Kao Receives the IR Special Award at JIRA's 2020 IR Awards

Kao Corporation received the IR Special Award at the 2020 IR Awards organized by the Japan Investor Relations Association (JIRA).

JIRA presents the IR Awards to recognize companies that have achieved outstanding results in relation to IR by demonstrating qualities such as an in-depth understanding of the purpose of IR, working proactively to implement IR activities, or being strongly supported by capital market participants. At this year's IR Awards (the 25th), recipients of the Best IR Award were selected on the basis of assessments of 284 publicly listed companies belonging to JIRA.

JIRA presents IR Special Awards to companies whose activities stand out above all others, such as consistently improving IR activities, assuming a leadership role in IR activities in their respective industries, and being highly regarded for IR activities targeting individual investors.

The decision to present the IR Special Award to Kao this year was based on Kao's superior performance in the following areas:

・ Since announcing a shift to Environment, Social and Governance (ESG)-driven management, Kao has been engaging in dialogue with investors to enhance understanding.
・ Kao is enhancing its disclosure and KPIs related to ESG and sustainability, as well as briefings where representatives of business segments make presentations.
・ Kao makes efforts to clearly identify a roadmap for sustainable growth through its ESG initiatives and provides updates of its progress.
・ Kao's IR Department focuses on promptly responding to investors and providing extensive materials in English.
・Kao has maintained dialogue with investors during the COVID-19 pandemic via video conferencing.

The Kao Group is making a major shift to ESG-driven management as a new challenge to build a foundation enabling sustainable growth in 2025, 2030, and beyond. Kao has already begun full-scale implementation of the Kirei Lifestyle Plan, its ESG strategy announced in April 2019.

The Kao Group will continue striving to realize even more in-depth stakeholder engagement through fair, proactive communication, with the goal of fostering understanding and consensus among all stakeholders regarding its ESG activities and other initiatives.