Corporate Social Responsibility and Children’s Rights

Approach to social contribution

“Proudly from Okinawa, Orion makes people, makes occasions, helps the world smile.” To accomplish this mission, all employees of the Group have joined forces to carry out social contribution activities (CSR activities).

In 2020, to cite examples of concrete actions taken in accordance with the above mission, we established the Orion Way, a set of action guidelines on relations with stakeholders, including society, customers, shareholders, and employees. With a view to meeting the expectations of Okinawa residents and other stakeholders, we surveyed them to determine their preferences regarding initiatives corresponding to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Based on the results of the survey, we have selected four items for our CSR activities: “support for the reconstruction of Shuri Castle,” “support for children’s education,” “social contribution through technological innovation,” and “environmental conservation of Okinawa including marine conservation.” By benefiting society, we will endeavor to help achieve the SDGs and bring smiles to all stakeholders.

Implementation of various volunteer activities

Ever since its establishment, the Orion Group has benefited from the support of the people of Okinawa and achieved growth. Positioning gratitude to Okinawa as one of our core values, in order to accomplish our mission—”Proudly from Okinawa, Orion makes people, makes occasions, helps the world smile.”—the Sustainability & Public Relations Department of Orion Breweries, Ltd. takes the lead in promoting volunteer activities by employees of Group companies every year.

Major initiatives include tree planting (water source recharge) and donation of seedlings for tree planting in Yanbaru National Park, which is the source of the water that is a vital ingredient of Orion beers, and cleanup activities such as picking up litter at several locations in the prefecture, including areas where the Group’s business sites are located and along beaches in the prefecture, in cooperation with local governments, local companies and local residents.

Moreover, to conserve the marine environment of Okinawa Prefecture, we are participating as volunteers in the Okinawa SDGs Project’s initiatives to prevent red soil runoff.

As for the main results of these activities, we planted saplings at two locations in Okinawa Prefecture in fiscal 2023, with a total of 155 people participating in the activity.

Policy on Children’s Rights

The Orion Group respects the UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Children’s Rights and Business Principles.

In particular, we established the Orionbeer Scholarship Foundation “to promote children’s education and sustainable solutions to the root causes of child labour” as stipulated in the Children’s Rights and Business Principles, and are working to maximize educational opportunities for children through a scholarship program that does not require repayment.

In addition, through the Brewers Association of Japan, of which Orion Breweries, Ltd. is a member, we are involved in the “STOP! under 20 Drinking” Project. We are vigorously communicating the need for alcohol-free youth by campaigning to prevent the consumption of alcoholic beverages by those under 20 years of age. We take great care and make utmost efforts to ensure that communication and marketing related to alcohol consumption does not negatively impact the rights of children.

Having adopted support of education as a CSR theme, the Orion Group continues to respect the rights of children so that the youngsters who will eventually aspire to lead Okinawa, Japan, and the world will keep their smiles far into the future.