Stakeholder Engagement

Stakeholder Engagement Stakeholder Engagement
In order to promote our business based on relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders to achieve sustainable growth, we believe that it is essential to build good relationships with all of our stakeholders and create value for society together. Stakeholder engagement of the Company and the Group is based on the following policy.

Stakeholder
Engagement Policy

  • To achieve a sustainable society and promote sustainable growth, we will contribute to the long-term and continuous enhancement of value for our stakeholders and build good relationships with them, including customers, suppliers, shareholders, investors, and local communities.
  • Through engagement with our stakeholders, we recognize the challenges that stakeholders face and their expectations of our Company. We respond sincerely and maintain appropriate and continuous dialogue.
  • To reflect the voices of our stakeholders in the corporate activities and business of our Group, we will establish optimal points of contact and create a structure to provide feedback to management.

Local Community Policy

Based on our Stakeholder Engagement Policy, we recognize that the potential and unique views and needs of various stakeholders enrich our corporate activities. We recognize local communities-including municipalities, NPOs/NGOs, educational institutions, schools, and residents-as important stakeholders. Through engagement with local communities, we aim to identify social issues and expectations towards our Company. By building trust and collaborative relationships, we strive to maximize social value.

In implementing engagement, we will establish a structure centered on our social contribution, sales, and technical departments, under the supervision of the Board of Directors and senior management. This structure will address the needs of local community members, including local stakeholders and vulnerable stakeholders who are more susceptible to negative social and economic impacts. We will respond sincerely to their requests by providing timely and regular feedback within the Company, and strive for appropriate and continuous communication.

[Notes]
  1. *
    This policy has been approved and established by the Board of Directors.
  2. *
    These policies are established with the expectation that all our business locations, group entities, and suppliers will understand and comply with it.

Structure

In addition to assessing the results of stakeholder engagement of the Company and the Group including the opinions received through various points of contact, the feedback is used to improve daily business activities under a promotion structure in which the sustainability officer is in charge. In order to reliably deliver everyone's opinions to top management, the information is compiled by each department in charge and shared on a regular basis with managerial meetings and Board of Directors meetings. Moreover, the results of stakeholder engagement are also shared as reports with the relevant stakeholders as needed.

Stakeholder Engagement Strategy

Identify and prioritize key stakeholders

The diverse businesses of the Company and its Group involve a wide range of individuals and organizations. Among them, from the perspective of long-term growth and building sustainable relationships based on internal and external environmental analysis, we and our Group companies have identified “customers,” “employees,” “suppliers,” “shareholders,” “local communities,” and “national government, government agencies and industry associations” as key stakeholders.

When identifying key stakeholders, we consider local residents, NGOs/NPOs, and municipalities in the areas where we operate. We ensure that socially vulnerable groups, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, are not overlooked. We identify and prioritize stakeholders using a long list, while checking the following items.

Dependency Stakeholders who have a dependency on the Company and the Group's activities, products, services, or stakeholders which our business activities rely on
Responsibility Stakeholders to whom we and our Group have current or future legal obligations
Influence Stakeholders who have influence over the organization and operational decision-making
Diverse perspectives Stakeholders who provide opinions, analysis, evaluations, and other inputs to the Company and the Group's business activities

Identifying process

We regularly review and reassess our key stakeholders in response to changes in internal and external environments.

  • Create a long list of all stakeholders in the Group's business activities
  • Categorize the stakeholders
  • Identify key stakeholders through internal discussions based on their importance to the long-term growth of the Group and the situation of other companies in the industry.

Determine engagement method and risk management

The method of stakeholder engagement is determined appropriately from the perspective of timeliness of information, ease of acquisition, and ease of participation by each stakeholder.
However, in each individual engagement, there is a possibility of risks arising from stakeholder participation (differences in the degree of participation and purpose of participation among stakeholders, as well as potential differences in time and physical constraints). To manage and mitigate such risks and prevent them from materializing, we implement the following processes when conducting stakeholder engagement.

