Message from the President

At the start of fiscal year 2023

The impacts of COVID-19, which has been reduced in status to a class 5 infectious disease and is now under control, still remained in fiscal year 2022. However, we were able to increase sales as the Topre Group and they were the highest ever. This was thanks to all of our stakeholders and everybody related to the company, and I am grateful to you all.

In association with such results, the company’s social responsibility increases. In corporate governance, to further improve the credibility of corporate management, the company has established a Nominations Committee, increased the number of outside directors and introduced an executive officer system. With this framework in place, we will operate so that governance is strengthened.

In addition, interest in sustainability initiatives is increasing more and more as a global trend, and among other developments, it has become mandatory to include information on sustainability in securities reports. I feel that we must promote CSR activities (sustainability, SDGs, ESG) further as the group overall from now on. This is basic for promotion as the group overall, but all employees of the Topre Group need to share awareness of CSR initiatives.

We hold Topre Group CSR meetings twice a year, send out CSR-related information regularly, and promote education such as e-learning to share awareness and information. Further, as stated in this report, we are advancing CSR activities towards our 2030 targets, but this fiscal year is also the year we will formulate our next medium-term management plan (for fiscal year 2024 to fiscal year 2026) so we would like to incorporate CSR activities in concrete terms.

For the reduction of CO₂ emissions, the most important part of our CSR activities, we are currently advancing energy-saving activities (installation of energy-saving equipment) and the installation of solar panels. We will get these moves into full swing in fiscal year 2023, including overseas. After that, we would like to achieve Topre’s fiscal year 2030 reduction target through measures such as purchasing renewable energy power.

President and Representative Director
Yutaka Yamamoto

Climate change measures

The sixth report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) mentions that the temperature has already increased by 1.1 degrees celsius since before the industrial revolution, and that this increase may exceed 1.5 degrees celsius in the near future.
Various state and related-industry requirements for CO₂ reduction activities are expected to become stricter from now on, and I feel the need to consider measures such as bringing forward the company’s own reduction targets.

Automotive equipment-related business accounts for more than 70% of the company’s total sales and has a significant impact on CO₂ reduction activities. In addition, recognizing that responding to moves by the automotive industry to reduce CO₂ emissions is important, we have established a new carbon neutrality promotion system in this business separately from the Topre Group’s overall system.
Looking at the carbon footprint of steel plate press processing products in this business, the proportion of CO₂ emissions occupied by materials is high, but this is not something we can act on alone. First of all, we will promote with certainty the CO₂ reductions (scope 1, 2) that we can do in our own production activities, and we will also promote cooperation with partner companies.

CSR activities and business

In fiscal year 2023, moves towards the post-pandemic era will be one of the major points of change, and while travel demand and consumer activity will be activated, I think there will also be positive and negative factors, such as soaring prices and labor shortages. For Topre to develop further in the future, I think it will be important to apprehend such changes in the environment as opportunities and implement corporate management in consideration of CSR and sustainability-related items such as the reduction of CO₂ emissions, the development of environmentally-friendly products and technologies, the reform of employee work-styles, human resource development, and the strengthening of corporate governance.
I think that if all Topre Group employees work with the same mindset, corporate value will increase and the management foundations of the company will become stronger. In other words, our sustainability will improve.

I want us to be a company that looks to the future even in a world of rapid change, and move towards “being a company that contributes to society and prospers permanently” under the company’s basic principles.

Topre’s CSR (including the SDGs)

Basic way of thinking

Topre was founded in 1935, being specialized mainly in plastic (press) processing as well as can manufacturing and sheet metal fabrication. Today, we apply our core plastic (press) processing technology and die design technology to provide high-quality products that precisely respond to the needs of our customers not only for automobile-related products, but also in the fields of constant temperature logistics, air conditioning equipment, and electronic equipment. The products we create are utilized to make the driving of automobiles safe and environmentally friendly, and to make food safety more reliable in refrigerated vehicles. Our unique technology and ideas are also incorporated into air-conditioning equipment that protects clean air and electronic equipment that is indispensable in the digital age. Through these businesses, we aim to achieve sustainable growth together with society.

Basic CSR Policy

Basic way of thinking
Topre contributes to society by giving top priority to the provision of products and services that reduce environmental impacts.

