We will aim to grow sustainably and support social development by responding flexibly to this tumultuous business environment and to accelerating changes and customer demands, based on our newly formulated MVVs and on the Materiality.
In the previous Medium-term Management Plan, we steadily grew our profit base in core areas base of Resources & Energy and strengthened non-resource areas, particularly Machinery & Infrastructure and Lifestyle. And we expanded business base with a focus on environment and health.
To strengthen our financial base, we further developed cash flow management, which played a big part in considering capital measures, including investment discipline and shareholder returns. Moreover, we strengthened governance by expanding diversity and improving effectiveness of the Board. We also strengthened global HR management and launched next-generation leadership program. In regard to innovation functions, we launched Moon Creative Lab. In addition, we strengthened digital infrastructure such as remote working capabilities.
In addition to Mitsui’s Goals, and based on ongoing challenges of the previous Medium-term Management Plan, we have formulated six corporate strategies to realize ‘Transform and Grow’.
In order to quickly recover a growth trajectory within an increasingly uncertain environment, Mitsui’s most important task is to improve the profitability of existing businesses by means of strengthening our business management capabilities.
We will work to improve business management expertise and to foster and deploy business management talent, while at the same time, prioritizing the allocation of management resources into businesses where profitability improvement can be realized.
We will introduce ROIC as an internal management indicator, strengthen budget control, and manage the company that is more conscious of the profitability of investment assets.
Capital excluding post FID investment, maintenance CAPEX and minimum dividends will be defined as “management allocation”. We will allocate capital strategically and flexibly to growth investment and additional shareholders return, after comprehensively considering investment opportunities and the business environment.
During the term of the new Medium-term Management Plan, we will set a dividend of minimum 80 yen per share and promote shareholder returns that reflect improvements in capital efficiency, while at the same time working to maintain and improve our financial base.
We will realize next-generation work style that also considers post COVID-19. In addition, we will deploy diverse professional talent to the right positions on a global group basis and foster business management talent.
We will require a strong commitment from employees and organizations to meet individual targets, and accelerate the new working style utilizing DX. We will also use the move to the new Head Office to transform employee mindsets and behavior patterns.
By implementing global talent management, we will allocate diverse professionals into appropriate positions to realize stronger business management capabilities and sustained competitiveness.
Based on initiatives taken to date, we will continue to focus on business areas where a multifaceted approach to value creation using existing business as platforms, can be leveraged. In the previous Medium-term Management Plan, the strategy has progressed steadily and new platforms are emerging, focused on the areas of environment and health. We believe trends in digitalization and decarbonization will accelerate as a result of the spread of COVID-19 and we will pursue growth by identifying opportunities from changes in the environment.
Specifically, our focus will be Energy Solutions, Healthcare / Nutrition, and Market Asia.
In our previous Medium-term Management Plan, we identified Resources & Energy, Machinery & Infrastructure and Chemicals as core businesses. We will continue to pursue steady growth in these areas by strengthening our competitiveness, optimizing our portfolio through business recycling, and making bolt-on acquisitions.
As for new business, we will be conscious of evolving from being a networker to being a creator. We will utilize our Moon Creative Lab, where we are bringing together multiple capabilities to accelerate our ability to shape new business models.
And amid the spread of COVID-19, the importance of DX has become even more apparent, and we will be accelerating both defense and offence in this area.
We have identified three core issues to engage with during the term of our new plan, based on their impact on our business and the increasing expectations of society. The three issues are Climate change, the Circular economy, and Business and human rights.
With respect to climate change in particular, we have clarified our position and decided on a guiding policy.
We formulate Mitsui’s goal to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, and to achieve this, we aim to reduce GHG impact by 2030 to half of what it is in 2020. In addition, we conducted a risk evaluation of existing businesses and introduced an internal carbon pricing system for new investment decisions.
* Assumes only reduction contribution attributable to the company in the future
Our outlook is that, in the short-term, a fall in profit is unavoidable due to the spread of COVID-19. However, we will steadily implement the strategies in the new Medium-term Management Plan, and aim to quickly return to a growth trajectory.
The figures here are quantitative guidance for targets for the fiscal year ending March 2023, the final year of our new Medium-term Management Plan. They are core operating cash flow of 550 billion yen, profit for the year of 400 billion yen and ROE of 10 percent. Also, under our new Medium-term Management Plan, in addition to the above 3 KPIs, we will be more conscious of per share profitability indicators with the aim of improving shareholder value.
Anticipated scenario is for the curtailment of global economic activity in response to the spread of COVID-19 to continue into the first half of FY Mar/2021 and recover thereafter.
* Core operating cash flow for FY3/20 has been revised to deduct payment of lease liabilities
* Core operating cash flow for FY3/20 has been revised to deduct payment of lease liabilities