  • Before conducting the engagement, we clarify the purpose and expected outcomes of the engagement, and ensure sufficient time is allocated for the engagement process.
  • During the engagement process, we ensure that stakeholder participation is not hindered by language barriers or lack of expertise by providing English support on our website and ensuring comprehensive information available.
  • We regularly evaluate the effectiveness of engagement and make improvements to more effective engagement methods when there are significant potential risks related to stakeholder participation.
  • If risks materialize, we identify the issues, and through ongoing communication with stakeholders, we implement appropriate corrective measures.

Communication channels
with stakeholders

The Company and its Group have established a system for receiving requests from each stakeholder, and opinions and inquiries received are shared within the Company and incorporating them into our management.

Stakeholders Communication Channels consultation services
Customers In “Customer Support” and on social media, we have established an inquiry contact center available 24/7, 365 days a year.
On our website, we have also set up a contact point specifically for customers with hearing impairments. Additionally, our telephone inquiry counter, where operators are available, offers support in English, Portuguese, Spanish, and Chinese.
All customer feedback is appropriately addressed by our Consumer Department, and trends or important issues are reported on a monthly basis in management meetings and board of directors meetings, ensuring continuous improvement in customer support.
Employees We have established a “Compliance Hotline” to handle consultations regarding compliance violations, including human rights issues, as well as a “Harassment Consultation Service” to address any form of harassment.
These contact points are accessible anytime through the internal portal site, and they also provide support for consultations in English.
All reported cases and consultations are thoroughly investigated by the Compliance Department or relevant departments while ensuring the protection of the confidentiality of the consultees. Appropriate measures for improvement are implemented based on the investigation findings.
Suppliers We have established a “Human Rights Consultation Service” to receive consultations by phone in case there are suspicions of human rights violations in the supply chain. When issues are brought to our attention, our human rights personnel promptly conduct an investigation to assess the situation.
If the investigation confirms human rights violations, we take immediate measures to provide assistance to the victims, address the issues, and implement preventative measures against recurrence.
Furthermore, we provide information on reporting channels for actions (or suspected actions) that violate laws or regulations. These reports are directed to the Compliance Department, which conducts investigations and implements corrective measures based on the investigation findings, contributing to governance improvement and strengthening.
Both of these contact points are guided through web pages available in Japanese and English.
Shareholders and Investors We have established a dedicated contact point which can be accessed at any time through a web page available in both Japanese and English. Opinions and inquiries received through the form are forwarded to the IR department, among others, to provide appropriate responses to shareholders and investors and to incorporate them into our management and IR activities.
Local communities We have established a “Human Rights Consultation Service” accessible to local stakeholders to accept consultations via phone, and we provide information through a web page that supports both Japanese and English. Any issues or concerns raised through the consultation desk are promptly investigated by our human rights team. If any human rights violations are confirmed during the investigation, we take immediate action to provide relief to the victims, address the issues, and implement measures to prevent future occurrences.
For engagement during the construction of base stations, we directly communicate with the local community to provide explanations, and we also provide information about a contact point for inquiries to the technical department before, during, and after the construction period. Any complaints or inquiries are examined by the technical department and addressed directly, and we utilize the feedback from the inquiries to improve the quality of explanations and construction practices.
National government, government agencies, industry associations We maintain ongoing communication to facilitate exchanges of opinions and share information. Inquiries and consultations received during these interactions are primarily compiled and addressed by our External Relations Division. For particularly important matters, reports are made to the management team and utilized in decision-making processes.
  • External Relations Division, other divisions in charge
    [Note]
    1. *
      Contact information, etc. will be notified to the target organization.

Head office business hours

Weekdays 9:00 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.
(except Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and year-end and New Year holidays)

[Notes]
  1. *
    For corporate customers, the support hotline operates 24/7, 365 days a year.
  2. *
    Business days/hours may vary depending on the store or department. Please check the business hours of each contact point.
  3. *
    If you contact us outside of business hours, we may respond on the next business day or later.

Engagement with
key stakeholders

Customers

Relationship with the Group

In order to increase customer satisfaction, we strive to improve the shop crew and contact center level of service and the network environment quality on a daily basis.

