Kirin Holdings Awarded Grand Prize at the 7th Nikkei SDGs Management Awards

TOKYO, December 11, 2025 -Kirin Holdings Company, Limited (Kirin Holdings) has been awarded the Grand Prize at the 7th Nikkei SDGs Management Awards. In the overall "SDGs Management" ranking, Kirin Holdings has maintained the highest rating of "★★★★★" (deviation score of 70 or higher) for seven consecutive years since the inaugural awards in 2019.

The “Nikkei SDGs Management Survey,” conducted by Nikkei Inc. since 2019, evaluates corporate initiatives toward the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This year's evaluation was conducted across four areas: SDGs Strategy and Economic Value, Social Value, Environmental Value, and Governance. This is our third time receiving an award in this survey, following the "Environmental Value Award" in 2020, during the second survey, and the "SDGs Strategy and Economic Value Award" in 2022.

Since our founding in 1907, Kirin Holdings has developed with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies. The company has expanded its business from alcoholic beverages and soft drinks into pharmaceuticals and is now focusing on growing its Health Science business. Inspired by its support for the recovery efforts following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, Kirin Holdings has positioned CSV＊1– creating shared value by leveraging its strengths to address societal challenges and grow together with society – as a core principle of its management.
Under our long-term management vision, "Kirin Group Vision 2027", we have set the goal of "creating value across the spectrum from food to medicine and becoming a world-leading CSV company". Specifically, we have aimed to contribute to the SDGs by tackling societal challenges in four key areas: "Responsibility as the Kirin Group operating in the alcoholic beverages business", "Health", "Community", and "Environment".
＊1 Abbreviation for Creating Shared Value. Creating value that can be shared with customers and society.

Kirin Group CSV Purpose

At the 7th Nikkei SDGs Management Awards Ceremony

Regarding contributions to "Community," Kirin has been supporting the acquisition of Rainforest Alliance Certification＊2 for tea plantations in Sri Lanka since 2013. This certification promotes environmentally responsible practices and improves working and living conditions for people on the plantations. Since Kirin’s tea brand Gogo-no-Kocha uses about 25% of all Sri Lankan tea leaves imported into Japan, tea leaves are an essential agricultural product for both Sri Lanka and Kirin. Safeguarding their sustainability is therefore critical to our business.
＊2 A certification awarded to plantations recognized as practicing more sustainable farming methods while protecting nature and producers.

Regarding environmental initiatives, Kirin was the first global food company to obtain SBT Net Zero＊3 certification in response to climate change. In the area of biological resources, we took a pioneering role in natural capital disclosure through the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)＊4. We are currently working with suppliers to implement the Supply Chain Environmental Programme＊5, which aims to reduce Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions. In beer production, we plan to utilize energy derived from green hydrogen, further enhancing our environmental contribution across all aspects of our business activities.
＊3 In 2015, we set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets consistent with the Paris Agreement (which aims to keep global temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C) and certified by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), established by the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute and WWF.4 Abbreviation for Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. A framework for risk management information disclosure that enables companies to report and take action on risks and opportunities related to natural capital.
＊4 Abbreviation for Task Force on Nature-related Financial Disclosures. A framework for risk management disclosure enabling companies to report and act on risks and opportunities related to natural capital.
＊5 Launch of the Kirin Supply Chain Environmental Programme | 2024 | KIRIN - Kirin Holdings Company, Limited

Furthermore, to address our customers' health challenges, we launched our Health Science business in 2019. Through our proprietary ingredient, Plasma Lactic Acid Bacteria, we support immune maintenance for many people. Our reach is expanding globally, not only in Japan but also in Southeast Asia, and the number of people regularly consuming Plasma Lactic Acid Bacteria has grown to 780,000 worldwide. Additionally, our reduced-salt support tableware, Electric Salt*6, developed to improve the taste experience of low-salt meals, has received highly positive feedback. Looking ahead, we aim to harness the combined power of people and technology to drive innovation across diverse businesses. This will enable us to tackle the global societal challenge of “health” and create new opportunities for growth.
※6 Electric Salt Official Website: Online Store

We believe this survey reflects recognition of these initiatives. Moving forward, we will continue to accelerate efforts across all our businesses to achieve our CSV purpose.

The Kirin Group fulfills its responsibility as a beverage company by addressing societal challenges in the areas of health, community, and the environment. Through these efforts, we aim to help create a society enriched with well-being and shared values, contributing to a happy future for our customers.

For Reference

・Kirin Group Environmental Vision 2050
・Kirin Group Environmental Report 2025

About Kirin Holdings

Kirin Holdings Company, Limited is an international company that operates in the Food & Beverages domain (Food & Beverages businesses), Pharmaceuticals domain (Pharmaceuticals businesses), and Health Science domain (Health Science business), both in Japan and across the globe.

Kirin Holdings can trace its roots to Japan Brewery which was established in 1885. Japan Brewery became Kirin Brewery in 1907. Since then, the company expanded its business with fermentation and biotechnology as its core technologies, and entered the pharmaceutical business in the 1980s, all of which continue to be global growth centers. In 2007, Kirin Holdings was established as a pure holding company and is currently focusing on boosting its Health Science domain.

Under the Kirin Group Vision 2027 (KV 2027), a long-term management plan launched in 2019, the Kirin Group aims to become “A global leader in CSV*, creating value across our world of Food & Beverages to Pharmaceuticals.” Going forward, the Kirin Group will continue to leverage its strengths to create both social and economic value through its businesses, with the aim of achieving sustainable growth in corporate value.
* Creating Shared Value. combined added value for consumers as well as for society at large