The Mitsui Chemicals Group considers "respect for human rights" as one of our material topics and has positioned it as one of the prerequisites for business continuity, actively promoting initiatives in this area.
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Respect for Human Rights
Initiatives
Human Rights Due Diligence
The Mitsui Chemicals Group will establish a system of human rights due diligence in accordance with the "UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights" to avoid, mitigate, and prevent any adverse human rights impacts that our business activities may have on the rights holders.
Initiatives on Human Rights Due Diligence
Assessment of Actual and Potential Human Rights Impacts
Countries where the Mitsui Chemicals Group maintains a business presence have a number of challenges pertaining to human rights, reflecting the conditions of local politics, the economy, and society. In FY 2024, taking into account that three years have passed since the last human rights risk assessment, we conducted a new risk mapping with the cooperation of external experts, with reference to international guidelines and indicators, from the perspective of the possibility of each human rights issue occurring and the severity of the issue if it does occur, with the participation of relevant business and functional divisions.
As a result, we identified 13 human rights issues that should be given particular priority within the Group. These include "violations of the right to safe and healthy working conditions(occupational health and safety)," "human rights violations in transportation operation," "impacts on the lives of local residents (impacts on the environment)," and "human rights violations through the procurement of raw materials." Over the next three years, Mitsui Chemicals and all domestic and overseas Group companies will conduct human rights risk assessments (desktop surveys) and human rights impact assessments (on-site assessments) related to priority issues at all manufacturing sites.
Risk Map
■ The rights of young workers ■ The rights of local residents and indigenous peoples ■ Corruption ■ Consumer safety and health ■ Human rights violations through the procurement of raw materials (including conflict minerals) ■ Forced labor ■ Child labor | ■ Impact on the lives of local residents ■ The right to safe and healthy working conditions ■ Human rights violations in transportation operation
Focusing on manufacturing sites | |
■ Discrimination in the workplace ■ Discrimination in recruitment ■ The right to maternity protection ■ Freedom to choose residence, movement, and working conditions ■ Overwork and excessive working hours ■ Fair compensation and living wages ■ The right to an adequate standard of living and enjoyment of health ■ The right to social security ■ Freedom of thought, religion, and expression ■ Human rights violations through advertising and related activities | ■ Invasion of privacy ■ Harassment ■ Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining | |
■ Salient human rights issues ■ Other Human Rights Issues to Note |
Overview of Human Rights Impact Assessments Conducted by Mitsui Chemicals Group in FY2024
Objectives of Human Rights Impact Assessments
- Identifying Human Rights Risks
By visiting sites and conducting interviews and inspections, we aim to identify and evaluate the negative human rights impacts the Group may have on rights holders through human rights impact assessments. - Addressing Actual Negative Human Rights Impacts/Human Rights Risks
We aim to prevent and mitigate actual negative human rights impacts identified through this assessment by evaluating them in accordance with Mitsui Chemicals Group's Human Rights Policy, which includes relevant policies, international standards, and the laws of the countries or regions where our business activities take place.
Implementation Details
In March 2025, we carried out a site visit to one of our manufacturing sites in Japan. The visit comprised interviews with management, a review of relevant documentation, and an inspection of the plant premises, and interviews with workers, including 14 indirectly employed individuals. Please note that this assessment did not include surveys of suppliers or local residents.
Key Points for Review
Based on the results of the human rights risk assessment, we examined the human rights risks of workers, particularly those in vulnerable positions, from the following perspectives:
- Human rights management (implementation of training, grievance mechanism)
- Occupational health and safety
- Impacts on the environment
- Child labor, excessive working hours, fair compensation
- Addressing human rights violations through the procurement of raw materials and in transportation operation
Implementation Results
As far as could be ascertained through the interviews conducted, no human rights violations or apparent negative impacts were identified in this survey.
Prevention of Human Rights Risks
We are reviewing and discussing appropriate measures, for incidents identified as potential human rights risks requiring our attention, as outlined below.
With regard to the status of implementation and the outcomes, we plan to confirm these at the end of FY 2024.
