Opinion of a
Third Party
DOWA CSR Report 2014
Chief Executive, E-SQUARE
Hiro Motoki
E-SQUARE Inc. is a consulting company, aimed at realizing a sustainable society by supporting strategic CSR and environmental management of companies. The company supports many leading business establishments in the fields of strategy, communication, education and BoP business in developing countries. Mr. Motoki assumed his office of Chief Executive in October 2011. He has been working as a special lecturer for the Graduate School of Environment Studies, Tohoku University since 2005 and also is a frequent lecturer on CSR.
About the CSR Report 2014
President Yamada explained in Message from the Management that DOWA's business has evolved into a unique resource-recycling company consisting of five core business areas, responding agilely to changing external environment. The DOWA group continues to achieve increased revenue and profit as he mentioned. I presume the company does meet diversified needs for building a resource-recycling society through its business in the age when depletion of resources is anticipated as a result of worsening pressures of world population.
I think a characteristic of the CSR report this year is the description of DOWA's approach to social issues related to effective utilization of resources on the page titled as "DOWA's Business and Social Issues." However, it was positioned only as one of many features last year. I can see DOWA's emphasis on CSV (Creating Shared Value) this year, where a company contributes to resolving social issues, while it connects its contribution to profit making. I am certain that more detailed explanation of the relation between its business and social issues will further promote reader's understanding of how much DOWA is needed in society and that DOWA is a vital entity in society.
Another characteristic is the reorganization of main achievements in 2013 and the entire structure of the report according to four areas of CSR Policy. This way the CSR activities that the DOWA group propels are presented in a more consistent way than before. Reorganization made the report simpler and easier to understand.
As for DOWA's measures per topic, responding to conflict minerals is requisite as a company engaged in mining in the upper stream of the value chain in society. The DOWA group set up "DOWA's Conflict Mineral Management Policy" and has worked to obtain CSF Certificates as a conflict-free smelter. Those are extremely important steps forward in conducting sustainable business.
The DOWA group is engaged in various other activities in each business field. Among others, it is worth mentioning that DOWA Metals and Mining succeeded in obtaining their raw materials from the tailings of mineral ores to recycling materials for the first time in the world.
Towards Further Improvement
The list of achievements are far easier to read than last year, as goals, measures and achievements are clearly separated and described. However, only titles are listed for goals. I think more detailed description is necessary, listing specific points to be reached by DOWA.
It says that the CSR Procurement Guideline will be prepared in the future as a focus measure of CSR Procurement Policy. On the other hand in the CSR Procurement Guideline, it says, "We promote procurement, based on the DOWA group's CSR Procurement Guideline." It seems that the guideline is already put in place and misleading. I also think it better to mention something on "DOWA's Conflict Mineral Management Policy" in the CSR Procurement Guideline. I believe that it desirable to report how the CSR Procurement Policy will be implemented specifically in the CSR Procurement Policy.
My Expectation to DOWA's Initiatives in the Future
The DOWA group will review the mid-term goals of CSR and focus measures in 2014 and I am looking forward to their progress. I can see DOWA's approaches to social issues and also awareness to connect them to revenue, through messages from managers and persons in charge in each business entity. I assume that support from those employees on site is the present strength of DOWA. I sincerely hope DOWA continues to pursue business development, by facing social issues directly.