For Our Customers

Engagement methods Customer inquiry counter, website, SNS, store, smartphone class.
Major initiatives
  • Provide a safe Internet environment for children

    As the use of smartphones becomes commonplace even among young people, there is a growing risk that children will access inappropriate websites through the Internet, leading to potentially harmful situations. To prevent problems and provide a safe Internet environment for children, SoftBank offers free filtering services that contribute to customer satisfaction and peace of mind.

    Safety Concerns

Employees

Relationship with the Group

By creating a workplace environment where employees can work in a lively manner and supporting social contribution activities by employees, we value employee satisfaction and pride.

With Our Employees

Engagement methods Exchange of opinions with labor unions, diversity week, various training and seminars, employee satisfaction survey, pulse survey, compliance awareness month, internal and external consultation services, intranet/internal newsletter.

Suppliers

Relationship with the Group

We build fair and positive relationships with Suppliers and respond to CSR issues together with the goal of mutually increasing enterprise value and growth.

Supply Chain Management

Engagement methods Supplier briefings, website, integrated report/sustainability report (Once a year).

Shareholders

Relationship with the Group

In an aim to become a trustworthy company, while executing corporate operations to fulfill the shareholders' expectations, we will work hard to disclose the relevant information timely and accurately, and try to minimize the gap between Japan and the other regions.

Engagement methods General meetings of shareholders (Once a year), financial results briefings (Four times a year), briefings for individual investors (Once a year), business briefings, integrated report/sustainability report (Once a year), shareholder newsletters (Once a year), individual interviews in IR/SR activities, website.
Major initiatives
  • Implementation of Briefings

    We conduct briefings such as financial results presentations and shareholder meetings, streaming them simultaneously in Japanese and English on our website, and making the videos available after each session. Furthermore, we strive to provide updates on our ESG activities during briefings for investors, and utilize various media and methods to effectively communicate our management policies and business strategies in a clear manner.

  • Investor Relations (IR) Activities

    We are actively engaged in IR activities, aiming to communicate with shareholders and investors from various regions. We provide various information in “Investor Relations” sections, which are designed to help stakeholders gain a deeper understanding of our Company.

    IR Activities

Local communities

Relationship with the Group We strive to provide the appropriate explanations and engage in a dialog with local communities regarding the construction of base station facilities, etc.
Engagement methods Providing information on radio wave safety on our website, conduct briefings for local communities, visit/brief local governments.
Major initiatives
  • Dialogue with regional residents

    When building these base stations, we feel that it is SoftBank's responsibility to place top priority on the safety, security and environment of the people of that regional community. We engage in dialogue and provide appropriate explanations to the people in specified communities in accordance with relevant laws and in-house rules, and begin construction only after ensuring a full understanding of the roles of the stations and the safety of radio waves. During the construction phase, we place top priority on the safety of people in the regional community and provide detailed explanations in response to inquiries and comments received through the Company contact points.

    Provision Information Related to the Safety of Radio Waves

  • Agreements with municipalities

    SoftBank has completed agreements with municipalities nationwide to promote regional revitalization. By building collaborative relationships with municipalities and regions, we will contribute to regional revitalization in response to social issues and the unique needs of each region.

Initiatives with local communities

Under the framework established by our Local Community Policy, we foster close communication with all stakeholders. We identify and assess the impact (risks and opportunities) of issues and feedback that arise during our operations. Particularly significant issues are shared with relevant internal departments and senior management. We ensure appropriate feedback and responses to the local community stakeholders. Additionally, to incorporate received feedback into our business activities, we regularly host information-sharing sessions within the Company.

Furthermore, to ensure a safe and comfortable living environment in the local community, we provide opportunities such as skill development and training focused on fields like ICT, leveraging our strengths.

Main initiatives

  • Hold 170 DX study sessions (FY2024) to stimulate activities by utilizing digital technology
  • Hold 1.03 million classes to eliminate digital divide (FY2024)

To ensure that our activities are appropriately beneficial, we establish regular dialogue opportunities to assess the importance of addressing issues raised and incorporate them into our initiatives.

Opportunities for dialogue
(Local community)
Issues received Main correspondence
Meeting
(Hokkaido Ebetsu City, Department of Civic Life; Aichi Prefecture Nagoya City, Community Promotion Division, Sports and Civic Bureau)
Due to the aging of neighborhood associations, a shortage of successors, and declining membership rates, it has become increasingly difficult to sustain community activities. As a result, the need for efficient information sharing and operational streamlining is growing In collaboration with LY Corporation, we held a seminar on utilizing LINE. Aimed at promoting the digitalization of neighborhood associations, the seminar supported efforts to improve operational efficiency and enhance information dissemination capabilities
Regular Meetings with Municipal Officials
(Yamagata Prefecture, Nishikawa Town, Health and Welfare Division)
Balancing the livelihoods of town residents with environmental preservation in mountainous areas facing challenges such as neglected forests, depopulation, and disaster response Launched a business collaboration to promote digital transformation (DX) by converting neglected forests into broadleaf forests and centralizing data related to residents' daily lives, aiming to protect forests and enhance community well-being
  • “Regional Meetings on the Transition of Community-Based Club Activities” with Local Boards of Education
  • Regular Opinion Exchange Meetings (Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences)
A shortage of coaches and inconsistencies in the quality of instruction in school club activities have become major challenges, highlighting the need to establish a sustainable coaching system Developed an efficient support system for club activities using the “AI Smart Coach,” enabling remote instruction and form analysis with AI technology
Opinion Exchange Meeting for the “Future and Coral Project”
(Onna Village, Okinawa Prefecture; Onna Village Tourism Association)
In 2024, a large-scale coral bleaching event occurred, resulting in a severe situation in which nearly all the corals planted in Onna Village since 2019 bleached and became overgrown with algae As part of the “Future and Coral Project” in collaboration with Onna Village in Okinawa Prefecture, as well as various companies and organizations, we carried out environmental education and a beach cleanup (with approximately 280 participants collecting about 1.5 tons of waste), supporting ongoing coral restoration efforts
Individual Meeting with the Community Safety Planning Division
(Kagawa Prefectural Police)
In Kagawa Prefecture, cases of SNS-based investment and romance scams have surged, with 86 cases and approximately 760 million yen in damages reported by the end of March 2024-about eight times the amount recorded during the same period the previous year In collaboration with the Kagawa Prefectural Police and our internal technical team, we developed a generative AI tool that allows users to virtually experience common scam tactics via LINE, and prevention events featuring this tool have been held in various locations.
Regular Meetings with Staff
(Kanagawa Prefectural Enterprise Bureau; Boards of Education of Hadano City and Sagamihara City)
Local elementary school students have had limited opportunities to learn about local electricity issues and renewable energy systems, resulting in a lack of interest in global warming Our CSR department conducted outreach classes using the humanoid robot “Pepper” at an elementary school in Kanagawa Prefecture. The lesson covered topics such as renewable energy — including local hydroelectric power — and measures against global warming

National government, government agencies, industry associations

Relationship with the Group Comply with relevant laws and regulations and achieve growth as a company under fair competition.
Engagement methods Participation in various policy councils, participation in councils and round-table discussions with government agencies, exchange of human resources including secondment to local governments, and activities through industry associations.
Major initiatives
  • Partnerships with NPOs

    SoftBank's target for partnerships on CSR activities with NPOs is to engage in partnerships with 1,000 organizations in FY2023. In FY2021, the Company partnered with 688 NPOs, including the Japan Foundation, the Ashinaga Foundation, the Japanese Red Cross Society, the Japan Platform, the Medecins Sans Frontières Japan Association and NPO Florence.

Initiatives with stakeholders

Major initiatives
  • Lecture: “Solving Local Social Issues through the Implementation of Digital Solutions in Society” (February 7th, 2023)

    Junichi Miyagawa, President & CEO, conducted a lecture on our Company's sustainability initiatives, targeting stakeholders in general, including investors, shareholders, and local governments.

List of stakeholder dialogue events

We regularly hold dialogues with outside experts to bring the concerns of many stakeholders into our business and corporate activities.

