Message
from the President

GRI 2-22

Business innovation is precisely the source of continuity
Responding to global trends while thinking back on our predecessors

The significance of striving for our Long-Term Vision to become “the world leader in the non-ferrous metals industry”

The goal to become “the world leader in the non-ferrous metals industry” upheld in the Sumitomo Metal Mining Group’s Long-Term Vision is the approach we have shared both inside and outside the Company for the Group to continue to fulfill our social duty. We will do this by acquiring resources while cooperating globally with the major overseas non-ferrous metals companies¹, although competition to acquire resources is intensifying, and by contributing to the stable supply of non-ferrous metals and materials such as copper and nickel, which are essential to support social development and people’s lives. This approach will not change, even when the times and the environment change.

With business operations based on the Sumitomo Business Spirit, the Group has previously contributed actively to resolving social issues through our business thanks to several business innovations put forward by our predecessors, and we have overcome significant changes in the business environment many times.

• 1A general term for the Group of major companies developing the mining, smelting and refining, and sale of non-ferrous metals on a global scale

Condensing of material issues and revision of our Vision for 2030 in response to changes in the external environment

The Sumitomo Metal Mining Group clarified material issues (materialities) for becoming “the world leader in the non-ferrous metals industry” as stated in our Long-Term Vision in March 2020, and we have formulated our Vision for 2030 regarding each issue. The business environment has since changed drastically, with accelerated technological progress exemplified by digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), as well as other factors including rising global warming and geopolitical risks. In addition, the scope of social demand for sustainable corporate management, including a circular economy, carbon neutrality, nature positive, and human capital management, has expanded, and this management has become more difficult.

Based on these significant changes in the external environment, we revised our Vision for 2030 for the first time in five years, condensing the previous 11 material issues into six and reestablishing our KPIs so that the state of progress would be measurable in order to ensure implementation of the PDCA cycle. We disclosed this revision in March 2025.

The Sumitomo Metal Mining Group will strive to contribute to a sustainable society by leveraging our MONOZUKURI RYOKU (manufacturing and operational capability), which are our greatest strengths, to work on the six newly established material issues. I believe the initiatives will lead to enhancing the Group’s corporate value.

Leveraging our MONOZUKURI RYOKU (manufacturing and operational capability) to fulfill our responsibility to society

The Sumitomo Business Spirit includes the phrase “Jiri-rita Koushi-ichinyo” (Benefit self and benefit others; private and public interests are one and the same). In essence, they express the belief that Sumitomo’s business operations must bring benefit not only to the Company itself but also to the Japanese nation and, even more broadly, to the world as a whole. What these ideas convey has much in common with the “sustainable management” sought throughout society today. This sincere approach to business is also essential to become “the world leader in the non-ferrous metals industry,” as stated in our Group’s Long-Term Vision.

To respond to the significant recent changes in the external environment and link this to resolving social issues through our business, each of our employees must feel a sense of personal involvement in the six material issues and must change the state of everything from the organization and business to the production process, products, and customer support, and the methods of the work for which they are responsible, with a flexible way of thinking. Only after implementing this business innovation will we fulfill our social duty as the company that will stably supply non-ferrous metals and this will also lead to the implementation of the Sumitomo Business Spirit.

With the support and collaboration of our stakeholders based on this spirit, we will continue to fulfill our responsibility to society going forward.

Nobuhiro Matsumoto
President and Representative Director