Management System

In the Basic Principles for Promoting Sustainability, the Sumitomo Chemical Group declare that our top management is committed to promoting sustainability. We also place these principles just below the Sumitomo Spirit, and the Business Philosophy in the framework of our corporate philosophy to show our commitment to working on the promotion of sustainability as a management priority.

Sustainability Promotion System

The Sumitomo Chemical Group established the Sustainability Promotion Committee as a body to deliberate important matters related to the Group’s management from a broad range of diverse perspectives. The purpose of the committee is to oversee the Group’s sustainability promotion activities, comprehensively verify contributions to sustainability, and accelerate integrated efforts to solve issues society is confronting. Based on the surrounding business environment, the committee considers issues and the direction of initiatives while also providing necessary guidance and advice to executive organizations aiming to implement initiatives.
The committee convenes twice a year and holds active discussions that Outside Directors and Outside Audit & Supervisory Board Members attend as observers. The committee is chaired by the President of Sumitomo Chemical and composed of executive officers in charge of each business sector, the executive officers in charge of the corporate departments, and the presidents of overseas regional headquarters.

Sustainability Promotion Committee

  • Sustainability Promotion Committee Overview

  1. The Americas region, Europe region, China region, and Asia-Pacific region
  2. The Sustainability Department, Legal Department, Human Resources Department, Corporate Communications Department, Corporate Planning Department, Research Planning and Coordination Department, Responsible Care Department, Accounting Department, Finance Department, Procurement Department, and Logistics Department
  3. The Responsible Care Committee, Human Rights Promotion Committee, Carbon Neutral Strategy Council, etc.

Purpose

  1. Oversee the Group’s sustainability promotion activities
  2. Comprehensively verify contributions to sustainability
  3. Accelerate efforts to solve issues in society, including the SDGs

Role

The committee provides advice to each executive organization to ensure that the Group’s business activities all function organically to realize sustainability for all society and that said activities are fairly assessed by stakeholders.

  1. SOLUTION: Providing advice to each business sector and each Group company on contributing to the sustainable growth of society through business operations
  2. INITIATIVE: Providing advice to various committees through participation in international initiatives
  3. ENGAGEMENT: Providing advice related to assessing and enhancing communication through dialogue with stakeholders

Fiscal 2022 Results

The Sustainability Promotion Committee meeting was convened twice. The committee shared information on international trends related to sustainability and comprehensively assessed medium- to long-term ESG issues from a risk-reward perspective, based on which it suggested various measures to accelerate contributions to the Group’s sustainability to relevant departments and organizations and promote the integration of sustainability and management in order to realize “Jiri-Rita Koushi-Ichinyo.”

Main Agenda Items

  • Status of initiatives to solve social issues through our business (recycling resources and biodiversity)
  • Trends in disclosure standards and impact evaluations as well as the Group's responses
  • Status of social contribution activities and direction of activities going forward
  • Initiatives to instill the corporate philosophy within the Group

In addition, from fiscal 2022, the top management of business sectors and the sustainability managers of regional headquarters have directly shared in the content of committees by participating in the Sustainability Promotion Committee as observers.
We have established a system to raise awareness among all Group employees under which, for example, we hold briefings related to initiatives promoting sustainability and provide committee reports. These activities are carried out by the sustainability promotion managers for each worksite and Group companies in Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan as well as by the regional headquarters for all other overseas Group companies.

Sustainability