Each business location
* The Corporate Social Responsibility Planning Department and Environmental Protection Promotion Department serves as a secretariat for the deployment of policies and sharing information.

Why is “Engagement with Local Communities” a critical issue to be addressed?
Explanation of the reason and background

The Yokohama Rubber Group currently conducts production activities in 13 countries. If the Group commenced operations or withdrawals from any region, it will have a social impact on the community in terms of the environmental impact, employment, etc. Because that impact varies depending on the circumstance of each region, we believe that it is extremely important for the Group's sustainable management to consider how to expand the positive impact and reduce the negative impact while engaging with local communities, and to then take action accordingly.

Vision (attainment goal) / target

As a globally active business, we relate to local communities in a number of domains - the natural environment, law, culture, customs and the economy. We will strive to build a healthy relationship for various local communities together with our both domestic and overseas offices. The following three points are aimed for as the vision for 2020.

• Building a trusted identity together with local communities
  To achieve this, we will use various forms of engagement and focus on issues and development in the local communities.
• A worldwide system is in place to apply what stake holders have to say.
• We have planted and supplied a total of 1.3 million trees and seedlings worldwide.

Measures for vision achievement

The following approaches will be considered from various perspective to achieve our vision.

• Social gatherings with local residents as a form of communication in local communities will be held twice a year as a general rule.
• We conduct activities in cooperation with local NGOs at production bases in Japan* where biodiversity conservation activities are being commenced. We conduct biological monitoring while receiving instructions on matters such as the names and ecology of wild birds and aquatic organisms from chapters of the Wild Bird Society of Japan and nature conservation organizations.
  ...Review of FY 2017 activities (1)
• At ThinkEco Hiratsuka, an environmental event held at Hiratsuka Factory, we held a panel discussion on biodiversity and discussed together with local residents how Yokohama Rubber can protect and improve area waterways.
  ...Review of FY 2017 activities (2)
• Seedlings raised as part of the YOKOHAMA Forever Forest Project are provided to schools, social welfare facilities, NPOs, etc. that conduct tree planting activities in the region.
  ...Review of FY 2017 activities (3)
• In the disaster area reconstruction support that is conducted by our company, in order to support the creation of a “Forest That Protect Lives” as part of reconstruction plans for Otsuchi Town, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture, tree planting activities for an embankment called the “Heisei Forest” have been conducted from 2012 to 2015. Since 2014, we have also supporting forest development and afforestation activities as part of the Furusato Class programed at Otsuchi Gakuen (including the former Otsuchi Elementary School).
  ...Review of FY 2017 activities (4)
• In our "Social Contribution Support Program", employees from across the company are involved in a variety of volunteer activities that contribute to local communities.
  The Yokohama Magokoro Fund launched in May 2016 enables employees to put aside funds from their monthly salary which can be donated to NPOs, NGOs, or social welfare corporations in support of their efforts in promoting education, environmental conservation activities in social welfare or poverty regions or disaster relief funds.
  ...Review of FY 2017 activities (5)

* Mie Plant, Shinshiro Plant, Mishima Plant, Onomichi Plant, Ibaraki Plant, Nagano Plant, and Hiratsuka Factory

The following measures were conducted during FY 2017.

• (1) Biodiversity conservation activities were conducted at eight domestic and six overseas production sites*. These activities assessed that biodiversity monitoring is being carried out on the impacts that tire plant and factory operations have on the ecosystem from the use of large quantities of water, both withdrawn and discharged, into rivers in order to cool production facilities. We also cleaned up rivers and their surrounding areas while also removing (weeding) non-native species in an effort to foster a closer relationship with the local community and make these areas more biologically diverse. Community briefings were held to gain the understanding of local residents with regards to the purpose and results of our monitoring and environmental conservation activities.
• (2) A panel discussion on biodiversity was held on November 11 and attended by around 40 people in total, representing the local government, university, NPO, local residents and employees. In woodland conservation activities started at the Hiratsuka Factory, we introduced biodiversity activities through the fostering of water resources and water systems.
• (3) In the YOKOHAMA Forever Forest Project, 22,169 seedlings were provided during 2017, for a cumulative total of 326,673 seedlings.
• (4) In disaster area reconstruction support, approximately 700 trees were planted at afforestation mounds at the Otsuchi Purification Center in Otsuchi Town, Shimohei County, Iwate Prefecture together with approximately 70 fourth grade students from Otsuchi Elementary School after they learned about the importance of the global environment and tree planting.
• (5) The social contribution activity support system provided around 800,000 yen to assist employees taking part in 19 volunteer projects. Highlights of these activities include tree planting and planting mound maintenance in Otsuchi, Iwate, tree planting activities in Kakegawa, Shizuoka and Iwanuma, Iwata, support activities of post-earthquake restoration in Kumamoto, support activities for dementia, agricultural assistance, and tourism volunteers.

  Yokohama Magokoro Fund

  As of the end of December 2017, the fund together with the company have made 9 donations totaling 6.8 million yen to disaster-affected areas in Japan and overseas, as well as organizations involved in environmental conservation and children' welfare.

  

  Under the Yokohama Magokoro Fund, contributions (from 100 yen to the desired amount per month) are collected from employees (members) who support the fund, members recommend an organization they would like to support, and a Fund Steering Committee composed of member representatives then screens the recommended organizations and decides whether to make a donation.
  The fund is a mechanism in which Yokohama Rubber makes a donation of the same amount as the fund when donations are made to the organization decided on.

* Yokohama Tire Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd., Y.T. Rubber Co., Ltd., Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc., Hangzhou Yokohama Tire Co., Ltd., Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Virginia LLC

Hiratsuka Factory

Think Eco Hiratsuka is held as an experience-based event with an environmental theme that encourages families of the employees to interact with local residents based on the concept of "Learn, Play, and Have Fun Together". With collaboration from nearby universities and local authorities, we aim to develop an identity as a dependable company in the community.

Mie Plant

In support of the reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake, 53 scrap tires manufactured by the company were used to make play equipment and fences at two daycare centers in Onagawa, Miyagi. Mie Plant has been providing continued assistance since the earthquake by providing materials and cleaning up the town hall.

Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc. (the Philippines)

Yokohama Tire Philippines, Inc. is surrounded by mountainous areas, where the residents need to go through the hard work of fetching water from the river on a daily basis. The company has donated tires equipped with a water tank to all 70 households thereby lightening their burden.

Yokohama Industries Americas Inc. (United States)

Local high school students were invited to the plant for a workshop. Approximately 100 students attended the factory tour and participated in team building games.

As for environmental impact assessments through biological monitoring, the framework for the PDCA cycle including communication with local residents was completed, and biodiversity conservation activities have begun. In order to complete the framework for assessing the environmental impact at all business locations by 2018, we also held group training for persons in charge outside of Japan in 2017, too. We plan on promoting activities at these sites as model plants in their respective areas.
In addition, we will promote communication with local communities through social contribution activities such as regional employment and volunteer activities in order to contribute to regional economic development.