Material Procurement
1. Basic procurement policy
The SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group supports the foundations of LIFE and creates "peace of mind for the future" in line with its vision statement "Innovation for the Earth", which aims to realize a sustainable society. In order to realize a sustainable society through innovation and creativity with a focus on ESG management, the SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group will build its supply chain and conduct procurement activities based on the following purchasing policy.
| Open | For purchasing transactions, we open our doors to a wide range of national and international companies in order to receive better proposals. |
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| Fairness and impartiality | In the selection of our business partners, we respect the rights of our business partners and treat them with common sense and integrity. We also require that our business partners work together with us to achieve a sustainable society, and we will do so in a fair and equitable manner, with sound business conditions and with consideration based on quality, price, delivery time, and service. |
| Compliance with laws, regulations, and social norms | When conducting purchasing transactions, the company complies with national and international laws and regulations. We equally comply not only with laws and regulations, but also with social norms as a discipline that must be observed in social life. |
| Mutual trust | We recognize that all our business partners are partners in the conduct of our business, and we build relationships of trust by exchanging corporate and other necessary information in a fair, timely, and appropriate manner, and deepening mutual understanding. We also aim to build genuine partnerships to achieve a sustainable society. |
| Contribution to global environmental conservation | When conducting purchasing transactions, the company contributes to the prevention of global warming, the conservation of biodiversity, and the building of a circular economy, and the company requires that our business partners also contribute to global environmental conservation. |
| Prevention of corruption | When conducting purchasing transactions, the company works across the supply chain to ensure that all forms of corruption, including bribery, suspected bribery, and money laundering, do not take place. |
| Responsibility for respecting human rights | When conducting purchasing transactions, the company works with our business partners to ensure that we do not infringe on human rights, including child labor, forced labor, and discrimination, and that if any negative impact on human rights occurs, we will take the appropriate measures to correct the situation and fulfill our responsibility to respect human rights. |
2. Requests to business partners on sustainable procurement
In order to promote more socially and environmentally friendly procurement activities, the SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group has formulated the "Sustainable Procurement Guidelines (Supplier Code of Conduct)" for the Company and all business partners involved in the production of our products, which sets out standards to be observed based on its basic procurement policy. We ask our business partners to cooperate with us in aiming to understand and comply with the aims and content of this Code of Conduct, so that together we can work towards the realization of a sustainable society. The Code of Conduct applies to the entire SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group.
3. About sustainable timber procurement
In the course of our business activities, the company procures wood itself or wood-based raw materials and recognizes that this may have negative impacts with regard to human rights and the environment.
In addition, at COP26 in November 2021, leaders from over 100 countries, including Japan, signed a document committing to end deforestation by 2030.
In response to this, we have set a new target of "2030: Zero Deforestation" and revised our "Timber procurement policy" to achieve this goal. And in order to realise procurement in line with this policy, we have established new "Sustainable Timber Procurement Guidelines", and are working to further reduce the negative impact of deforestation on the human rights and environment of indigenous peoples, performing legal timber procurement to date as a matter of course.
Timber procurement policy
1) Environmental considerations for timber procurement
- Promote the procurement of timber from forests that are properly managed for sustainable use.
- Promote the procurement of timber that does not lead to natural forests being converted to other uses.
- Procure timber from forests other than those with high conservation value, such as biodiversity conservation.
- Procure timber from non-threatened tree species.
- Procure wood materials that contribute to resource circulation, such as recycled materials and unused thinned wood.
- Proactively employ suppliers that are implementing activities that lead to an increase in forests.
2) Social considerations for timber procurement
- Promote procurement in a manner that does not have a negative impact on local communities and respects local cultures, traditions, and economies in the sales channels, including logging and processing of timber products.
- Promote procurement that respects the rights of indigenous peoples.
- Promote procurement that respects the rights of all workers.
3) Governance initiatives
- Comply with all laws and regulations relating to forest procurement.
- Ensure traceability of timber and timber products, and promote clear place of origin and problem-free procurement of timber and timber products.
4. Responsible mineral procurement
At SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group, we recognize that the risks related to provision of funds from the mining of minerals to armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and surrounding countries, as well as Conflict Affected and High-Risk Areas (CAHRAs), human rights violations, including forced and child labor, environmental destruction, illegal mining, money laundering, and so on are pressing social issues.
Our Group is committed to responsible mineral procurement, and if a situation arises where there is a conflict between business pressure and this commitment, we will not give in to that pressure, and we demand that our suppliers also prioritize human rights with the aim of fulfilling our social responsibilities across our entire supply chain.
Proposals for New Materials and Technologies
SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group welcomes proposals for new technologies and materials.
Also, when submitting a proposal, please confirm that it complies with the requirements of SEKISUI CHEMICAL Group "Basic Procurement Policy" (Section 1. above).