Sustainability Milestones and Their Impacts

The Group’s social responsibility initiatives have evolved with the times. This section shows our major sustainability milestones and their impacts to date.

Milestones

• ◇This symbol indicates major events in the world.

1965Started the “Yellow Badge Donation” program

1976Established the Yasuda Kasai Fine Art Foundation (now Sompo Fine Art Foundation)
Opened the Seiji Togo Memorial Yasuda Kasai Museum of Art (now Sompo Museum of Art)

1977Established the Yasuda Fire & Marine Foundation (now Sompo Welfare Foundation)

1987Started to publicly exhibit “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh

1989Opened Himawari Hall puppet theater in Nagoya

1991Established the Nipponkoa Welfare Foundation (now Sompo Welfare Foundation)

1992Established the Department of Global Environment

1993 Started holding Public Seminars on the Environment
Established an employee volunteer organization
Introduced volunteer work leave

1995Signed UNEP FI Statement of Environmental Commitment by the Insurance Industry

1996Volunteer employees established a social contribution fund

1997Acquired ISO 14001 certification (as first Japanese financial institution)

1998Started to publish an environmental report (as first Japanese financial institution)
Launched consultation services for acquiring ISO 14001 certification
Started forest management programs

1999Established the Yasuda Fire & Marine Environment Foundation (now Sompo Environment Foundation)
Launched Sompo Japan Green Open (SRI fund)

2000Started CSO Learning Scholarship Program

2002◇World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg
Signed WBCSD Financial Sector Statement
Held first CSR stakeholder meeting

2004Launched Sompo Japan SRI Open (SRI fund)
Started BCM (Business Continuity Management) consultation services

2005Established Healthcare Frontier Japan Inc. (now Sompo Health Support Inc.)
Joined the Carbon Disclosure Project (now CDP)
Started offering organizational support for civil society groups

2006Joined the United Nations Global Compact
Signed the UN supported Principles for Responsible Investment (UN PRI)
Started sponsored-lecture series at universities

2007Established Sompo Japan Healthcare Services Inc. (now Sompo Health Support Inc.)

2008Started art appreciation through dialogue at the Seiji Togo Memorial Sompo Japan Museum of Art (now Sompo Museum of Art)
Announced the Carbon Neutral Declaration
Started the Eco-Safe Driving Contest
Certified as an “ECO FIRST Company” by the Minister of the Environment, Japan

2009Introduced web-based insurance policy access for automobile insurance products

2010NKSJ Holdings, Inc. (now Sompo Holdings, Inc.) established
Formulated the NKSJ Group’s CSR Basic Policy (now the Group Sustainability Vision)
Sompo Japan Foundation (now Sompo Welfare Foundation) started to offer financial support to ASEAN countries
Launched Weather Index Insurance in Thailand
◇10th Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity held in Nagoya
37 Group companies participated in the Japan Business and Biodiversity Partnership
Started consultation services on biodiversity
◇ISO 26000 (international standard on social responsibility) published

2011◇Great East Japan Earthquake occurred
Started to collect ESG data of the Group
Sompo Japan (China) (now Sompo Japan (China)) published its first CSR report
Started the SAVE JAPAN Project to conserve biodiversity
Sompo Japan Environment Foundation (now Sompo Environment Foundation) started research on climate change adaptation
Established Nipponkoa Smile Kids Foundation (now Sompo Smile Kids Foundation)
10 Group companies (now 7 Group companies) signed the Principles for Financial Action towards a Sustainable Society
Started to organize the NKSJ Volunteer Days (now the Sompo Holdings Volunteer Days)

2012Specified the Five CSR Material Issues of the Group (now the Group’s CSR Materiality)
Established Prime Assistance Inc. to enter the assistance services market
Signed the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs)
◇United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)
Signed the UNEP FI Principles for Sustainable Insurance (PSI)
Purchased shares of Cedar Co., Ltd. as a Group company to enter the elderly care services market
Acquired ISO 39001 certification (international standard for road traffic safety management system)

2013Started environmental programs for community contribution
Achieved carbon neutrality
Started to consider promoting the Group’s CSR by measuring KPIs

2014Established the Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Group’s “Group CSR Vision(now “Group Sustainability Vision”),” “Group Environmental Policy,” “Group Policy for Human Dignity and Human Rights” and “Six CSR Material Issues”
KPIs defined for Group CSR initiatives
Signed Japan’s Stewardship Code (Sompo Japan Nipponkoa, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Asset Management)
Special exhibition of “Sunflowers” by Van Gogh held to support restoration of areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake
Started the Bosai JAPAN-DA Project
Launched a road safety program in Indonesia and maternal and child health program in Myanmar
Launched Typhoon Guard Insurance in the Philippines
Business collaboration in long-term care field with Message Co.

2015Entered home renovation industry by acquiring ownership of FRESHHOUSE CO., LTD.
Our weather index insurance was recognized as meeting the requirements for membership in the BCtA
◇SDGs adopted at the UN Summit
◇Paris Agreement adopted at COP21
Nationwide distribution of “Smiling Road” (telematics service for businesses to help fleet drivers drive more safely)
Started to provide “Portal Smiling Road” smartphone app
Expanded nursing care business by acquiring 100% ownership of Sompo Care Next Inc., etc.

2016Acquired ISO14001 certification for all Group companies in Japan
Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Healthcare Services Inc., Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Risk Management Inc., Healthcare Frontier Japan Inc. merged to form Sompo Risk Management & Health Care Inc.
Redefined the Group’s CSR Material Issues
Announced FY2016-2020 Medium-Term Management Plan
Launched arts and culture initiatives—SOMPO Paralym Art Soccer Art Contest, and SOMPO Art Fund

2017Five Group companies recognized as a 2017 Certified Health and Productivity Management Organization (White 500) (by METI)
Acquired Endurance Specialty Holdings Ltd. (Now SOMPO INTERNATIONAL)
Launched “Tokyo University of the Arts x Sompo Holdings” Industry-Academia Collaboration Diversity on the Arts Project (DOOR)

2018 “Tokyo University of the Arts × Sompo Care Inc.”Industry-Academia Collaboration
Launch of『Artist in “Sompo no Ie S”in Ojikamiya』
Declared our support for the recommendation of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD)

2019 Changed the governance structure to “Company with committees, such as Nomination Committee”
Sonpo 24 Insurance Company Limited merged to SAISON AUTOMOBILE AND FIRE INSURANCE COMPANY, LIMITED
Sompo Asset Management held an event to commemorate the 20 year anniversary of the launch of the Sompo Japan Green Open fund
Started the CSO Learning Scholarship Program in Jakarta
Jointly established Palantir Technologies Japan K.K. with Palantir Technologies Inc.

2020Established Headquarters for Promoting New Work Styles

Positioning the promotion of new work styles as “the biggest project to transform our corporate culture in our 130-year existence,” established the Headquarters for Promoting New Work Styles headed by the Group CEO to promote the creation of a group of people who share the three core values through employees' pursuit of My Purpose.

2021Announced SOMPO's Purpose
Concluded agreement with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST)

Aiming to contribute to the growth of the Japanese economy through the promotion of joint research and the social implementation of the results of such research, concluded an agreement to solve social issues with the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, one of the largest research institutes in Japan.

Announced GHG reduction targets (excluding investments and loans) toward achieving carbon neutrality

Formulated Materiality KPIs

Announced SOMPO Climate Action

Established Group Chief Sustainability Officer (CSuO)

2022Announced GHG reduction targets (investments and loans) toward achieving carbon neutrality

2023Awarded the Minister of the Environment Awards for Climate Action 2023, the ESD^* Activity Award for activities to create a sustainable society in FY2023 (Sompo Environment Foundation)
*ESD: Education for Sustainable Development

2024◇Noto Peninsula Earthquake occured
Rephrased SOMPO’s Purpose
Announced “Description of Purpose”