1. As a company, we strive for fairness and transparency by complying thoroughly with laws and regulations.
2. We promote social contribution activities and initiatives for sustainability.
3. The company as a whole responds to environmental problems and implements environmental conservation initiatives positively. In particular, we emphasize efforts to combat climate change (CO₂ reductions).
4. We enhance and develop technologies to provide products and services useful to society through customer satisfaction.
5. We provide safe and healthy work environments for all employees.
6. We promote CSR activities cooperatively through communication with stakeholders.

The sharing of the CSR spirit

To strengthen activities with a common awareness of CSR, we distribute these portable cards with the group’s Basic Principles and Code of Conduct to all Topre Group employees. These are the high-level concepts of the Topre Group and fundamental to our CSR initiatives. We also prepare and distribute these cards translated into local languages at overseas bases.

CSR education

＜Provision of regular information＞

We have issued “Topre CSR Information” bimonthly since October 2022 to provide basic education on sustainability and send out updated information to all employees. We are working to raise awareness of CSR initiatives by having everybody feel initiatives related to CSR and climate change closely.

＜e-learning＞

We have begun specialized CSR education in an e-learning format for selected participants in each division. We expect the use of this knowledge and information in the improvement of understanding of initiatives aimed at CSR and climate change measures and in dialogue with customers.

The CSR promotion system

The group has established the promotion of CSR and climate change measures under the same system with the Board of Directors at the top. The Board of Directors is composed of all Directors, including External Directors, with the President assuming the role of chair. The secretariat reports to the Board of Directors under the direction of the Director in charge of CSR and climate change measures. Matters such as the results and plans for the promotion of CSR and climate change measures are reported after the Topre Group CSR Meetings held regularly twice a year, and when important matters concerning plans and implementation for the promotion of CSR and climate change measures occur, they are discussed by the Board of Directors through the Director in charge of CSR and climate change measures.

*1: Automotive Equipment, Refrigeration Equipment,
　　Air Conditioning Equipment, Electronic Equipment
*2: Topre global systems: Internal Control Committee;
　　Operations, Purchasing and Quality Control Headquarters;
　　ISO14001 (Environment) Secretariat;
　　Safety and Health Committee
*3: Domestic companies: Toho Transportation, Toprec,Topre Kyushu,
　　Topre Tokai, Mitsuike
*4: Overseas companies: USA, China (3 companies),
　　Thailand, Mexico, India

Topre Group CSR Meetings

The company holds Topre Group CSR Meetings twice a year. By reporting on and confirming CSR and the climate change measures taken in each division, activities are being promoted with common awareness of the initiatives taken within the group as a whole, both in Japan and overseas, and we are aiming to connect this to more enhanced initiatives in each division.

Contributions to the SDGs

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted by the United Nations in 2015, are global goals for 2030 addressing social issues such as poverty, employment and the environment. The company will engage with various issues facing the world and contribute to the realization of a sustainable society, namely the achievement of the SDGs, through its business activities.

Dialogue with stakeholders

CSR Materiality

The process of identifying important CSR issues and associating them with the SDGs

* In March 2022, the company identified the CSR materialities to work on in accordance with the following process, and associated them with important SDGs.

Topre’s CSR materialities

Items		Main initiatives	Related SDGs
E n v i r o n m e n t	Reduction of CO₂ emissions*1	Reduction of CO₂ emissions in production activities
	Establishment and operation of environmental management	Acquisition of ISO 14001 certification: All domestic and overseas bases Integrated acquisition of ISO 14001 certification:Domestic bases	－
	Thorough implementation of chemical substance management	Establishment and operation of internal management rules
	Development of environmentally-considerate products and technologies	Development of renewable energy-related equipment Proposal of technologies that connect to environmental conservation
	Cooperation with suppliers	Promotion of green procurement
S o c i e t y	Respect for human rights	Education on human rights and diversity Implementation of human rights due diligence
	Establishment and operation of quality management	Acquisition of IATF 16949 certification: Automotive related Acquisition of ISO 9001 certification: Product-related	－
	Cooperation with suppliers	Promotion of CSR procurement
G o v e r n a n c e	Strengthening of corporate governance	Building of group governance	－
	IR activities for investors	Publication of CSR reports Enhancement of disclosed information	－
	Strengthening of information security	Establishment of an information management system across the group	－
	Strengthening of risk management	Review of BCP

*1: Among the CSR materialities, the “reduction of CO₂ emissions” is the most important issue