Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Otsuka) has entered into a cooperation agreement on heat illness prevention with the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency (ERCA), an independent administrative agency responsible for environmental policies under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Environment and others. The agreement was finalized on March 21 and marks the first time ERCA has entered into such a cooperation agreement with a private company.

In recent years, Japan has witnessed a rise in heat illness incidents due to increasing average temperatures^*1 resulting from global climate change. In response to this challenge, the government has amended certain parts of the Climate Change Adaptation Act and the Environmental Restoration and Conservation Agency Act^*2 (effective April 1, 2024) and formulated a Heat Illness Prevention Plan^*3. This legislation aims to enhance heat illness prevention measures, including issuing and raising public awareness of special cautionary alerts^*4, urging citizens to be vigilant during extremely hot periods when serious health risks from heat illnesses may occur. It also mandates the establishment of cooling shelters^*5 as heat refuge facilities during alert periods.

ERCA, an organization tasked with implementing heat illness prevention policies, will enhance heat illness prevention in accordance with the recent revision of the law. It will provide the necessary information regarding heat illness cautionary alerts or special cautionary alerts (referred to as heat illness cautionary alerts and others), collect exemplary practices from local communities, raise awareness, and conduct training sessions and workshops for local governments and other entities. With the signing of this cooperation agreement, Otsuka will leverage the expertise and knowledge gained from over 30 years of promoting heat illness prevention activities to collaborate and cooperate with ERCA, promoting heat illness prevention across Japan.

　　　1.　 Holding training sessions and workshops related to heat illness prevention.

　　　2.　 Leveraging networks with organizations, including local governments, to facilitate mutual cooperation.

　　　3.　Disseminating promotional activities to local governments and active regional organizations.

　　　4.　Engagement in ongoing dialogue for strengthening local initiatives for heat illness prevention.

ERCA was established in FY2004 as an administrative agency under the Ministry of the Environment and others. Its responsibilities include compensation for health damage due to pollution, support for activities related to environmental conservation carried out by private organizations, support for the smooth implementation of polychlorinated biphenyl waste disposal, management of maintenance and management reserve funds, relief for health damage caused by asbestos, utilizing the capabilities of research institutions, and undertaking tasks related to research and technological development for environmental conservation. Starting from FY2024, ERCA began full-fledged efforts in heat illness prevention tasks to promote measures against heatwaves caused by significant temperature rises due to climate change.

Since 1992, Otsuka Pharmaceutical has collaborated with various organizations to promote heat illness prevention in multiple settings, including sports, schools, and workplaces in hot environments, targeting individuals from children to older persons.

In recent years, we have signed cooperation agreements with all 47 prefectures in Japan as well as municipalities, conducting health promotion activities tailored to each region's challenges. Additionally, in July 2023, we signed a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of the Environment to reduce heat illness incidents, marking the first such collaboration, and continue promoting heat illness prevention initiatives nationwide.

The Otsuka group is progressing with energy-efficient initiatives as part of its commitment to the environment and goal to achieve carbon neutrality, which was identified as a key material issue. Since 2021, Otsuka has been actively introducing solar power generation systems at Japanese factories. Currently, such systems are operational at four factories^*6. Alongside implementing CO₂-free electricity across all eight manufacturing facilities^*7 in Japan and adopting Green Power Certificates^*8 for all offices, the Otsuka group updated Otsuka Chemical's cogeneration system^*9 in January of this year. The new system optimizes the supply of electricity and steam to Otsuka group factories, further reducing CO₂ emissions.

Based on the corporate philosophy of "Otsuka-people creating new products for better health worldwide," Otsuka Pharmaceutical continues to contribute to the health and well-being of people around the world.