Corporate ethics
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group is recognized as a reliable company thanks to the efforts of many employees, and we believe that this is the driver of the company's growth.
With an eye towards further growth moving forward, we believe that a written code is needed as the foundation of our own ethical behavior, so we have established a “Code of Ethics” which consists of a “Corporate Code of Conduct” and “Corporate Standards of Conduct”.
In addition to instilling the group with our "Code of Ethics", the corporate ethics system has become a "living system", and in order to contribute to the robust development of the Nippon Fine Chemical Group, we have created an “Ethics Code Handbook” and distributed it to all employees to raise awareness.
Corporate Code of Conduct
1. Respect for human life and consideration for safety and health
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group makes necessary and adequate arrangements to respect human life and ensure safety and health at all stages of business operations.
2. Conserving the global environment and contributing to society
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group contributes to bringing smiles to the faces of everyone who connects with us by steadily implementing Nippon Fine Chemical’s Basic Policy for Sustainability (aiming for our sustainable growth and to bring about a sustainable society) and realizing the three “KIREIs” (Earth, society, and the future). We will also seek to ensure the Nippon Fine Chemical Group’s supply chain upholds these values.
3. Compliance with laws and social norms
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group complies with laws and other social norms, and promotes honest and fair business operations (compliance management). In addition, when conducting business operations, we respect the culture and customs of each country and region, and we maintain a healthy and normal involvement in politics and with administrations.
4. Relationships with anti-social forces
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group does not have any relationships with any individual or organization (anti-social forces) that adversely affects social order or sound corporate operations, nor do we have any relationships with any individual or organization that has any involvement with anti-social forces.
5. Respect for stakeholders
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will endeavor to maintain a robust and favorable relationship with all stakeholders involved with the Nippon Fine Chemical Group, including employees.
In addition, we will endeavor to disclose our corporate management and business operations, with the exception of information handled as confidential information.
6. Respect for human rights
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group respects the human rights of all people involved in the business operations of the Nippon Fine Chemical Group, including employees, in accordance with our Human Rights Policy set forth separately. We also demand this respect from the Nippon Fine Chemical Group’s supply chain.
7. Respect for employee personality, individuality, and diversity
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group respects the individuality and diversity of all our employees, and strives to ensure each employee can fully demonstrate his or her abilities and to contribute to attaining his or her self-realization by treating all employees fairly.
8. Maintenance of workplace environment
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group respects the work-life balance of employees and strives to create a safe, secure, clean and healthy workplace. In addition, we respect the right of employees to organize, bargain collectively, and act collectively, and we promote dialogue with our employees to maintain and improve a safe, clean, and healthy workplace.
9. Compliance with appropriate transaction conditions
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will treat all business partners with sincerity in business operations such as procurement and sales, set fair and appropriate business conditions, and comply with them.
In addition, we will not engage in any conduct that deviates from laws, social norms, or sound business practices, such as any form of corruption, including extortion and bribery.
10. Respect for intellectual property rights
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group recognizes the importance of intellectual property rights, including trade secrets, properly protects and utilizes our own rights and takes decisive action against any infringements thereof. At the same time, we fully respect the valid rights of others and will never engage in the unlawful acquisition or use of such rights.
Change history
Version 1: October 1, 2004
Version 2: April 1, 2008
Version 3: April 1, 2019
Version 4: April 1, 2024
Participation in the United Nations Global Compact
Nippon Fine Chemical signed and participated in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) proposed by the United Nations in March 2023 to express our support for its philosophy.
The UNGC is the world largest sustainability initiative in which the United Nations and the private sector (companies and organizations) work together to build a healthy and sound global society. The company or organization which signs the UNGC is required to support the Ten Principles related to human rights, labor, environment, and anti-corruption, and to continue our efforts to realize them.
Nippon Fine Chemical promotes ESG management with the Ten Principles for the SDGs aiming the realization of the sustainable society, based on the basic policy of our sustainability "Aiming for our sustainable growth and to bring about a sustainable society".
The Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact
| Human Rights |
Business should
1. support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; and
2. make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses. |
| Labour |
Business should
3. uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the aright to collective bargaining;
4. the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;
5. the effective abolition of child labour; and
6. the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. |
| Environment |
Business should
7. support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges;
8. undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility; and
9. encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies. |
| Anti-Corruption |
Business should
10. work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. |
Human Rights Policy
1. Principle
In accordance with the International Bill of Human Rights, the ILO Declaration, the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact, and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, the Nippon Fine Chemical Group respects the human rights of all people connected with our business activities and will never engage in any form of discriminatory treatment.
2. Scope of Application
This policy applies to all officers and employees of the Nippon Fine Chemical Group. The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will continuously encourage our business partners and suppliers to support this policy and take part in similar initiatives, and we will work with them to promote activities for respecting human rights.
3. Respect for Human Rights
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will, in addition to respecting the human rights of each individual in our business activities, ensure that we never act in a way that infringes individual human rights, including regarding child labor and forced labor. In addition, we will strive to request the business partners and suppliers who make up the Nippon Fine Chemical Group to understand these initiatives.
4. Compliance with Applicable Laws
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will comply with the laws and regulations of Japan and in each country or region in which we operate.
5. Training
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will carry out appropriate ongoing training to ensure a correct understanding of this policy reaches throughout the company and beyond, and that it is enacted effectively.
6. Due Diligence for Human Rights
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will identify the negative impacts on human rights of our company, Group companies, suppliers, etc., carry out preventive investigations to prevent or mitigate them, and assess the effectiveness of our initiatives. Based on this, we will continuously correct and improve matters through appropriate means.
7. Dialogues and Discussions
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will carry out dialogues and discussions with related stakeholders when a negative impact on human rights arises or when there is the risk of such.
8. Information Disclosure
The Nippon Fine Chemical Group will disclose the status of its initiatives related to respecting human rights.
