Social Contribution Activities

Policy and Basic Mindset

Over the more than 100 years since the founding of UBE Corporation, the UBE Group has sought to coexist and mutually prosper with all stakeholders and consistently apply creativity to manufacturing.

The UBE Group will continue to transform itself and leverage original technology to make products that meet the needs of today. As a good corporate citizen that seeks to coexist with society, the Group is committed to pursuing social initiatives in and outside of Japan and contributing to the development of communities.

UBE Group Guidelines for Social Contribution Activities

Under the UBE Group’s founding spirit of “mutual coexistence and prosperity” and as a responsible corporate citizen of the international community, we will engage in diverse social initiatives and foster positive community relations.

We will broadly utilize technologies and human resources from diverse business sectors to build positive societal relations.
Our business locations will take a central role and make certain to engage in social initiatives that contribute to the advancement of communities.
We will actively support each employee who chooses to be involved in volunteer initiatives.
We will pursue social investments centering on the following areas: global environment, communities, science and research, and education and culture.

Approach to Community Investment

Our business strategy is formulated based on our founding principles and UBE Management Principles. The former stipulates respect for “coexistence and mutual prosperity,” while the latter focuses on creating value as a corporate group that contributes to all stakeholders, including local communities. We target the global environment, local communities, and other areas for priority social contribution investments (community investments) based on such material issues as the environment, society, and governance.

Management System

Framework for Social Initiatives

Social initiatives are implemented under the guidance of the UBE Group Guidelines for Social Contribution Activities. These guidelines are a matter of deliberation and approval by the headquarters executive meeting, which is headed by a director of UBE and is responsible for deliberating on the Group’s business strategies and other important matters. In line with the guidelines, Group companies and business sites implement self-driven social initiatives, which they regularly report to senior management..

The Sustainability Promotion Department conducts an annual survey on social initiative performance among business sites, Head Office departments and Group companies. The department uses the survey data to track the Group’s social initiative performance and reports on it to the officer responsible. The entire Group is made aware of the performance so that they can execute social initiatives more effectively.

Budgets for social initiatives and corporate donations are approved by the President or officer responsible, depending on the amount involved.

Targets and Performance

Actual Expenditures for Social Contribution Activities

The UBE Group’s Basic Guidelines for Social Contribution Activities guides its investment in various social initiatives. The Group tracks and publicly releases its annual social contributions and investments, focusing on the following four areas.

1. Global Environment

We will seek to conserve the global environment in all its diversity and ensure a global environment that is safe and secure to live in for future generations.

2. Communities

We will contribute to the advancement of communities, under the founding spirit of “coexistence and mutual prosperity” that has guided the UBE Group for over 120 years.

3. Science and Research

We will aim to contribute to scientific progress and foster richly creative human resources by collaborating with universities and research institutes.

4. Education and Culture

We will broadly send the message of chemistry as an appealing field to future generations in whose hands we will leave the future, and will continue to support cultural activities and the arts.

Actual expenditures for social contribution activities are as follows.

FY2023 total
FY2022 total

Item	Description
1. Financial donations	Financial donations related to social initiatives and welfare
2. Material donations	Material donations, including the provision of UBE Group products to social welfare organizations
3. Access to facilities	Expenses related to providing external access to Group facilities such as gymnasiums, grounds, and meeting rooms
4. Employee participation and outreach	Labor and travel expenses for employees participating in social initiatives during working hours, such as participating in a community event as part of work duties, hosting lectures, etc.
5. Other	Donations and expenses for other activities not falling under the preceding four categories

Note:The above is consistent with the implementation procedures for Survey on Corporate Philanthropic Activities from Keidanren (the Japan Business Federation)

Summary of Main Social Initiatives

Fiscal 2023 Performance
Four Areas Covered by Guidelines	Description and Purpose of Initiatives	Performance		Detailed Description and Results (Values in parentheses represent beneficiaries)
Four Areas Covered by Guidelines	Description and Purpose of Initiatives	Frequency of Implementation	No. of Employees Involved
Global Environment	Conserve ecosystems around business sites and conserve the environment in communities, through tree planting and clean-up efforts	39 in total	1,503 in total	Environmental maintenance of watersheds Clean-up efforts for beaches, roads around plants, and neighboring communities Planting of flower beds at business sites Tree planting Participation in conservation efforts involving controlled burns in mountain areas and symbiotic forest activities While conducting the above activities, we were praised for our contributions to conservation efforts of marine environments, receiving a Medal with Green Ribbon as a member of the Ube and Onoda Ocean Cleanup Committee in recognition of achievements in social volunteering activities.
Communities	Promote a better understanding of the Group’s business among a wide range of stakeholders, by inviting them to tour our business sites and factories and participating in local events	76	671	Group business sites receive visits from a wide range of stakeholders, including students, the general public, and business partners, which gives them a better understanding of the Group’s business. These efforts have elicited letters of appreciation from schools and other stakeholders. UBE also hosts an industrial tour organized by the Ube Visitors & Convention Association that is conducted 12 times per year. (12,642 beneficiaries)
Science and Research	Help stabilize the operation of academic research institutes and promote technology development by extending donations and scholarships as well as lending staff to provide instruction	38	62	The Group is helping to further stabilize the operation of research institutes, including universities, and promoting new technology development by making regular donations and lending its researchers to provide instruction. (1,354 beneficiaries)
Education and Culture	Hold lectures centered on social themes for schools, companies and public organizations	25	57	The Group dispatches lecturers to events centered on such social issues as career education or environment and business. (1,866 beneficiaries)
	Help young people to better understand the Group’s business, foster career awareness, and choose occupations through internships	9	112	Every year the Group offers internships to gain work experience at the head office or plants. The level of satisfaction among the participants is high and the program has led to the hiring of employees.
	Increase awareness of chemistry and an understanding of the chemical industry’s social contributions by organizing science experiment workshops	2	20	The Group organizes science experiment workshops to foster children’s interest in chemistry. The workshops have drawn positive feedback from participants and have been featured in local media and on television. (184 participants)
	Enhance the local music culture and foster the next generation by holding concerts and supporting the arts	1	16	The UBE Group Charity Concert has been held every year since 2008 with the Japan Philharmonic Orchestra performing in Ube City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. All ticket proceeds are donated to local music-related organizations. The concerts provide the citizens of Ube City with the opportunity to experience classical music in all its magnificence performed by a full orchestra, and are in line with the Group’s founding spirit of “coexistence and mutual prosperity.” The concert is enhancing the local music culture and helping to foster the next generation. (1,200 beneficiaries with donations amounting to approximately ¥2.93 million)