Updated on March 25, 2026 Sustainability Medium-term Plan for People
- Occupational Safety, Process Safety
- Diversity and Inclusion
- Talent Development
- Social Contribution Activities
Occupational Safety, Process Safety
Our Guiding Principle state that “Safety is the cornerstone of everything we do.” Guided by this principle, we have set the following numerical safety targets to ensure that Kuraray is a safe workplace and a company in which everyone can work with confidence for all Group employees.
Our goal for occupational safety is zero serious (A or B rank) occupational injuries. We also tackle to prevent minor injuries at sites in Japan and overseas, aiming for total occupational injuries frequency rate of 1.3 or less (less than half of the benchmark) by 2026.
Our goal for process safety is to achieve zero serious (A, B, C rank) process accidents / troubles. We also aim to reduce the number of minor ( D1 , D2 , rank) process accidents, such as very small leaks of flammable liquids, and less than 3 cases (less than half of the benchmark) by 2026. To this end, we promote understanding process safety risks and taking countermeasures for them at each site of both Japan and overseas.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Kuraray Group has set the destination for diversity and inclusion as being “a company where each employee in a diverse workforce works enthusiastically and tackles challenges without fear of failure, generating a succession of innovations while responding to change and continuing to grow.”
To this end, for the Medium-Term Management Plan “PASSION 2026” period, we will develop a consistent human resource platform and personal data across the Group, and implement the measures to promote human resource development and diversity based on a long-term perspective. We will seek globally to assign and promote personnel best suited to each job position in a way that allows individuals to reach their full potential and help grow the business. We will foster an organizational culture in which each person respects diversity and tackles challenges without fear of failure.
Our focus in Japan is on promoting diversity in core human resources, defined as management layer. We will work to advance women, foreign nationals, and mid-career hires to positions of management. Our goal is to boost the ratio of such managers from 12% as of September 2021 to 25% or more by 2030 (excluding production sites).
Talent Development
The Kuraray Group respects values and careers of each individual and provides opportunities to develop the skills and abilities necessary for both employees and the company to grow together. In addition to reaffirming Kuraray's "Philosophy" and enhancing opportunities to share our “Values,” we will systematically expand our "Global Talent Development Program" in parallel with our "English language skill development Program" and "Short-term Global Mobility Program" to enable diverse talents to play active roles globally. We will also strengthen our business operations from a long-term perspective by developing talents capable of taking general managers equivalent positions through "Executive Candidate Development Program", and by building a talent pool.
In addition, a new DX Talent Development Program was launched in 2023 with targets set for participation in classes according to three levels of digital literacy (Gold, Silver, and Bronze). All employees will take the Bronze class, and at least one in each department (a person who can plan and promote DX) will be trained at Gold class.
Social Contribution Activities
The Kuraray Group believes that the essence of its business activities (products and services) is to contribute to “For People and the Planet.” At the same time, it places importance on social contribution activities to fulfill its responsibilities as a corporate citizen that is a member of society and the earth. Under the Medium-Term Management Plan “PASSION 2026”, we will continue our sustainability activities with the philosophy of contributing to society globally.
Since 1992, the Kuraray Group has held “Chemistry Classes for Boys and Girls” of elementary school students who are responsible for the next generation in Japan. The purpose is to experience the joy of chemistry through experiments. Over 300 seminars have been held at seven production sites in Japan with more than 10,000 elementary school students participating in 2025. We have extended similar activities to Kuraray America, Inc. in the United States and Kuraray Europe GmbH in Europe.
Kuraray produces CLARINO™, a man-made leather used to make school backpacks. In the “Sending School Backpacks Across the Sea” program, we send backpacks that have been used by Japanese children during their six years of elementary school, along with school supplies and messages, to children in Afghanistan, a region that continues to experience conflicts. By 2025, in its 22nd year since its start in 2004, more than 170,000 backpacks had been sent across the sea.
This vital activity provides children in Afghanistan with a chance to experience the joy of learning and also it’s a good opportunity for Japanese Children to learn the significance of reuse and volunteering activity. Although the political situation in Afghanistan is unstable, we will continue this program under the Medium-Term Management Plan “PASSION 2026”.