Better Health for All

Sony Group has several initiatives focused on mental health, including the 'B-side Project' launched in September 2021 by Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) to support artists, creators, and staff with counseling, medical consultations, and mental health checks.

Additionally, SMN Corporation (a Sony Group member) implemented the 'KarteCo Workwell' PHR system in January 2025 for employees to monitor stress and fatigue. Sony also partners with UNICEF, committing $6 million over three years to support youth mental health programs and is a member of the Global Coalition for Youth Mental Health. These efforts demonstrate a significant commitment to mental health, leading to a score of 30 for mental_health_initiatives. Sony's partnership with UNICEF, which works across 190 countries and territories to reach disadvantaged children, and its focus on accessibility for people with disabilities, indicate efforts to reach vulnerable populations. However, the articles do not provide a specific percentage of vulnerable populations reached, resulting in a neutral score for vulnerable_reach. Sony's initial support for UNICEF through the 'Sony Global Relief Fund for COVID-19' in April 2020 and its collaboration with MICIN for telemedicine during the pandemic indicate a structured crisis response, but without specific revenue percentages, it maps to a neutral score for global_health_crisis_response. The company's R&D Center is working on biomedical technology, and the Sony Innovation Fund invests in digital health startups, but the articles do not provide a percentage of R&D budget allocated to health improvement, resulting in a neutral score for health_innovation_investment. Similarly, while Sony supports digital learning and trains schoolteachers through its UNICEF partnership, the lack of specific expenditure percentages for health education results in a neutral score. The 'KarteCo Workwell' system and 'B-side Project' include mental health checks and self-care workshops, which are preventative measures. However, the article does not provide a percentage of health-related expenditure, leading to a neutral score for preventative_health_measures. The articles mention the collection of health data for 'KarteCo Workwell' and 'curon' but lack details on privacy protocols or security measures, resulting in a neutral score for healthcare_data_responsibility.

Fair Pay & Worker Respect

No specific, concrete data points were provided in the articles that apply to the entire Sony Group Corporation for any of the KPIs under Fair Pay & Worker Respect. The data available pertains to Sony Financial Group Inc., a subsidiary from which Sony Group Corporation plans to distribute over 80% of its shares, or to Sony Pictures Animation, Inc., another subsidiary.

This subsidiary-specific data cannot be extrapolated to the whole company without explicit statements of company-wide scope.

Honest & Fair Business

The provided article indicates that Sony issues a Corporate Report and a Sustainability Report 2025, referencing GRI Standards and Japan’s Ministry of the Environment's Environmental Reporting Guidelines.

It also states that environmental data undergoes third-party verification and lists several internal policies, including the Sony Group Code of Conduct and Human Rights Policy. However, the articles do not contain specific quantitative data required to assess any of the KPIs in the Honest & Fair Business rubric, such as regulatory fine amounts, transparency index scores, details on whistleblower policy effectiveness, financial restatement numbers, audit coverage percentages, ESG controversy scores, complaint resolution times, board conflict-free percentages, or specific percentages for third-party verification of ethical claims.

Kind to Animals

Sony's partnership with Conservation International since 1995 has resulted in the filming and protection of nearly a dozen habitats across multiple continents and thousands of species.

At its Kohda site, owls now inhabit the forest due to management efforts. The UK Technology Centre maintains nine honeybee colonies, totaling approximately 120,000 honeybees, and employees built 165 bird and insect boxes. Additionally, Sony has established five Synecoculture farms, totaling over 6,000 m2, since fiscal year 2020, with one farm cultivating more than 100 plant species to increase biodiversity. The company also supports organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and the Wildlife Conservation Society.

No War, No Weapons

Sony Group Corporation was recognized as one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by the Ethisphere Institute for the sixth consecutive year in 2024.

