March 25, 2024

YKK Corporation (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; President: Hiroaki Otani; hereafter, YKK) is pleased to announce that it has received the highest Leaderboard status for the second year running in the FY2023 Supplier Engagement Rating (SER) conducted by the international non-profit organization CDP*.

This selection indicates that YKK's governance, targets, and initiatives to collaborate with suppliers to reduce GHG emissions, all aimed at reducing GHG emissions throughout the YKK supply chain, constitute efforts befitting a global leader. In FY2023, over 450 companies around the world were selected for the SER Leaderboard.

In February 2024, YKK also received the highest “A List” rating in the CDP Climate Change 2023 Questionnaire  undertaken by CDP. This was YKK's first ever A List selection. This recognition underscores YKK's dedication to combatting climate change and its pledge to uphold transparent information disclosure in alignment with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Takayuki Aoki, Vice President of the Procurement & Logistics Department at YKK, commented, “Since the establishment of our YKK Sustainability Vision 2050 in October 2020, we have been steadfast in our pursuit of sustainability goals. By fostering strong partnerships with customers and suppliers, grounded in the ethos of the YKK philosophy - the Cycle of Goodness®, we have achieved remarkable progress in reducing GHG emissions. Receiving the highest Supplier Engagement Rating for the second consecutive year is a testament to our collective efforts. Looking ahead, we remain committed to collaborating closely with our suppliers to comprehensively address GHG emissions across our entire supply chain. Together, we strive to pave the way towards a decarbonized society.”

*CDP: An international non-profit organization with a worldwide system to enable corporate and public environmental disclosure. Established in 2000, the organization makes use of capital markets and the power of corporate purchasing to take the lead in encouraging companies to disclose their environmental impacts, reduce GHG emissions, and protect water resources and forests.
See the link below for a full list of companies selected for the SER Leaderboard.

See the link below for more details about the Supplier Engagement Rating (SER).

■ State of Progress Toward the YKK Sustainability Vision 2050

YKK Corporation's sustainability goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. YKK is working on five themes – Climate Change, Material Resources, Water Resources, Chemical Management, Respect People – and ten SDG goals related to each of these, and each year reports on its state of progress in the YKK Integrated Report, "This is YKK."

■ Sustainability and the YKK Philosophy of the Cycle of Goodness
YKK is constantly pursuing the creation and realization of a sustainable society through our business. At the core of all our corporate activities is the philosophy of YKK founder Tadao Yoshida, the "Cycle of Goodness." The idea that "no one prospers without rendering benefit to others" clearly expresses the YKK Group's corporate spirit of continuing to prosper together with society, customers, related industries, and employees, and is highly compatible with sustainability.

Tadao Yoshida repeatedly shared the essence of this corporate spirit with employees in a variety of ways. His words "business is like building a bridge," which are connected to the "Cycle of Goodness," can be understood in terms of the SDGs, as he believed that unless we benefit society as a whole, we will not be able to prosper ourselves. The words "manufacturing like clear spring water" and trash can be a great resource if it is utilized with ingenuity" are linked to environmental consideration, and the words "the strength of a forest is better than a big tree" are linked to respect for human rights and individuality. The circumstances and background today differ significantly from the time when our founding president spoke these words, but a philosophy that is highly compatible with sustainability has nevertheless been at the core of YKK's management since those early days. It continues to be inherited at the company even today, more than 80 years later.