Hitachi High Technologies : Selected Three Years in a Row for Inclusion in All ESG Investment Indices Adopted by GPIF

Selected Three Years in a Row for Inclusion in All ESG Investment Indices
Adopted by GPIF

Tokyo, Japan, July 12, 2019, Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (TSE:8036, Hitachi High-Tech) announced today that it has been selected for inclusion in all ESG investment indices adopted by Japan's Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF) for ESG investing^*1, namely, the FTSE Blossom Japan Index (run by the UK's FTSE Russell), the MSCI Japan ESG Select Leaders Index and the MSCI Japan Empowering Women Index (WIN) (both run by the USA's MSCI Inc.) and the S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index (run by the UK's S&P Dow Jones Indices and the Tokyo Stock Exchange), for three years in a row^*2.
Comprised of companies practicing excellent environmental, social and governance initiatives, these indices are used as criteria for important investment decisions by investors around the world who are conscious of corporate ESG initiatives.

Recently, assessing a company's 'social value', based on resolving social issues through business activities, has also come to be regarded as important rather than just assessing a company's value on 'economic value' such as business performance. Accordingly, Hitachi High-Tech is working towards strengthening management bases to support business activities focused on ESG, such as environmental management and diversity management, and in June 2018 identified important issues (Materiality) that should be addressed to resolve social issues. Hitachi High-Tech will continue to promote business activities and ESG initiatives based on identified Materiality and to enhance our 'economic value' and 'social value' with the aim of becoming a company chosen by customers around the world and that holds an important place in society.

We hope to contribute to the creation of an affluent society in accordance with our basic philosophy: 'Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation aims to be a successful enterprise trusted by all our stakeholders and contributing to social progress through business activities that emphasize value creation through high-tech solutions.'

*1 ESG investing: method used to incorporate a company's ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) initiatives, etc. into investment decisions*2'S&P/JPX Carbon Efficient Index' launched in 2018

Government Pension Investment Fund (GPIF)

The world's largest institutional investor, asset size approximately 150 trillion JPY (as of end of FY18). Selected ESG investment indices in 2017 and launched passive management linked to these indices to promote investment that takes into account ESG factors, in order to reduce the negative impact of environmental and social issues and improve long-term returns on the whole investment portfolio.