Ajinomoto Co Inc

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Direct Lobbying Transparency

Overall Assessment	Comment	Score
Comprehensive	Ajinomoto Co Inc provides a comprehensive and detailed account of its climate-related lobbying activities, demonstrating transparency across policy engagement, mechanisms, and objectives. The company clearly identifies the specific policy instruments it has influenced, including Japan’s 2016 pilot energy efficiency regulation under METI, the national “Strategy for Sustainable Food Systems,” and “MeaDRI (Measures for achievement of Decarbonization and Resilience with Innovation).” It describes multiple lobbying methods and targets, such as inputting data to an environmental information foundation for the Ministry of the Environment — “Environmental information was input to an environmental information elucidation foundation of the pilot edition the Ministry of the Environment offers” — directly proposing ideas to METI — “Ajinomoto had proposed some idea to METI at 2016” — and participating in stakeholder meetings organized by MAFF. The company also articulates precise outcomes, setting goals like “Zero CO2 emission from fossil fuel combustion in agriculture, forestry and fisheries,” a “50% reduction in risk-weighted use of chemical pesticides,” a “30% reduction in chemical fertilizer use,” and increasing organic farming to 1 Mha with targets set for 2030 and 2050. These disclosures reflect a thorough and comprehensive transparency around its climate policy lobbying efforts.	4

Lobbying Governance

Overall Assessment	Comment	Score
Limited	Ajinomoto Co. Inc. states that it has "a public commitment or position statement to conduct your engagement activities in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement … Yes," which indicates an intention to align its policy advocacy with international climate goals. However, the evidence describing its governance structures—such as the creation of the "Sustainability Advisory Council (SAC) as a subordinate body of the Board of Directors" and the "Sustainability Committee as a subordinate body of the Executive Committee"—focuses on broad sustainability materiality, risk and opportunity assessment, and strategic direction, without specifying any mechanisms for reviewing or managing direct or indirect lobbying activities. There is no disclosure of procedures to monitor or audit lobbying alignment, no reference to how trade-association positions are assessed, and no identification of an individual or committee explicitly charged with overseeing lobbying conduct. Consequently, while the public commitment suggests awareness of the need for climate-aligned engagement, the company does not disclose the processes, oversight, or accountability measures that would demonstrate a structured lobbying-governance framework.	1