Asics Corp. released its 2015 Sustainability Report on 23rd May, which summarizes the company’s sustainability performance for the fiscal year 2015 and outlined a new medium-term sustainability strategy towards 2020.

2015 Sustainability Target Achievements

  • ・Reduced CO2 emissions by 43 percent, water consumption by 50 percent, and solid waste emissions by 17 percent per pair of shoes manufactured (compared to 2009 baseline levels)
  • ・Became one of the first companies in the industry to adopt the Apparel and Footwear International RSL Management (AFIRM) Restricted Substances List (RSL)
  • ・Audited the social and labour standards of 100 percent of Tier 1 suppliers and all Asics Tier 1 suppliers meet or exceed Asics basic CSR supplier standards.

The Asics Group made tremendous progress in achieving a number of challenging medium-term sustainability targets in 2015 with the support of a variety of interconnected stakeholders. Asics believes that the priorities of key stakeholders should play a vital role in shaping the company’s approach to sustainability. In 2015, the following collaborative efforts were worthy of note.

Reduction of manufacturing CO2 impact

Asics conducted a project to identify the best options for reducing CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency at two supplier manufacturing sites in Cambodia and Vietnam. The project is a partnership with My Climate Japan Co., Ltd, and was commissioned by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). During the first phase, site energy audits were conducted and 36 cost-effective energy efficiency measures identified, representing a reduction in CO2 emissions of 464 tonnes per year. Asics has presented the findings to the relevant suppliers and is discussing implementation commitments. The findings are also being used to support other suppliers to reduce their manufacturing CO2 emissions and improve energy efficiency.

Management of chemical substances

Asics supported the creation of the first AFIRM RSL as a member of the Apparel & Footwear International RSL Management Group (AFIRM). This global standard is used by brands and suppliers to help establish chemical management knowledge, set basic compliance levels, and provide a common base for analytical testing. Asics is committed to supporting the alignment of industry standards for product chemical management and improving compliance efficiency, reducing auditing and testing burdens on suppliers and allowing a joint approach to a safe, clean and transparent supply chain. Asics has now adopted the AFIRM RSL, one of the first companies in the industry to do so.

Continuous improvement of safe and ethical workplace standards

ILO Better Work and Better Factories Cambodia (BFC) are an important Asics partner in raising labor standards through training programs and advisory services at our Tier 1 suppliers in Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Collaboration activities in 2015 included building inspections conducted at all Asics Tier 1 suppliers in Cambodia by local consultants approved by both BFC and the Cambodia Government. The inspections were verified by industry and construction engineering experts, and all factories that passed met required safety levels.

2020 Sustainability Strategy

Asics looks toward 2020 with the launch of the 2020 Sustainability Strategy based on the company’s priority material issues and Asics Growth Plan (AGP) 2020. The value of stakeholder partnership and collaboration in delivering on sustainability has been demonstrated over the last five years. Asics believes that only through partnership and collaboration can long- term improvement be achieved. Asics has already taken steps toward these goals in 2015, including a commitment to setting ‘Science-Based Targets’ for CO2 reduction, as well as through ongoing partnerships with external stakeholders such as ILO Better Work. Together with its stakeholders, Asics is committed to helping lead the way in creating a more sustainable world.

CO2 Reduction Targets Toward 2020

  • 5 percent Absolute CO2 reduction from direct operations (compared to 2015 baseline).
  • 10 percent Reduction of CO2 impact per pair shoes produced by Tier 1 footwear factories (compared to 2015 baseline levels)

Asics committed to the ‘Science-Based Targets Initiative’* for CO2 emissions reduction prior to the 2015 Paris Climate Conference (COP21). Asics knows from its product Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) that significant CO2 emissions exist outside the direct operations of companies. Only a broad-based and value-chain approach to CO2 reduction can help to reach COP21 goals, and Asics intends to work with its suppliers and other stakeholders to achieve these.

2015 Sustainability Report and 2015 Highlights can be found on the Asics corporate website at http://corp.asics.com/en/csr/csr_reporting

For further details on Asics’s CSR and sustainability activities, please see the company website: http://corp.asics.com/en/csr

Asics’ 2015 sustainability report is structured according to the GRI G4 sustainability reporting guidelines. Our separate GRI G4 Index table will be published online in alignment with the publication of our financial annual report on fiscal year 2015 mid June 2016.

*Science-Based Targets Initiative: A partnership between CDP, UN Global Compact, WRI and WWF, which helps companies determine how much they must cut emissions to prevent the worst impacts of climate change. It supports companies to set emission reduction targets in line with what the science says is necessary to limit global warming to 2°C compared to pre-industrial era temperatures.