- Human rights management (grievance mechanism)
- Improving whistleblowing hotlines operated by domestic affiliates to enable anonymous reporting
- Promoting awareness of the group’s internal whistleblowing system among employees of partner companies
- Occupational health and safety
- Emergency preparedness measures (installation of emergency lights and guidance signs, first aid training, posting of evacuation assembly points and routes, etc.)
- Review of health checkup items
- Reviewing the content and posting methods of notices informing workers about chemical substance measures
- Impacts on the environment
- Addressing odor issues
- Excessive working hours
- Additional staffing and proper placement to improve working hours, along with continuous management training and ongoing dialogue with employees
End
We recognize the issues identified thorough the human rights impact assessment as risks that should be understood and addressed across the entire group. We engage in dialogue with manufacturing sites where human rights risk assessments (desktop surveys) have been conducted, as well as with the responsible business divisions. We will continue to address human rights issues appropriately.
In addition, regarding the priority issues of "human rights violations through the procurement of raw materials" and "human rights violations in transportation operation," both the Purchasing and Logistics divisions at headquarters have reviewed and evaluated their current initiatives. In response to growing societal expectations regarding corporate activities and human rights in recent years, we plan to consider developing more concrete human rights risk management policies at the group level going forward.
The results of the human rights impact assessments have been reported to the Corporate Sustainability Committee and the Board of Directors.
Supply Chain Initiatives
The Group conducts procurement activities based on the Mitsui Chemicals Group Procurement Policy, focusing on "sustainable procurement." We have shared the Mitsui Chemicals Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines with our clients, asking them to work with us on respecting human rights, ensuring fair working conditions and environments, reducing environmental impacts, and complying with laws and social norms.
We check the status of these efforts using the CSR/Sustainable Procurement Self-assessment Questionnaire and surveys on sustainable procurement conducted by external sustainability rating organizations. Based on the results, we provide feedback and support for improvement. Additionally, we check for the use of raw materials free from conflict or criminal involvement (including conflict minerals) through these surveys.
Grievance Mechanism (Prevention and Correction)
Through our human rights due diligence, the Group aims to build a system for receiving concerns and grievances from rights holders while engaging in dialogue with them.
Global Whistleblowing System (Compliance Hotline)
The Group has a global whistleblowing system (compliance hotline) for the prevention and early detection of compliance violations. This system enables any Group employee who has obtained information related to risks, including acts in violation of a law or regulation that have been or are about to be committed within the Company, to directly report the matter to and consult the Corporate Administration & Legal Division and the Human Resources Division, which are the divisions in charge of compliance, or an outside attorney. The system is open not only to officers, corporate auditors, and employees, but also to all parties with an interest in the Group's business activities, including the families of officers, corporate auditors, employees, retired employees, dispatch workers/subcontractors at our plants or other sites, and suppliers. Any and all information related to risks received through the whistleblowing system is immediately and periodically reported to the Company's corporate auditors, and important information is reported to the Company's Board of Directors if necessary. Our "Whistleblower Management Regulations" clearly stipulate that whistleblowers will not be subject to penalty and retaliation because of whistleblowing. We also have established disciplinary measures and strictly enforce them for those who violate the regulations.
Appointment of Harassment Counselor
The Group has appointed several harassment counselors at each business site to fairly ascertain the facts in the event of an occurrence and to take prompt action to solve the issue. We have both male and female counselors. This hotline is available for everyone working for the Company (including employees, contract employees, part-timers, and dispatch workers/subcontractor employees), our customers, and employees of our business partners.
Stakeholder Engagement
The Group actively participates in programs that involve dialogue with various stakeholders to deepen our understanding of the context in which human rights issues arise and their relationship to our business activities. We apply this understanding to our efforts to respect human rights within the Group.
Since FY2015 we have participated in the Stakeholder Engagement Program, hosted by the CRT Japan Committee, where we receive annual presentations on human rights issues of domestic and international concern from NGOs/NPOs and experts, and engage in discussions with peers in the industry to identify key human rights issues by industry.
In FY2023, we also participated in a program co-hosted by the ILO Tokyo Office and the Global Compact Network Japan to develop corporate expert talent on international human rights and labor standards. In this program, we discussed with experts and participating companies how to integrate and promote respect for human rights initiatives within our business activities and examined specific measures.