Kawasaki/Tokyo, Japan – On July 3, 2013, around 30 stakeholders, including professors, government and municipal officials, and members of the automotive industry, met with Daimler representatives on the occasion of the Sustainability Dialogue held for the first time in Japan for an exchange of experience on current issues related to sustainable mobility and diversity management.

Open discussions with the stakeholders, along with the issues and outcomes reported from the working groups, provide Daimler with action-oriented insights for improving its sustainability performance into the future. The Sustainability Dialogue was held for the 6th time since 2008 on an annual basis.

The importance of this event for the Group was made clear by Dr. Albert Kirchmann, Chief Representative of the Daimler Group in Japan and President & CEO of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus Corporation (MFTBC), in his opening address:

“Sustainability of our products and our corporate activities is our fundamental challenge which we all must feel obliged to take necessary actions for. The Dialog is designed not only as a platform for us to present our Daimler operations and its future prospects, but more importantly enables us to receive valuable learning and guidance from the experts in terms of our working direction into the future.”

Also participating in the event, Mrs. Ursula Schwarzenbart, Daimler AG Director of Global Diversity Office and Performance & Potential Management, explained:

“Under our task of diversity management, we must consider various aspects in terms of the demographic changes taking place, such as the aging population and varying expectations from diverse generations. In other words, we must change our perspective and must be willing to respect and value the diverse opinions and lifestyles.”

At the Daimler Sustainability Dialogue in Japan 2013, the participants focused on 2 specific sustainability related areas, mobility and diversity management.

The working group discussed what specific actions the automotive industry can take to ensure mobility to coexist with the society in the future and agreed that there are 3 key important measures:

With more valuable input received through the intensive discussion, Daimler has once again reaffirmed its commitment to diversity management with focus on gender diversity, generation management, and internationality/business culture.

Following were the key discussion points:

Mr. Kintaro Ueno, President & CEO of Mercedes-Benz Japan Co., Ltd., expressed his great satisfaction with the outcome of the Sustainability Dialogue:

“We had open and constructive discussions through this half-day event. This confirms and reinforces our commitment to becoming a sustainable company especially in the areas of mobility and diversity management. Today’s valuable open dialogue with our stakeholders enabled us to critically assess our activities into the future. Daimler in Japan is committed to the sustainability of all our corporate activities and greatly wishes for a sustained implementation of this open Dialog.”

Daimler has a broad presence in Japan, employing more than 13,000 employees and operating facilities across the archipelago, from Hokkaido to Okinawa. Under the brands of Mercedes-Benz, smart, Mitsubishi Fuso, Mercedes-Benz Finance, and Daimler Financial Service, Daimler brings the latest innovations and continued commitment of excellence to our customers, employees, and communities.