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Corporate Citizenship Activities
Governance
Corporate Citizenship Activity Framework
NEC’s corporate citizenship activities are conducted under the following three main implementation frameworks:
- Social contribution programs planned and executed under the initiative of the Corporate Promotion Group of the NEC Corporate Communications Department and the department in charge of promoting corporate citizenship activities of each NEC Group company;
- Activities for contributing to local communities participated in by NEC Group employees around the world; and
- Various grants from foundations
Strategy
Policy on Corporate Citizenship Activities
As stated in our Purpose, NEC has committed itself to creation of the social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential.
Guided by this concept, each member of NEC, from directors to employees, acts as a good corporate citizen by carrying out NEC Make-a-Difference Drive corporate citizenship activities aimed at resolving social issues over the medium to long term.
Through these activities, we work with local communities, NPOs and NGOs, local governments and universities, among other entities, to promote “Life,” “Society,” and the “Environment,” the three layers of our vision for an ideal society, laid out in the NEC 2030VISION. NEC recognizes that local communities are responsible for, or otherwise play a leading role in, solving social issues, and that sustainable local communities enable business activities to be carried out in those areas. As members of communities, we want to proactively support them in achieving the necessary solutions.
This thinking is also connected to “coexistence with local communities” in the NEC Group Code of Conduct. In addition, NEC has positioned the NEC Make-a-Difference Drive as one of the foundations of its efforts to promote diverse human resource development, which is one of the Company’s priority management themes from an ESG perspective—materiality. Through the NEC Make-a-Difference Drive, officers and employees engage in dialogue and co-creation with various stakeholders, such as local communities and the social sector. This provides them with occasions and opportunities to experience social issues that merit NEC’s attention as a Social Value Innovator.
We believe that through these occasions and opportunities, employees acquire a mindset for volunteerism and co-creation, enabling them as highly socially literate personnel to sensitively grasp the true nature of issues facing customers and society so that they can play a leading role in creating businesses inspired by social issues. The social contribution programs and collaborating NPOs under the NEC Make-a-Difference Drive are selected based on the following policies and guidelines.
Furthermore, we have established an evaluation system for social contribution programs, and we regularly confirm their social impact and promote program improvements and revisions.
Risk Management (Including Opportunity Generation)
Disaster and Recovery Support
The NEC Group donated 5 million yen and 15 million yen, respectively, to support victims and areas affected by the wildfires on the island of Maui in Hawaii, U.S.A and the earthquake on the Noto Peninsula in Japan. In addition, NEC Group companies around the world solicited employee donations to organizations such as the Red Cross and Japan Platform via online donations and cafeteria points.
In addition, we have entered into a comprehensive partnership agreement with Fukushima Prefecture, which is striving to recover and revitalize following the disasters caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake and the accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, with the aim of promoting digital transformation (DX) and local products.
This agreement enables us to quickly and accurately address various issues in the region, promote digital transformation, promote local products, dispel rumors, and keep the disasters and their aftermath relevant.
NEC Social Entrepreneurship School
In fiscal 2003, we began the NEC Social Entrepreneurship School, a project for nurturing young social entrepreneurs that we launched in cooperation with the NPO ETIC. As of fiscal 2024, 72 groups have graduated from the school.
The project has been called a gateway for the success of social innovators because of the large number of celebrated young social innovators that it has produced.
In fiscal 2024, we supported mairu tech Inc., which operates a service called “mairu” that allows users that want to book a welfare taxi or private ambulance to find one quickly, and Omohibito Co., Ltd., which operates the Silvernia theme park for seniors.
Furthermore, fiscal 2004 graduates of the NEC Social Entrepreneurship School have been working in an NEC internal cross-organizational team with Florence, a certified NPO that works to solve social issues and create value in the areas of children and child-rearing. They are discussing the creation of new businesses involving children and child-rearing, such as digital monitoring.
We will continue to hold discussions with NEC Social Entrepreneurship School graduates and others to work together in creating problem-solving businesses.
