During 2017, Bridgestone Latin America North (BS-LAN) conducted a materiality study, with the following objectives:

• To identify stakeholder perceptions about the company’s sustainable performance, in alignment with Our Way to Serve, the three Priority Areas and the six Management Fundamentals.

• To prioritize stakeholder needs and/or expectations through an indirect dialogue conducted through a survey, in order to establish the issues comprising the company’s social responsibility strategy reported herein.

The materiality study was conducted in compliance with GRI Guidelines and INTE G: 35 Standard of the Technical Standards Institute of Costa Rica (INTECO), which is unique to that country. The materiality study initially focused on an approach involving a range of internal and external stakeholders, in an effort to identify their expectations and perceptions regarding sustainability at Bridgestone. Thus, the process served to identify issues that are relevant to ensure the continued development of the company’s regional sustainability plan, seeking to connect the Priority Areas with the stakeholders’ interests and with the company’s business objectives.

According to the stakeholders consulted, it was concluded that in Costa Rica there is a positive perception of the company´s sustainability above 91% average.

The charts show the percentage of positive, negative, and neutral perception stated by the stakeholders regarding the performance of each Bridgestone’s Priority Area and Management Fundamentals, as well as the issue they considered most relevant in each of them.

In Costa Rica, the most important impacts for the organization were defined in order to build an action plan consistent with each of them. The impacts were evaluated according to the G:35 Standard Methodology for Corporate Social Responsibility certified by INTECO considering their potential effect in different dimensions affecting the company and stakeholders alike. Bridgestone also conducted a benchmark (comparative analysis) on the sustainability of companies of a similar size and geographical location in Costa Rica. Moreover, an assessment of national and international media outlets was made to include relevant news regarding the status of sustainability and its most outstanding practices at a country level. The results are reflected in the following Materiality Chart: