Our Approach to Sustainability

SoftBank Group’s philosophy, “Information Revolution - Happiness for everyone” embodies our determination to bring happiness to everyone, even to future generations 300 years from now. To create a world where people can live in harmony with the earth, the SoftBank Group will fulfill our responsibility as leader in the Information Revolution to realize a sustainable society.

SoftBank Group Corp. has established “The SoftBank Group Sustainability Principles” as a guideline for the Group's sustainability, so as to achieve sustainable growth by meeting the expectations of shareholders, creditors, customers, business partners, employees, local communities, and all other stakeholders.

Based on these principles, we identify material issues relating to sustainability (”Material Issues”) reflecting the business characteristics and social demands of each Group company.

Based on our view of double materiality, SoftBank Group Corp. classifies issues to be addressed from two perspectives: the importance to stakeholders and to the Group. Among these issues, we identify material issues relating to sustainability (”Material Issues”) that should be addressed with priority, determined by the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors of SoftBank Group Corp. has appointed the Chief Sustainability Officer (CSusO), who is responsible for the promotion of Group-wide sustainability, and has established the Sustainability Committee for the purpose of promotion of the sustainability-related activities of the Group. The Sustainability Committee continuously discusses overall policies such as the sustainability vision and basic policies; policies of individual activities such as sustainability-related issues, goal setting, and information disclosure; and sustainability promotion systems and operation policies. The Committee is chaired by the CSusO, Corporate Officer, Senior Vice President Kazuko Kimiwada, and currently has four members: Board Director, Corporate Officer, Senior Vice President Yoshimitsu Goto; the head of Risk Management Office Kiyoshi Ichimura; the deputy head of Legal Unit Natsuko Oga; and the head of the Human Resources Department Yasuharu Sakurai. The CSusO reports the details of discussions of the Sustainability Committee to the Board of Directors for oversight.

The Sustainability Committee of SoftBank Group Corp. was established in June 2020 and, in principle, meets once every three months. In addition to the Committee members, the heads of relevant departments attend the meetings to engage in cross-functional discussions based on specialized knowledge and multiple perspectives.

The Committee met three times in fiscal 2024 (April, July, and October). The Committee discussed a variety of matters including enhancement of sustainability information disclosure, development of approaches to responsible AI, response to climate change, integration of a sustainability risk assessment framework into the investment process, and compliance with mandatory non-financial information disclosure requirements.

At SoftBank Group Corp. (“SBG”), the Risk Management Office is responsible for the integrated management of Group-wide risks in accordance with the Risk Management Policy. As for sustainability-related risks, the Sustainability Department under the CSusO identifies risks through reports from each department of SBG and its major Group companies and identifies risks that should be addressed as prioritized risks through discussions at the Sustainability Committee. In addition, the Sustainability Department reports the identified risks, countermeasures, and their status to the Risk Management Office under the framework of the Group-wide risk management process referenced above.

The Risk Management Office analyzes and assesses various risks including sustainability and corresponding countermeasures, considering the likelihood that a risk could materialize and the magnitude of the potential impact. For material risks that could significantly impact the Group’s sustainable growth, the Risk Management Office collaborates with the relevant departments or Group companies to understand the implementation status of countermeasures and monitor their effectiveness. Material risks and the status of countermeasures are reported to and discussed every quarter by the Board of Directors and the Group Risk and Compliance Committee (GRCC), which consists of Board Directors and Corporate Officers of SBG. Based on the results of discussions, the Risk Management Office strives to strengthen the Group’s risk management system.

SoftBank Group Corp. aims to realize a society where people all over the world can live happily and prosperously. Together with the Group companies that conduct business globally, we will work to contribute to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by addressing the six activity themes identified in our Sustainability Principles.