Slide 7
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Progress Report 2025 07
Introduction Our Vision Our Approach Progress
Behind the Formulation of the Sustainability Vision
Sumika Tabara
Executive Officer,
Chief Sustainability Officer (CSuO) ɹ
Why is a Sustainability Vision Needed Now ?
Bioworks was founded with the strong conviction of its current
Chairman, Imai, who aspired to create a business that
contributes to environmental improvement. Since the period
of rapid economic growth, plastic has continued to see
increasing demand due to its convenience, but this growth
has also led to a proportional rise in environmental impact.
This situation prompted a fundamental question: "Is this really
acceptable?" This question is the very foundation of Bioworks.
At the time of Bioworks’ founding in 2015, sustainability was
still a relatively novel concept and was often perceived as an
extension of CSR activities. However, in the same year, the
adoption of the SDGs at the UN Summit accelerated a
paradigm shift. Today, many companies have pivoted toward
sustainable business practices. Yet, the term "sustainability"
is broad and open to interpretation, sometimes leading to
vague understandings such as "activities that are somehow
good for the planet." In this context, we felt the need to clarify
our corporate stance on what kind of sustainable world we
aim to achieve through our business.
The fashion industry, where Bioworks operates, faces numerous
complex social and environmental issues largely rooted in its
intricate industrial structure. Attempting to solve a single problem
may inadvertently lead to negative impacts on other areas,
making it difficult to address issues in isolation. Furthermore,
fashion has a rich history and culture that shapes human
expression and well-being. If we focus solely on restructuring the
industry, we risk overlooking the cultural aspects of creativity and
self-expression. Given these circumstances, advancing the
sustainability of the fashion industry requires the understanding,
empathy, and cooperation of a broad range of stakeholders. To
foster this shared commitment, we recognized the necessity of
articulating a clear vision that communicates the future we aim to
create. This realization was the driving force behind launching the
"Sustainability Vision Project" as my first initiative after assuming
the role of CSuO.
How Was the Vision Developed ?
To kick off the project, we brought together the executive team
and managers for a series of discussions. Using case studies
from various fashion-related companies, we asked the
fundamental question, "Is this truly sustainable?" This exercise
underscored the challenge of defining sustainability uniformly
and allowed us to share and understand our diverse perspectives.
Next, we examined the root causes behind the expansion of social
and environmental issues. By tracing the history of the textile
industry back to the first and second industrial revolutions, we
explored how mass production and mass disposal evolved under
capitalism and how they have led to the challenges we face today.
As a result, we identified the best-case and worst-case future
scenarios for the fashion industry. We then analyzed the obstacles
along the way, assessed whether our strengths could help
overcome these challenges, and engaged in extensive discussions.
Through this process, we carefully crafted the language to
articulate our vision. Finally, we shared the draft with all
employees, incorporated their feedback, and formally established
it as the Sustainability Vision Statement.
Since its inception, Bioworks has brought together employees
from diverse backgrounds: researchers who have dedicated years
to studying polylactic acid (PLA), individuals from the apparel
industry who joined out of concern for the industry's environmental
impact, and professionals from entirely different fields drawn to
PlaX’ s potential. This diversity in perspectives enriched our
discussions, allowing us to approach "sustainability" from multiple
angles. Moving forward, our focus shifts to implementing this vision.
Achieving such an ambitious goal is beyond the capability of
a single company alone. Instead, we seek to realize this vision
through co-creation with our stakeholders.