NEC Pro Bono Initiative
In fiscal 2011, NEC introduced the NEC Pro Bono Initiative, a program that helps NPOs and social entrepreneurs address their target issues with assistance from the professional skills of NEC employees. In doing so, NEC became the first Japanese company to start pro bono activities. In fiscal 2024, we conducted joint activities with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Kawasaki City (Kanagawa Prefecture) and social entrepreneurs who have graduated from the NEC Social Entrepreneurship School as pro bono partners.
In 2024, NEC collaborated with Kawasaki City in a preliminary event leading up to the 100th anniversary of its becoming a municipality in 2024. A team of NEC employees from the NEC Pro Bono Club (a pro bono community made up of volunteer employees of the NEC Group) planned and ran the Kawasaki SDGs Partner Festival in collaboration with Kawasaki City and others. The purpose of this event was to raise awareness of the SDGs among citizens and other members of the local community by having Kawasaki SDGs Partner companies, organizations, educational institutions, and other entities hold various exhibits and performances on the theme of the SDGs.
Approximately 4,000 people attended during the two days of this event.
Furthermore, in our partnership with Kawasaki City, we have entered into a partnership agreement with the Kawasaki City Council of Social Welfare, a social welfare corporation, to realize a community-based society and achieve the SDGs. Under this agreement, we will engage in research and demonstration projects to create new resident services through digital transformation, starting from the issues and needs of the community identified through pro bono and other community co-creation activities.
In collaboration with social entrepreneurs, a team of employees from the NEC Pro Bono Club assisted BANSO-CO Inc., a Tokyo Medical and Dental University venture formed by a fiscal 2022 graduate of the NEC Social Entrepreneurship School that engages in online mental healthcare projects, in developing a business plan to raise funds.
This activity supported the business collaboration between BANSO-CO Inc. and NEC, which began in June 2022, and the healthcare service NEC Body Care, a demonstration project by NEC.
NEC Future Creation Program
In line with the revision of high school curriculum guidelines from fiscal 2023, NEC has developed the NEC Future Creation Program in collaboration with the educational consulting company Careerlink Co., Ltd. This education program, aimed at high school students, draws upon the SDGs as themes to learn about creating an ideal future.
It has been implemented at three high schools in Kanagawa and Fukushima prefectures, with a total of 70 students and 47 NEC Corporation employees participating online.
In particular, the classes at program participant Fukushima Prefectural Shirakawa High School were the first to be held under the comprehensive partnership agreement concluded with Fukushima Prefecture, and high school students came up with their own ideas on the theme of town reconstruction planning. Employees also helped these students refine their ideas through dialogue.
All of the survey respondents indicated they had deepened their understanding of the SDGs, and about 90% said that their interest in social issues had increased.
One respondent also commented, “I think my time with the program was very meaningful. Now that more than 10 years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, I feel that it will continue to be important to constantly seek out new approaches.”
At the same time, employee participants also learned from the program: “The greatest value of the program came from enabling actual insights into the current sensibilities of high school students who will lead the next generation, looking at society from a broader perspective, and seeing NEC from a different angle than usual.”
Promoting Employees’ Volunteer Activities
- Under the cafeteria-style benefits and welfare system, “Will be,” provided two options for using points: “support volunteer activity expenses” and “donate to volunteer groups and areas affected by disasters.” These options enable employees to allocate their points to transport expenses for volunteer activities or donations for the Red Cross, UNICEF and other organizations
- Through the NEC Volunteer Support Service (a database of employee volunteers), introduced a range of volunteering opportunities, including online. Promoted casual and proactive volunteering activities by employees
- In December and January of each year, the NEC Group promotes collection activities for seven items, including Bellmark symbols from sponsored products, used books and used postcards, as a familiar activity that is easy for employees to participate in. Collected items are used to support people in disaster affected areas and developing countries through NPOs and other organizations.
Initiatives in Local Communities Worldwide
Through its corporate citizenship activities, NEC works on initiatives to promote inclusion and diversity worldwide and within local communities, and on community support activities to help solve local issues.
Initiatives in Japan
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e-Net Caravan
- NEC has implemented e-Net Caravan, which offers awareness-raising activities and guidance for elementary school students (third and fourth grade) through to high school students, as well as for guardians and educational professionals, to teach them how to use the internet safely and securely. This initiative is meant to address the rights of children set out in the Children’s Rights and Business Principles developed by Save the Children (NGO), the UN Global Compact, and UNICEF.