Affiliation Presenter Date Discussion Content
Representative Director, SDG Partners, Inc. Kazuo Tase March 10, 2025

ESG Promotion Committee (third-party advisory body)

“The Latest Trends in Sustainability,” “About Health Management”

Representative Director, General Incorporated Association Virtue Design

Visiting Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo

Visiting Professor, Keio University

Mari Yoshitaka September 19, 2024

ESG Promotion Committee (third-party advisory body)

“The Direction of Corporate Information Disclosure,” “Regional Revitalization/Nature Positive”

Emeritus Professor, Aoyama Gakuin University

Professor, Tokyo Metropolitan University

Representative Director, General Incorporation Association of ESG Disclosure Study Group

Tetsuo Kitagawa

Representative Director, General Incorporated Association Virtue Design

Visiting Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo

Visiting Professor, Keio University

Mari Yoshitaka February 14, 2024

ESG Promotion Committee (third-party advisory body)

“The Latest Trends in Sustainability,” “About AI Governance”

Representative Director and CEO, Neural Inc.

Professor, Shinshu University Green Society Collaborative Innovation Organization

Kenji Fuma

Representative Director, General Incorporated Association Virtue Design

Visiting Professor, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo

Visiting Professor, Keio University

Mari Yoshitaka September 12, 2023

ESG Promotion Committee (third-party advisory body)

“The Latest Trends in Sustainability”

Representative Director and CEO, Neural Inc.

Professor, Shinshu University Green Society Collaborative Innovation Organization

Kenji Fuma

Social Welfare Corporation Central Community Chest of Japan

Mirai Kodomo Foundation

Ashinaga Foundation

Japan Guide Dog Association

June 26, 2023 NPO/NGO Dialogue

Representative of a board of directors, Virtue Design, General Incorporated Association

Fellow, Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd.
(Sustainability)

Mari Yoshitaka March 27, 2023

SDGs Promotion Committee (third-party advisory body)

“The Latest Trends in Sustainability and Trends in Sustainability Disclosure”

Representative Director and CEO, Neural Inc.

Professor, Shinshu University Green Society Collaborative Innovation Organization

Kenji Fuma

Representative of a board of directors, Virtue Design, General Incorporated Association

Fellow, Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd.
(Sustainability)

Mari Yoshitaka September 15, 2022

SDGs Promotion Committee (third-party advisory body)

“Corporate Net-Zero Compliance”

Representative Director and CEO, Neural Inc.

Professor, Shinshu University Green Society Collaborative Innovation Organization

Kenji Fuma

Representative of a board of directors, Virtue Design, General Incorporated Association

Senior Lecturer, Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University (Part-time Lecturer)

Mari Yoshitaka March 25, 2022

SDGs Promotion Committee (third-party advisory body)

“Trends in Sustainability Priority Themes”

Representative Director and CEO, Neural Inc. Kenji Fuma
Director, Japan Civil Liberties Union Akira Hatade February 18, 2022 “Understanding Foreign Worker Issues from the Ground Up: Business and Human Rights Perspectives”
Representative Director and CEO, Neural Inc. Kenji Fuma February 17, 2022 Lecture for all employees “The Forefront of Carbon Neutrality! - Important issues in the SDGs that you should know about now”.
August 4, 2021 Lecture to all employees: “What does it mean for companies to tackle the SDGs? A reading from an ESG perspective”
Deputy General Manager, Corporate Planning
Dept. and Principal Sustainability Strategist,
Mitsubishi UFJ Research and Consulting Co., Ltd.
Mari Yoshidaka July 27, 2021 Second SDGs Committee Expert Review of FY2021
Kyushu University Graduate School of Engineering
Department of Urban Systems Engineering
Professor / Director of Urban Research Center / Senior Professor
Shunsuke Managi From May 2021 “Social impact of ESG”
Representative Director, SDG Partners, Inc. Kazuo Tase October 16, 2020 “SDGs and ESG”
Attorney, Shinwa Sohgoh Law Offices Daisuke Takahashi August 31, 2020 “Human-rights issues raised by technological development”
Part-time lecturer, Tohoku University Graduate School Keiichi Ushijima August 24, 2020 “Roles expected of communications carriers in protecting privacy”
University of Tokyo Future Vision Research Center Hiroshi Naka July 14, 2020
  • Exchange of views on strategic processes in January 2020
  • Second SDGs Committee Expert Review of FY2021

External initiatives

SoftBank supports and participates in worldwide initiatives aimed at building a sustainable society, and shares a wide range of information related to these initiatives.