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, 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.

When preparing this report, we hold several rounds of direct discussion with third parties starting from the planning stage. During these meetings, we discuss the information to be disclosed in the report in order to ensure that it meets the expectations of our stakeholders. In addition, we send a questionnaire survey to a wide range of stakeholder groups to find out how they evaluate and what they expect from Canon's corporate social responsibility activities and the content disclosed in the report.

Below, we introduce our methods of communicating with stakeholders and presents specific initiatives, covering all stakeholder groups that Canon believes to be of high importance for its business activities.

Educational/Research Institutions

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•Joint research •Presentations at international conferences and technical working group meetings •Business introductions •Participation in surveys and studies •Outreach classes and instructor dispatch •Onsite briefings at schools, school visits (university/technical college level) and internship programs to support the career development of students	•Instructors dispatched to Utsunomiya University (Japan), Center for Optical Research and Education (29 times) •Chuo University (Japan) classes held on intellectual property law and corporate law •Environmental classes held at elementary schools (31 times) •Held meetings at such Canon Foundation grant recipients as universities and research institutions (29 occasions) •Visits to promote joint research initiatives between industry and academia (15 times) •Onsite briefings held at universities to introduce Canon and its business operations (approx. 100 times) •Regular communications with educational and research institutions such as collaborative R&D conducted with university hospitals in Japan •Onsite briefings at schools and school visits (university/technical college level) •Internships for students on administrative, technical or specialist tracks (23 times, approx. 1,700 students in 2018) •Internships for special school students (29 students from 9 schools)	•Optical technology •Cutting-edge technology •Joint research •Environmental education related to recycling technology

Employees

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•Labor-management meetings •Information sharing from top management (intranet, in-house magazine, executive meetings, site visits) •Training programs •Employee surveys •Human resource hotline •Whistleblower system •Safety and Health Committee •Internal award system •Summer festivals and other events	•Labor-management meetings (11 times) •Employee surveys (once every two years) •Information security seminars (12 times) •Environmental training •Initiatives to help make individual workplaces more rewarding •Monthly workplace safety committee meetings •Summer festivals (at each operational site; once a year)	•Improvement in workplace environments •Maintenance of workplace safety system •Maintenance of personnel evaluation system •Understanding of management policies •Maintenance of employee welfare system •Cultivation of high company morale

NGOs/NPOs

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•Collaborative projects, including volunteer activities	•Support for UNHCR Refugee Film Festival and UNHCR photo exhibition about the Refugee athletes that competed in Rio de Janeiro, sponsored and organized by UNHCR Representation in Japan and Japan for UNHCR* * The national partner of UNHCR in Japan •Biodiversity conservation initiatives (such as Furusato Project—Linking Our Dream to the Future) •Canon Bird Branch Project •Humanitarian and disaster-relief activities in disaster-affected areas •Collaborative biodiversity and green procurement initiatives	•Ecosystem protection/conservation •Issues affecting global society such as refugee issues and poverty •Disaster relief support

Embassies/Foreign Governments

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•Participation in international exchanges and events •Cooperation with events commemorating the establishment of diplomatic relations with Japan	•Courtesy calls and participation in hearings or other meetings organized in response to requests from embassies and foreign governments (over 50 times) •Participation in international discussions and events designed to improve bilateral relations	•Addressing social issues at the bilateral and international levels •Further promoting friendly relations with other countries

Local Communities

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•Emergency disaster-relief assistance •Participation in disaster-preparedness and crime-prevention drills •Involvement in local groups/organizations •Participation in 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	•Protection/conservation of local community ecosystems •Contributions to local communities through business operations •Understanding local communities •Fulfilling responsibilities as corporate citizen to participate in local community activities

Shareholders/Investors

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•General meeting of shareholders •Conferences for institutional investors •Individual meetings with institutional investors •Conferences for individual investors •Website for investors •Corporate reports/brochures for investors	•Financial results conferences, corporate strategy conference (5 times) •Disclosure of corporate governance report •Expanding disclosure of information through such means as revised documents explaining financial results •Quick release of documents relating to general meeting of shareholders, enrichment of voluntary disclosure •Publication of the Canon Annual Report and Sustainability Report	•Medium-to-long-term management strategy aimed at achieving continued growth •Business activity trends and results •Financial condition •ESG initiatives

Suppliers

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•Online supplier surveys •Procurement annual meeting •Briefings on business trends •Technology exhibitions by suppliers •Promotion of green procurement	•Annual survey covering finance, corporate information and business ethics •Procurement strategy meeting, parts exhibition (each once a year) •Briefings on business trends (9 times) •Supplier product/technology exhibition (twice) •Collection and management of product information for products containing chemical substances through chemSHERPA	•Understanding of Canon Group procurement standards •Implementation of procurement standards •Product/technology trends •General business activity trends •Improved efficiency of the chemical substance information transmission scheme

Federal/Local Governments

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•Opinion exchange with government agencies and municipalities on public policies and business environment •Organization of/participation in technology briefings for government agencies and municipalities and related events •Policy recommendations through economic organizations and industry groups •Cooperation in surveys and questionnaires for government statistics, etc.	•Participation in opinion exchanges with government agencies and municipalities as well as technology briefings, organization of local business fairs (over 250 times) •Ongoing active cooperation regarding the implementation and realization of economic policy for the improvement of such aspects of business as intellectual property, trade, taxation, labor and the environment	•Initiatives to help solve social issues at national and local levels •Strengthening ties with federal government agencies and municipalities

Other Companies

Main Communication Methods	Main Initiatives in 2018	Topics of Interest
•Collaborative projects	•Joint research with other companies and undertaking of development work	•Industry trends •Addressing social issues that affect multiple industry sectors •Product/technology trends