“with Sustainability! Activities” with Employees
Basic Approach
It has become a commonly held belief that international society cooperates towards solving social issues. As part of this, corporations are expected to utilize their strengths proactively to contribute towards solutions.
Especially because we operate convenience stores with a close connection to people’s lives, FamilyMart believes it is important to contribute to solving social issues while adapting to social changes and steadily responding to the needs and expectations of stakeholders.
In the medium-term plan that started in fiscal 2022, we set out to promote unique SDGs as part of a virtuous cycle of new growth, and we made it clear that promoting SDGs is incorporated into an important strategy for achieving growth.
In order to achieve the promotion of unique SDGs, it is absolutely necessary for each employee to engage in the promotion of SDGs in their tasks, i.e., to make SDGs relevant to them.
For this purpose, we started the company-wide “with Sustainability! Activities” in April 2022 for employees to promote SDGs as their own.
Along with learning the principles of SDGs and inputting knowledge to improve awareness and interest, we are eagerly driving this initiative while emphasizing feeling and experiencing SDGs by holding events that employees can participate in.
Promotion System
We appoint each division manager as principal promoter, and principal promoters appoint an employee above a general manager class in their own division as SDGs promotion leader. The division managers and promotion leaders cooperate to lead each division’s initiatives on SDGs. In the district committee, which is a bottom-up approach to activities, we tackle SDG initiatives and promote the activities with everyone in the company involved.
Rules established to incorporate SDG elements into the division vision set by division managers and general managers
FamilyMart has had a system since fiscal 2019 where division managers and general managers declare and announce the division vision and each division focuses on achieving that vision.
In fiscal 2022 when “with Sustainability! Activities!” started, all division managers and general managers incorporated SDG initiatives into their division vision for the purpose of promoting unique SDGs that work closely with our medium-term plan. Each division leverages their business characteristics to work on instilling and achieving their vision.
SDG promotion leaders lead each division’s activities
In fiscal 2022, 23 SDG promotion leaders were born from a total of 23 divisions and departments. SDG promotion leaders are responsible for ensuring that the SDGs are understood and instilled in their divisions, and leading initiatives tailored to the business characteristics of each division.
Efforts to know and understand SDGs
We held an online SDGs seminar in April 2022, where we invited an external expert in order to ensure that all employees have a common understanding.
The seminar was targeted at all of the approximately 5,800 employees including management as well as new recruits from April. We also cover themes that our employees should know through e-learning resources in order to deepen their knowledge and understanding.
In addition, we issue “with Sustainability!” SDG newsletter monthly, where the latest trend of SDGs and the progress of “with Sustainability! Activities” are introduced along with occasional news focusing on issues related to the environment and diversity, giving all employees opportunities to experience SDGs.
Efforts to understand and experience SDGs
FamilyMart emphasizes opportunities where our employees can understand and experience SDGs.
From May to June in 2022, all the new recruits that joined us in April participated in training to experience agriculture with the coworkers with disabilities who work at a farm, working together with them and deepen their understanding of disabilities. Starting in July, we performed training at a farm for employees who are interested.
We also held a session to promote understanding and interaction with people with disabilities in honor of World Autism Awareness Day on April 8.
In addition, we ask for volunteers from among our employees to be instructors for Famima Academy, which is FamilyMart’s workshops for children. These are the opportunities for the employees to recognize the importance of embodying SDGs in their work through the experience of presenting FamilyMart’s efforts on sustainability to children.
We create these opportunities where employees can realize new insights and can deepen their understanding through actual experience to increase the number of employees who will take SDGs to heart.
SDGs Month
June is the Environment Month that the Ministry of the Environment advocates as well as the Pride Month, when the community of sexual minorities comes together. In recognition of these, FamilyMart set June, when we have increased opportunities to consider SDGs, as SDGs Month to celebrate it and hold various events for our employees to participate in such as Famima Academy and workshops to discuss LGBTQ themes.
SDGs Month poster and SDGs section placed in the in-office communication area
Message from a department leader
FamilyMart considers local communities as families and we hold dear to our hearts our corporate message “FamilyMart, Where You Are One of the Family”.
The initiatives on sustainability cannot be achieved by just one person. It is important to respect diversity, for each and every employee to consider it as their own, and for the entire company to experience, notice, and act. This is why we have started the company-wide activities, “with Sustainability! Activities”.
Guided by the direction of the promotion leaders of each division, who are employees above the general manager position, we promote activities in the interest of each division creating sustainable results.
We will continue promoting our unique SDGs defined by FamilyMart characteristics through “with Sustainability! Activities” towards the creation of a sustainable society.
Executive Officer/Head of Sustainability Promotion Department
Hiroshi Iwasaki