact. Responding to the issues identified based on the opinions we receive from stakeholders, we deal appropriately with the needs of each region, and at the same time, we share important issues related to global management throughout the Group and work to resolve them.

The opinions or comments received from external stakeholders through the Canon website* are shared with the relevant departments and answered promptly. We also strive to enhance Canon’s activities through appropriate exchanges of views with consultancies, investors, experts, NGOs and NPOs.

Moreover, the preparation of this report involves several rounds of direct discussion with third parties regarding its content, starting from the planning stage. We also try to ensure report disclosures meet the expectations of all stakeholders by canvassing the views of investors, shareholders, and sustainability experts.

Below we outline the communication methods with stakeholder groups that Canon regards as of high importance for its business activities.

Customers

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Provision of high-value-added products and services of high quality
  • Provision of appropriate information on products and services
  • Responding to inquiries
  • Improving customer support
  • Customer advice centers
  • Service centers
  • Website/social media
  • Customer satisfaction surveys
  • Showrooms

Educational/Research Institutions

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Optical technology
  • Cutting-edge technology
  • Joint research
  • Environmental education
  • Joint R&D projects
  • Introductory and operational briefings
  • Visits to Canon Foundation grant recipients
  • Internship programs
  • Meetings to promote joint research initiatives between industry and academia
  • Outreach classes and instructor dispatch

Employees

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Improvement in workplace environments
  • Management policies
  • Maintenance of employee benefit programs
  • Support for career development
  • Maintenance of personnel evaluation system
  • Maintenance of workplace safety system
  • Cultivation of high company morale
  • Labor-management conferences and committees
  • Information sharing from top management
  • Training programs
  • Career matching system
  • Whistleblower system
  • Employee awareness surveys
  • Safety and Health Committee
  • Compliance meetings
  • Human resource hotline

NGOs/NPOs

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Issues affecting global society such as refugee issues and poverty
  • Disaster relief support
  • Ecosystem protection/conservation
  • Supply chain risks
  • Collaborative biodiversity conservation projects
  • Humanitarian and disaster-relief activities in disaster-affected areas
  • Collaboration to achieve a green supply chain

Local Communities

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Fulfilling responsibilities as corporate citizen to participate in local community activities
  • Contributions to local communities through business operations
  • Protection/conservation of local community ecosystems
  • Emergency disaster-relief assistance
  • Disaster-preparedness and crime-prevention drills
  • Involvement in local groups/organizations
  • Ecosystem protection/conservation activities
  • Local events and volunteer activities
  • Environmental education and awareness activities

Shareholders/Investors

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Medium- to long-term management strategy aimed at achieving continued growth
  • Status of business portfolio transformation
  • Financial condition
  • Business activity trends and results
  • ESG activities
  • General meeting of shareholders
  • Corporate strategy conference
  • Financial results conferences
  • Conferences for institutional investors
  • Individual meetings with institutional investors
  • Investor relations website/materials

Suppliers

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Procurement policies
  • Requests to address social issues
  • Analysis of business trends and supplier performance
  • Product/technology trends
  • Improved efficiency of the chemical substance information transmission scheme
  • Procurement annual meeting
  • Supplier surveys
  • Business briefings to suppliers
  • Onsite supplier briefings
  • Technology exhibitions by suppliers
  • Promotion of green procurement

Central/Local Governments

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Active support for initiatives addressing societal issues
  • Strengthening ties with companies
  • Promotion of community revitalization
  • Opinion exchange with central government agencies
  • Opinion exchange with local government authorities
  • Dialogue with economic organizations and industry groups
  • Cooperation in surveys and questionnaires

Other Companies

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods
  • Industry trends
  • Product/technology trends
  • Addressing social issues that affect multiple industry sectors
  • Participation in environmental technology initiatives
  • Announcement/promotion of Open COVID-19 Declaration
  • Participation in standardization for common base technologies of IoT systems

External Recognition

Canon has received awards and citations from various external bodies for the efforts it has made to satisfy stakeholder expectations. Please refer to the URL below for further details.