- Nationwide, 333 of our employees currently participate in this initiative as certified instructors.
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Para-sports promotion activities
To help promote and develop para-sports, we cooperate with various regional stakeholders to collaborate on planning and holding prefectural para-sport competitions and Para University Festivals, as well as supporting Boccia activities.
In particular, Okayama Prefecture has created a model for prefectural para-sport competitions, which can be planned and managed independently by local communities. We aim to expand this model to other regions.
Global initiatives
Wheelchair tennis
Since 1991, NEC has supported wheelchair tennis tournaments held by the International Tennis Federation, spanning a period of over 30 years, and employees have supported operation of the tournaments.
NEC Corporation India’s initiatives
NEC Corporation India Private Limited conducts support activities for children in rural areas, elderly people with financial difficulties, and women who have lost their husbands. In 2021, NEC Corporation India received the India CSR Leadership Award in recognition of a series of related humanitarian initiatives.
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“Gift the Warmth Drive”
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Radhakund Ashram
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Collaboration with NGO Krish
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Education for underprivileged children
NEC Corporation of America’s initiatives
We work with elementary schools and non-profit organizations in Texas to provide educational support for students and life support for the homeless.
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Collaboration with NPO Catch Up & Read
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Collaboration with the Young Women’s Preparatory Network
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Collaboration with Haven for Hope
Initiatives at NEC Platforms Thai Co., Ltd.
We are engaged in Kathin activities to protect Thai culture and Buddhism.
Details of each activity follow below.
Indicators and Goals
Medium- to Long-term Targets, Priority Activities and Progress, Achievements, and Issues
Medium- to Long-term Targets and Priority Activities
(Scope: NEC Corporation unless otherwise specified) Period: April 2021 to March 2026
M: Indicates the main non-financial targets related to materiality.
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Expand range of corporate citizenship (Aim for 10,000 new registrants with the NEC Volunteer Support Service database by FY2026)
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Utilize corporate citizenship as a launching point for social value creation
FY2024 Goals, Progress, Achievements and Issues, and FY2025 Goals
FY2024 Goals
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Expand range of corporate citizenship
- Increase the number of new employees registered for the NEC Volunteer Support Service (a database of employees with high social awareness) by 1,200 people per year
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Utilize corporate citizenship as a launching point for new business creation, support business activities and forge relationships with local communities (reach comprehensive cooperation agreements, etc.)
Progress, Achievements and Issues
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Expand range of corporate citizenship
- NEC has created various opportunities, mainly online, for all employees in Japan to easily and proactively participate. As a result, the number of newly registered employees for the NEC Volunteer Support Service increased sharply, by 1,338 people in a year Total number of newly registered employees: 8,721
- Increase in number of employee participants (Participants increased by 3,480 from the previous fiscal year to 13,000)
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Utilize corporate citizenship as a launching point for social value creation
- Entered into a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Fukushima Prefecture to promote digital transformation (DX) and local products.
- Entered into a partnership with Kawasaki City Council of Social Welfare, a social welfare corporation, to help achieve a community-based society and the SDGs
FY2025 Goals
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Expand range of corporate citizenship
- Increase the number of new employees registered for the NEC Volunteer Support Service by 1,200 people per year
- Increase the number of employee participants (compared to the previous fiscal year)
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Utilize corporate citizenship as a launching point for new business creation, support business activities and forge relationships with local communities (reach comprehensive cooperation agreements, etc.)
Corporate Citizenship Indicators and Goals
Social Contribution Activity Expenses
In fiscal 2024, total corporate citizenship activity expenses for the NEC Group were approximately 828 million yen.
We promoted activities in a variety of fields, including “Academia, Research, and Education” and “Arts, Culture, and Sports.”
Corporate citizenship activity expenses included the following:
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financial assistance,
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charitable donations of products quoted on a unit price basis, and
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public use of NEC facilities (converted into monetary amounts based on the unit price of using equivalent external facilities to quantify the cost of using NEC facilities for socially beneficial purposes).