Working with our suppliers

CSR Procurement

The following is a timeline of our CSR procurement activities.

FY 2007: Formulated the Mitsui Chemicals Group Purchasing Policy
FY 2008: Conducted CSR Procurement Survey (raw materials)
FY 2009: Provided feedback on survey results
Conducted CSR Procurement Survey for all other supplies
Introduced new PRECS* purchasing system and began green purchasing for office supplies and equipment
FY 2010: Provided feedback on survey results
FY 2011: Conducted CSR Procurement Survey for new suppliers
*
PRECS was named after an appeal for suggestions from our employees and stands for “procurement”, “rigidifcation” (strict compliance), “efficiency”, “control” and “standardization”.

Overview of FY2011 CSR Procurement Survey

The 20 requirements included in the CSR Procurement Survey were as follows.

CSR Survey

  1. Has set out management principles, corporate action guidelines, etc.
  2. Has compiled manuals, guidebooks or other such materials relating to legal and regulatory compliance and ensures that they are followed by all employees
  3. Has an internal whistle-blower system for reporting illegal actions
  4. Respects patents, copyrights, trademarks and other intellectual property
  5. Has formulated regulations for the protection of corporate and personal information and manages information appropriately
  6. Does not discriminate based on gender, race, nationality, age, religion or disability in the recruitment, assignment, training, evaluation or remuneration of employees
  7. Prohibits all forms of harassment, and upholds and respects human rights
  8. Prohibits child and forced labor
  9. Has formulated basic policies regarding the environment, safety, occupational health and quality
  10. Has acquired ISO 14001 and other relevant external certifications
  11. Monitors levels of chemicals with a potentially adverse impact on the environment in its products
  12. Strives to reduce air and water pollution and industrial waste
  13. Has obtained external Occupational Safety and Health Management System (OSHMS) certification
  14. Has compiled a response manual in the event of an emergency, disaster or accident
  15. Provides shareholders with accurate reports containing financial and other required information
  16. Compiles and publishes reports relating to CSR (corporate social responsibility) and the environment
  17. Is preparing for compliance with the Japanese SOX Act
  18. Has internal auditing capabilities and/or bodies
  19. Has acquired ISO 9001 and other relevant external certifications
  20. Has in place response manuals and other tools to deal with product complaints

Guidance on Improvements for Suppliers

We intend to analyze the results for the 544 new suppliers surveyed in fiscal 2011 and provide all suppliers with feedback in fiscal 2012.

Extending Risk Hotline access to suppliers

In July 2010, we extended access to our Risk Hotline internal reporting system to include external parties and provided approximately 1,400 suppliers with details of how to use the relevant service. This means that, if any supplier obtains information relating to issues such as potential compliance violations within the Mitsui Chemicals Group, they can report the matter to our Risk Hotline.