Society
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.

Comments or requests received from external stakeholders via the Canon website* are shared with relevant departments and answered promptly. We are working to enhance Canon’s activities further through appropriate opinion exchanges with corporate consultants, investors, and experts, as well as a range of 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.

Specific dialogue and engagement in 2021 with stakeholder groups that Canon regards as of high importance for its business activities are outlined below.

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Examples of Joint Initiatives with Stakeholders

Human Rights Initiatives

We undertook dialogue with stakeholders as part of human rights-related initiatives in 2021. We received expert advice from the UK-based sustainability consulting firm Sancroft on the formulation of human rights policy and human rights due diligence (identifying human rights risks). We also engaged in dialogue with the Canon Workers’ Union, which represents our employees in Japan, as a major stakeholder affected by human rights-related risks. Focusing on several themes relating to such risks, the discussions resulted in a wide exchange of views and provided an opportunity to confirm the labor union’s awareness of the major issues.

Respecting Human Rights

Teleconference with Sancroft on human rights-related issues

Learning about Social Issues Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

We are developing plans for a range of lectures and other events on the theme of kyosei, which means living and working together for the common good. From 2021, amid COVID-19 restrictions on gatherings, we launched an online event series that employees can participate in from their desk at work or at home. Held several times a month, these events help individual employees gain a deeper understanding of social issues with the aim of promoting in-house innovation. With the help of guest speakers from Japan for UNHCR and the Japan Association for the World Food Programme, these events provided opportunities to learn about global issues such as refugees and food waste, as well as various CSRrelated topics such as the SDGs, accessibility, and diversity. A total of 1,826 personnel took part in 16 events during 2021.

Delivering an online event

Educational/Research Institutions

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● Optical technology
  • ● Cutting-edge technology
  • ● Joint research
  • ● Environmental education related to recycling
  • ● Joint research
  • ● Presentations at international conferences and technical working group meetings
  • ● Business introductions
  • ● Outreach classes and instructor dispatch
  • ● Internship programs to support the career development of students
  • ● Classes held at Utsunomiya University (Japan), Center for Optical Research and Education (5 times)
  • ● Environmental classes for elementary school children (12 times)
  • ● Visits to Canon Foundation grant recipients, including universities and research institutions (19 times)
  • ● Meetings to promote joint research initiatives between industry and academia (23 times)
  • ● Onsite briefings held at universities to introduce Canon and its business operations (approx. 150 times)
  • ● Regular communications with educational and research institutions such as collaborative R&D conducted with university hospitals in Japan
  • ● Internships for special support school students (2 students from 2 schools)

Employees

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● Improvement in workplace environments
  • ● Understanding of management policies
  • ● Maintenance of employee welfare system
  • ● Support for career development
  • ● Maintenance of personnel evaluation system
  • ● Maintenance of workplace safety system
  • ● Cultivation of high company morale
  • ● Labor-management meetings
  • ● Information sharing from top management
  • ● Training programs
  • ● Human resource hotline
  • ● Whistleblower system
  • ● Safety and Health Committee
  • ● Company events
  • ● Central labor-management meetings (8 times)
  • ● Labor-management committees on wages, welfare, workplace reforms, etc. (13 times)
  • ● Career matching system (252 employees)
  • ● Compliance meetings (2 times)
  • ● Central Safety and Health Committee meetings (2 times)
  • ● Regional Safety and Health Committee meetings (at least once monthly at each operational site)

NGOs/NPOs

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● Issues affecting global society such as refugee issues and poverty
  • ● Disaster relief support
  • ● Ecosystem protection/ conservation
  • ● Supply chain risks
  • ● Collaborative projects, including volunteer activities
  • ● Information sharing/opinion exchange
  • ● Partnership-based biodiversity conservation initiative “Furusato Project”
  • ● Canon Bird Branch Project in collaboration with the Wild Bird Society of Japan
  • ● Humanitarian and disaster-relief activities in disaster-affected areas
  • ● Collaborative biodiversity conservation initiatives in areas around the world
  • ● Collaboration to achieve a green supply chain

Foreign Governments/Embassies

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● Support for evaluating and addressing social issues at the bilateral and international levels
  • ● Building, maintaining and promoting friendly relations with other countries
  • ● Meeting/exchanging views with foreign dignitaries
  • ● Participation in various types of events
  • ● Responding to various types of inquiries
  • ● Cooperation in surveys and questionnaires
  • ● Participation in briefings or other meetings with foreign governments and embassies
  • ● Participation in international discussions and events designed to improve bilateral relations
  • ● Cooperation in surveys and questionnaires

Local Communities

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● 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 crimeprevention drills
  • ● Involvement in local groups/ organizations
  • ● Local events and volunteer activities
  • ● Environmental education and awareness activities
  • ● Community cleanups
  • ● Community-based social contribution activities including educational, sports and cultural programs
  • ● Activities to protect and conserve local ecosystems, such as tree-planting programs
  • ● Cleanup activities
  • ● Employee volunteers sent to disaster-affected areas
  • ● Employee donations for disaster relief

Shareholders/Investors

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● Medium- to long-term management strategy aimed at achieving continued growth
  • ● Status of business portfolio transformation
  • ● Business activity trends and results
  • ● Financial condition
  • ● ESG activities
  • ● General meeting of shareholders
  • ● Corporate strategy conference
  • ● Conferences for institutional investors
  • ● Individual meetings with institutional investors
  • ● Website for investors
  • ● Corporate reports/brochures for investors
  • ● Financial results conferences (4 times)
  • ● Release of corporate governance report
  • ● Improved disclosure of financial results and related information
  • ● Quick release of documents relating to general meeting of shareholders, enrichment of voluntary disclosure
  • ● IR meetings (approx. 240 times)
  • ● Publication of Canon Annual Report and Sustainability Report
  • ● Inclusion of financial information in Sustainability Report
  • ● Disclosures consistent with TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures) guidelines
  • ● Discussions aimed at improving content of Sustainability Report

Suppliers

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● Requests to address social issues
  • ● Procurement policies
  • ● Improved efficiency of the chemical substance information transmission scheme
  • ● Online supplier surveys
  • ● Procurement annual meeting
  • ● Promotion of green procurement
  • ● Survey covering finance, corporate profile, corporate ethics, responsible minerals sourcing, and environmental conservation (once)
  • ● Procurement annual meeting (once)
  • ● Collection and management of information for chemicals in products through chemSHERPA

Central/Local Governments

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● 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
  • ● Policy recommendations via discussions with central government agencies
  • ● Policy recommendations via activities of economic organizations and industry groups
  • ● Adoption of central government priority policies
  • ● Collaboration with central and local government authorities to address social issues
  • ● Promotion of and support for personnel exchanges between public/private sectors
  • ● Opinion exchange with local government authorities, participation in and organization of various types of events
  • ● Introduction/provision of new technologies and solutions, creation of PR videos for tourism
  • ● Cooperation in surveys/questionnaires for government statistics, industry groups, and economic organizations (75 items)

Other Companies

Topics of Interest Main Communication Methods Main Initiatives in 2021
  • ● Industry trends
  • ● Addressing social issues that affect multiple industry sectors
  • ● Product/technology trends
  • ● Collaborative projects
  • ● Participation in environmental technology initiatives
  • ● Announcement/promotion of Open COVID-19 Declaration
  • ● Joint research with other companies and undertaking of development work
  • ● Contributions to environmental protection technologies platform
  • ● Encouraged other companies to join Open COVID-19 Declaration, prepared declaration template
  • ● Participation in industry initiatives (see P146, Main Association Memberships and External Initiatives)