Materialities (key issues)

The DBJ Group has identified its materiality issues by not only drawing upon international guidelines but also placing an emphasis on dialogue with its various stakeholders. We have deepened our understanding of three priority areas of focus for the realization of a sustainable society while providing solutions in tune with the times, and these three priority areas have been narrowed down and crystallized as materiality issues. Looking ahead, we plan to review our materiality issues periodically from the perspective of balancing economic and social value while maintaining dialogue with our stakeholders.

Materiality of the DBJ Group (Key Management Issues)

Formation of sustainable infrastructure	Transition to decarbonization Build infrastructure for future generations	Investments and loans to effect transitions while maintaining stable supply in the energy sector Social acceptance of next-generation mobility and proliferation of clean energy using hydrogen and ammonia Promotion of public-private partnerships in maintaining and upgrading public infrastructure Initiatives focused on natural capital, biodiversity, and a circular economy that support economic and social activities
Technical innovation and restructuring of industry	Strengthen competitiveness of Japanese industry through innovation Reorganize supply chains	Support for new business, business restructuring, and digital transformation; provision of guidance for entering global markets Investments for startups in the AI and deep technology (deep tech) sectors, and other fields Supply chain reconstruction with eye on post-pandemic recovery and other factors Management support through investments in Society 5.0 and other areas
Regional revitalization utilizing untapped potential	Just transition of regions Response to population decline	Creation of visions for regions through collaboration and cooperation with stakeholders Recommendations and support for a just transition to a decarbonized society from both industry and regional perspectives Support for increasing population flows, for example, via tourism, especially foreign tourism Supply of risk capital and knowledge for uncovering unique regional resources
Creation of markets and safety nets in the finance sector	Expand frontiers of financial markets Exercise stabilizer function	Expansion of sustainable finance markets Expansion of investments in venture capital and other areas, and provision of risk capital through new financial approaches Provision of diverse investment and loan opportunities through cooperation with private financial institutions Deployment of safety net functions, such as Crisis Response Operations
Cultivation of talent to challenge financial frontiers	Support the taking on of challenges and collaboration Improve employees’ sense of self-fulfillment	Implementation of human resource systems that encourage employees and teams to take on new challenges Cultivation of human resources through practical on-the-job training (OJT) and ample training opportunities Creation of an environment that respects diversity and facilitates the independence and proactive behavior of employees
Strengthening of the business foundation for supplying risk capital	Enhance risk responsiveness Reform ways of working	Preparation of systems in response to the strengthening of investment operations and increased sophistication of investment management Development and enhancement of business continuity and cybersecurity frameworks Continuous review of operations; advancement of operations through digitalization Strengthening of unified Group management

Materiality Identification Process

STEP1

Deepening Our Understanding of the Three Priority Areas

In light of the roles and functions we have performed to date as well as realizing social value and future changes, we have designated infrastructure, industry, and regions as our priority areas.
Despite changes in the external environment, these priority areas have remained consistent over time, and we reaffirmed their importance in the materiality identification process.

Infrastructure: Rebuilding of energy systems, development of more advanced transportation networks, and creation of attractive communities

Industry: Commercialization of new technologies, restructuring of businesses to improve productivity and sharpen competitiveness, and business development in global markets

Regions: Industrial revitalization based on regional characteristics, overseas business development, foreign tourism in Japan, and business succession

STEP2

Discovery of Materiality Issues through Dialogue with Stakeholders

「ステークホルダーにとっての重要性」「DBJグループにとっての重要性」の2つの軸から分析した13項目の分布を表したマトリクス図。

After selecting the 37 social issues with reference to the basic policies of the Japanese government and internal DBJ Group discussions about problems faced by customers, we analyzed each issue from two perspectives—importance to stakeholders and importance to the DBJ Group’s business—and narrowed the list down to 13 social issues.

Importance to Stakeholders: We conducted quantitative evaluations through surveys of each department, branch, and Group company, as well as staff and executive meetings on several occasions, and discussions with experts, while referring to SASB^* and other guidelines.

Importance to the DBJ Group’s Business: We conducted quantitative evaluations of the importance of the issues to the DBJ Group’s business in the context of different capital resources.

*SASB: Sustainability Accounting Standards Board

We grouped the 13 social issues under three main issues—Decarbonization, New business creation, and Population decline, and a common theme comprising financial markets and risk capital.

STEP3

Priority Areas, Main Issues, and Common Theme

We are adding foundational initiatives to support our activities in the three priority areas over the long term and to address the four main themes discovered in our dialogues with stakeholders.

3つの重点領域「インフラ、産業、地域」と4つの課題テーマ「脱炭素、新事業創出、人口減少、金融市場リスクマネー」の掛け合わせに、「基盤面：金融フロンティアに挑戦する人材育成、リスクマネー供給に向けた経営基盤強化」を足し合わせる構成図。