Third-Party Opinion
The Yamaha Group believes that better communication with stakeholders is vital in meeting the host of challenges that arise with respect to corporate social responsibility (CSR).
This year, Mr. Hiroaki Satoh shares his opinion on how the Group can improve its performance in this area.
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Hiroaki Satoh Head of the Shizuoka Center for Climate Change Actions (Professor Emeritus and Former President, Shizuoka University) |
Responding to the Great East Japan Earthquake
Looking at the Yamaha Group's sensitivity and endeavors in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, it is clear that the Group's actions epitomized its philosophy of “Creating ‘Kando’ Together.” Among a host of initiatives, the Group was quick to provide donations and essential items in support of relief efforts. In addition to the implementation of holiday shifts as a measure to conserve electric power, the Group conducted charity concerts across devastated areas. With the Company's president Mitsuru Umemura serving as chief promoter, the School Music Revival Fund was established. Under the Fund, steps were taken to inspect and repair the musical instruments of kindergartens, elementary, junior and senior high schools. Complementing the Group's individual efforts, Yamaha also collaborated with the music industry to assist in reconstruction endeavors.
In Partnership With the Global Compact
The decision by the Company to become a signatory to and participating company of the United Nations' Global Compact, an internationally recognized CSR initiative, in June 2011, was indeed a major milestone. This clearly indicates Yamaha's voluntary commitment to incorporating the 10 principles of the Compact, encompassing the four broad fields of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption, into its business activities. The purpose and purport of the Yamaha Corporation Group CSR Policy formulated in 2010 also runs in concert with the Global Compact. The Yamaha Group is to be commended for endeavoring to further enhance its philosophy and principles and to tackle not only the challenges that confront local communities, but also such global-scale issues as global warming and biodiversity.
Toward Smart Management
I look forward to further improvements in the Group's collective management endeavors and a more unified approach toward environmental concerns following steps taken to move away from the acquisition of ISO 14001 environmental management system certification by individual business sites to consolidated Group-wide certification in Japan. In this context, and in renewing the Yamaha Group Environmental Policy, the Group as a whole has adopted the slogan of “Sustaining the Concerto of Yamaha with the Earth” as a part of efforts to help create a truly affluent society and a better global environment. This is indeed a clear indication that the Yamaha Group is striving to assimilate 21st century smart management into its business activities, and placing the utmost emphasis on realizing a sustainable ecosystem and society based on a philosophy filled with color and sound as well as concern for the environment.
I am impressed by this concentration on adopting smart management within the confines of the Group's roots and unique association with sound and music. This commitment is reflected in the Group's strict adherence to environmental lifecycle assessment (LCA) encompassing the entire product lifecycle from raw material procurement through manufacture to transportation, use, and disposal, as well as the Group's efforts to develop technologies and deliver products with minimal environmental load.
Steadily Promoting CSR Utilizing the PDCA Cycle
It is vital that the Yamaha Group consistently monitors the status of its compliance with the principles of the Global Compact as well as its related policies and guidelines. It is equally important that the Group review the tone and nature of its concerto as applied to its CSR activities, and employ a PDCA cycle that incorporates frontline concerns to better visualize the results of its endeavors. Through these means, we will gain a true indication of the Group's commitment and performance.
(September 2011)
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Response to the Third-Party Opinion
Tsutomu Sasaki
Senior Executive Officer in charge of the
Corporate Administration Group
Yamaha CorporationCarrying on from the previous year, we are again grateful in 2011 to receive third-party feedback from Hiroaki Satoh, one of many distinguished individuals active in promoting the “STOP Global Warming Action Campaign” in Shizuoka Prefecture, an area where the Company locates its head office.
Dr. Satoh has commented on the Group's efforts in response to the recent earthquake disaster and Yamaha's decision to become a signatory to the Global Compact. We are particularly glad to have obtained his high evaluation on our initiative to integrate ISO 14001 certification and LCA endeavors aimed at reducing the environmental load of our business activities.
The Yamaha Group has continued to engage in activities that both reflect and exploit its defining attributes. Among a host of endeavors, the Group has worked diligently to contribute to the local community while at the same time popularizing music through wide-ranging initiatives including tree-planting. Looking ahead, we will continue to promote activities that are consistent with the Yamaha Corporation Group CSR Policy and Global Compact.
Moreover, we will take particular note of Dr. Satoh's comments on monitoring the status of compliance with respect to the principles of the Global Compact, the Group's policies, and guidelines, as well as the importance of better visualizing the results of our CSR activities. Taking into account the critical nature of steadfastly employing a PDCA cycle to review our operations, we will take steps to better clarify the progress and results of our CSR endeavors and address the issue of establishing an across-the-board framework.
Third-Party Opinion
We obtained an opinion from a specialist to assist in improving the CSR Report.
Editorial Policy
Editorial policy for the CSR report.