Corporate Citizenship Activities

To realize its Corporate Philosophy “Study the properties of water, master them, and we will create an environment in which nature and humanity are in harmony”, the Kurita Group defines corporate citizenship activities as those that contribute to the conservation of water and the environment and the enrichment of people's lives, without the aim of direct profit, and aims to gain the trust of society and new knowledge through proactive and continuous efforts.
The Kurita Group has set five priority areas for its corporate citizenship activities: “Promotion of science and technology,” “Improvement of issues related to water resources and public health,” “Fostering the next generation,” “Recovery and reconstruction of disaster-stricken areas,” and “Revitalization of local communities.”
We promote corporate citizenship activities based on the system, roles, and approach to corporate citizenship activities expenditures shown in the Group Guideline on Corporate Citizenship Activities.
In order to effectively promote corporate citizenship activities, we not only monitor outputs (direct results expressed quantitatively, such as the number of beneficiaries who received benefits), but also visualize outcomes (changes in behavior and conditions of beneficiaries in the short to medium term) and impacts (changes in society in the medium to long term). The results are reported once a year at the Executive Committee.

The Kurita Group will strive as necessary to improve issues with freshwater resources such as rivers, lakes and marshes, and seas and oceans, including collaborations with external organizations. The Kurita Group will also contribute to improvement of water access and preventing the spread of infectious diseases by providing support for the construction and repair of sanitation facilities for people facing problems with water, sanitation and hygiene.
In fiscal 2024, we engaged in collective actions through the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC) and contribute funds to support NPOs to improve water and sanitation facilities in developing countries and conflict zones. We also worked on Eelgrass^* cultivation and wetland restoration initiatives as an employee-participation program.

• Seaweed purifies seawater by absorbing nutrients that cause red tide and releasing oxygen.

The Kurita Group promotes Collective Action, a program in which several companies and organizations work together to eliminate water stress.
Collective Actions is designed to address the problems of basins with water resource issues and has been conducted through collaboration with international initiatives such as the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC) ^*1 , in which we have participated since 2020, and the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) ^*2 , in which we have participated since July 2024.
In fiscal 2024, we continuously worked on a campaign, “Impact Together,” for solving issues related to water resources in the Colorado river basin in the U.S. and PCJ river basins in Brazil which was launched in fiscal 2023. During the campaign, which aims to solve both river basins’ water challenges including water scarcity, we collaborated with Avista Technologies, Inc. headquartered in the Colorado river basin and Kurita do Brasil LTDA. headquartered in PCJ river basins.
We worked on contributing to the “reduction of regional water usage” by providing a superior water savings solution to customers located in the basin regions. In addition, by making a monetary contribution to water resources conservation activities based on the estimated water saved by the solution, we worked to "support the water resources conservation activities in the entire basin."Furthermore, since fiscal 2024, we have newly launched collective actions in the Citarum river basin, Indonesia, striving to solve issues related to the water quality of the basin.

Click on the link below to learn more about Impact Together.

Additionally, The Kurita Group contributes to the development and socialization of the free online platform the Water Action Hub, which supports water conservation initiatives of companies and organizations.
The Water Action Hub is managed by The CEO Water Mandate, which is the upper organization of the WRC, and it has several functions to include connecting partnerships with implementers who are taking actions for solving water challenges, as well as searching and sharing valuable information for water conservation initiatives.
Its functions are continually developed for making it a comprehensive platform which aggregates any information and tools related to water challenges. The Kurita Group contributes to the development by testing and providing early feedback on new features and through monetary support, as well as the socialization through advocating the value of Water Action Hub in international conferences such us World Water Week.

The company has continued to provide financial support for the activities of Reach Alternatives (REALs) since fiscal 2019, a non-profit organization, to support the people displaced by violent conflicts and natural disasters at the Mangateen IDP camp in Juba, the capital of the Republic of South Sudan, where about 3,000 people live. In fiscal 2024, support funds were used for making simple repairs to three restroom buildings, making repairs to one water well, and water quality testing.
In addition, since fiscal 2019, we have continued to make donations to WaterAid Japan, a non-profit organization, to support people facing water, sanitation and hygiene issues.
In fiscal 2024, the organization installed a new wastewater treatment system in Unnao district, Uttar Pradesh, India, where approximately 2,000 people live. They also provided training to residents on the maintenance and management of the system and conducted a campaign to raise awareness of preserving and conserving water.
Through these activities, the organization has improved access to safe water and toilets for local people and contributed to the reduction of deaths, child abuse, and sexual violence against women caused by the conflict, as well as community problems such as securing safe groundwater and improving sanitation.

The company and the Group Companies in Japan plans and implements employee participation programs.
In fiscal 2024, it carried out an eelgrass cultivation program and a wetland restoration program.
32 employees participated in the eelgrass cultivation program and sowed eelgrass seeds on a 25m² section of seabed in Tokyo Bay (Kanazawa Ward, Yokohama City).
Eelgrass has the ability to purify water, absorb and store CO₂ (blue carbon), and restore the ecosystem by providing locations for small fish and other organisms to hide, grow, and spawn.
Furthermore, 23 employees participated in the wetland regeneration program to regenerate 10m² of land in Noyamakita-Rokudoyama Park (Tokyo) as a wetland.
The restoration of habitat and growth habitat for a variety of plants and animals unique to wetlands is expected to restore the environment for endangered species, contributing to biodiversity conservation.
Additionally, restoring wetlands with high CO₂ storage capacity will aid in climate change mitigation.

In the event of a disaster or conflict that has a significant impact on people's lives and economic activities, the Kurita Group will provide support for disaster-stricken areas. In fiscal 2024, we donated 10 million yen to the Noto Peninsula Earthquake Relief Program conducted by Japan Platform, a non-profit organization, to support areas affected by the 2024 Noto peninsula earthquake. In addition, we lent three disaster water supply systems to purify water from pools and other types of water for use in daily life, and donated 400 warming kits and 720 bottles of drinking water.