The company has established AI Ethics Guidelines in September 2018 and an AI Ethics Committee in December 2019. Its Code of Conduct was revised on April 1, 2024, to include a section titled "Use Technology Responsibly." The company's sustainability initiatives include a "Road to Zero" environmental plan and net-zero GHG emissions targets by 2040. While the company supports UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in principle, its implementation is uneven across divisions.

Planet-Friendly Business

No information regarding Sony's planet-friendly business practices could be found in the provided articles, as all articles returned 'Page not found' or similar errors.

Therefore, no KPIs can be scored.

Respect for Cultures & Communities

Sony has faced multiple cultural appropriation incidents. In 2017, the game 'Horizon: Zero Dawn' was criticized for stereotypical language, and 'Horizon: Forbidden West' drew concerns from Indigenous gamers regarding character portrayals.

Additionally, in 2018, Sony was criticized for featuring a white American musician in traditional Japanese clothing for a Japanese game at E3. In response to the 'Horizon: Forbidden West' concerns, Guerrilla Games issued a statement that did not address the involvement of Indigenous developers or cultural consultants, indicating a reactive response after public pressure. Sony Group established a $100 million Global Social Justice Fund in 2020, with Sony Interactive Entertainment committing over $11 million to advance race equity. Sony Interactive Entertainment is also contributing $3 million to the USC Games Gerald A. Lawson Fund. The Sony Foundation Australia's 2023 Impact Report shows it donated over $1,629,000 to capital building projects and youth services, and funded workshops including Aboriginal dance as part of a Bushfire Regeneration Tour. A former Sony CEO indicated a lack of investment in preserving older game catalogs, suggesting low cultural preservation investment.

Safe & Smart Tech

A ransomware group, Ransomed.vc, claimed to have stolen approximately 6,000 files from Sony and offered them for sale, threatening to report Sony to Data Protection Authorities.

Sony established AI Ethics Guidelines in 2018, an AI Ethics Committee in 2019, and an AI Governance Office in 2021. A Global AI Governance Policy was established in 2025, with internal guidelines for generative AI in 2023-2024. Alice Xiang, Global Head of AI Ethics, oversees governance across all business units, and the AI Ethics Research Flagship, launched in 2021, focuses on bias mitigation. Sony provides regular cybersecurity training to employees and extensively trains moderation teams, but specific coverage or effectiveness metrics are not available. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) offers features like blocking, muting, and reporting other players, along with family management features, and enabled a "block by default" function in early 2024. Following a 2014 data breach, Sony implemented advanced threat detection systems and regular cybersecurity audits. However, no specific metrics on vulnerability patching timeframes or security testing coverage are provided. Sony does not have a formal vulnerability disclosure program, and communication with researchers is poor, with slow responses (30+ days). The company does not explicitly mention integrating privacy principles throughout product development, but the SIE report highlights proactive safety measures. The ransomware group Ransomed.vc threatened to report Sony to Data Protection Authorities, indicating potential regulatory compliance issues.

Zero Waste & Sustainable Products

Sony's packaging for WF-1000XM4 headphones is 100% recyclable.

PS5 console packaging in 2020 was 93-99% fibre-based by weight. The company's SORPLAS™ flame-retardant recycled plastic achieves up to 99% recycled content. Sony has reduced plastic content in disc trays by approximately 97% compared to existing plastic trays, and plastic used in TV packaging was cut by approximately 48% for FY22 and FY23 models compared to FY18. Sony offers a free Take Back Recycling Program for unwanted products, but the coverage percentage is not specified. The company uses Original Blended Material (bamboo, sugarcane, recycled paper) in packaging and products, and SORPLAS™ is noted for its durability and heat resistance, and can be recycled multiple times. The Sony Xperia Pro I smartphone has a repairability score of 4.5/10. Sony's 'Green Management 2025' targets include completely eliminating plastic packaging for newly-designed small products and aiming for a non-circular plastic use rate of 30% or less per product weight. The company encourages raw materials and parts suppliers to monitor and reduce GHG emissions. Sony also shares the origins of its Original Blended Material to engage customers on environmental initiatives.