Sustainability

Teijin Group Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement

The statement is made in accordance with the United Kingdom’s Modern Slavery Act which came into force in the U.K. in 2015.

Teijin Group Slavery & Human Trafficking Statement for FY 2021

This statement is made in accordance with Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 and covers the steps that the Teijin Group has taken during financial year from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022 ("FY2021") to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in our business and our supply chains.

The Teijin Group recognizes that any activity of our business or our supply chains should not prevent anyone from enjoying human rights and, moreover, should have a positive influence on respecting the dignity and rights of all human beings. We also recognize slavery and human trafficking are global human rights issues of our time. The Teijin Group will continue to carry out actions to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not occurring in any part of our own business and in any of our supply chains.

  1. 1.Our business and organizational structure

    The Teijin Group began with the establishment of Japan's first rayon manufacturer in 1918. The Teijin Group now combines wide range of businesses including aramid, carbon fibers, films and sheets, resin, composites, fibers and products converting, healthcare, IT and environment and engineering. The number of Teijin Group companies is 169 in total, including 52 in Japan and 117 overseas (as of March 31, 2022). There are 21,815 employees in the Teijin Group in total, including 9,654 in Japan and 12,161 overseas (as of March 31, 2022). Teijin Group's net sales in FY2021 are 926.1 billions of yen, 49.0% of which is overseas net sales.

    For further details of the Teijin Group and our business, please visit the Teijin's website at the following link:
    https://www.teijin.com/

  2. 2.Our policies in relation to slavery and human trafficking

    In the following policies, the Teijin Group states that the Teijin Group will prevent any slavery and human trafficking in any part of our own business and in any of our supply chains.

    Teijin Group Corporate Philosophy

    Teijin Group Corporate Philosophy is "Enhancing the Quality of Life", "In Harmony with Society" and "Empowering Our People". We conduct business based on this philosophy. The starting line of the Teijin Group's Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is also this philosophy. We pursue CSR activities rooted in this Corporate Philosophy.

    Teijin Group Code of Conduct

    The Teijin Group has established Teijin Group Code of Conduct as standard for action that aligns with our Corporate Philosophy.

    Teijin Group Code of Conduct states "We -- The Teijin Group, including its officers and employees -- act according to our conscience, with the aim of enhancing the quality of life for all stakeholders." and "We act with integrity in compliance with laws and regulations, and show respect for human rights and local communities in which we operate."

    In order to better understand and practice Teijin Group Code of Conduct, we have also formulated How We Behave for each item of Teijin Group Code of Conduct and we have been conducting publicity activities within our group.

    For further details of Teijin Group Code of Conduct and How We Behave, please visit the Teijin's website at the following link:

    https://www.teijin.com/about/philosophy/

    Teijin Group Human Rights Policy

    The Teijin Group has established Teijin Group Human Rights Policy as our basic stance to respect every human's dignity and rights, which is crucial for realizing the Corporate Philosophy.

    Teijin Group Human Rights Policy states "Acknowledging that it is our important corporate social responsibility to value human rights, we do our best to avoid direct involvement, as well as indirectly influence through our relevant external parties, any abuse of human rights." In addition, we clearly state ""our relevant external parties" are all external organizations and people, including suppliers and partners, with whom we relate in our business" in our Human Rights Policy.

    We also express in our Human Rights Policy that we follow the fundamental principles described in the United Nation (UN) International Bill of Human Rights (the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights), and the International Labor Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and we respect the UN Guiding Principles on Businesses and Human Rights and the 10 Principles of the UN Global Compact. Teijin Limited has joined the UN Global Compact since March 2011.

    Furthermore, Teijin Group Human Rights Policy states "We develop the human rights due diligence process to identify actual or potential negative impacts on human rights and seek to prevent or mitigate the negative impacts."

    The Chief Executive Officer of the Teijin Group takes responsibility for implementing this Human Rights Policy.

    For further details of Teijin Group Human Rights Policy, please visit the Teijin's website at the following link:

    https://www.teijin.com/csr/policy/human_rights.html

    Policies for purchasing and procurement

    - Teijin Group Basic Policy for Purchasing and Procurement

    Teijin Group Basic Policy for Purchasing and Procurement states "The Teijin Group promotes purchasing and procurement from suppliers that respect human rights and do not commit human rights infringements such as unjust discrimination, slave labor, forced labor, child labor, human trafficking, etc."

    - Teijin Group Basic Stance of Persons in Charge of Purchasing and Procurement

    We have also determined Teijin Group Basic Stance of Persons in Charge of Purchasing and Procurement that describes in specific terms how purchasing and procurement personnel should behave. Teijin Group Basic Stance of Persons in Charge of Purchasing and Procurement states "Purchasing/procurement personnel do not force inappropriate transaction terms on suppliers nor force them to accept unreasonably low prices, etc. and promote purchasing and procurement from suppliers that respect human rights and do not support forced labor or long working hours."

    - Teijin Group CSR Procurement Guidelines

    In accordance with Teijin Group Basic Policy for Purchasing and Procurement, we have prepared Teijin Group CSR Procurement Guidelines including items relating to human rights, such as forced labor, child labor and young workers, foreign workers, working hours and holidays, wages and welfare benefits, discrimination, harassment, freedom of association, consideration for local communities, contact point for consultations and internal reporting and responsible supply chain promotion. The Teijin Group is requesting our suppliers to conduct activities in compliance with our Guidelines.

    For further details of Teijin Group Basic Policy for Purchasing and Procurement, Teijin Group Basic Stance of Persons in Charge of Purchasing and Procurement and Teijin Group CSR Procurement Guidelines, please visit the Teijin's website at the following link:

    https://www.teijin.com/csr/social/purchase_procurement/procurement.html

  3. 3.Our steps to ensure that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place

    Human rights due diligence

    In accordance with our Human Rights Policy which states the human rights due diligence, since FY2018, the Teijin Group has begun activities to build a process for human rights due diligence and to understand the negative impact and risks to human rights due to the activity of our business or our supply chains.

    As initiatives in the first fiscal year (FY 2018), the Teijin Group has conducted a survey with the support of an external NGO in order to sort out the types of human rights issues that could be considered for each our business, and to identify places where such issues might become apparent. The businesses targeted by this survey is a total of 11 businesses: aramid fibers, carbon fibers, resin, film, composites, fibers and products converting, medicines, at-home medical treatment, IT, material new business and healthcare new business. As a specific survey method, we quantitatively analyzed the human rights issues risk in each of the above 11 businesses, from the two perspectives of "country / region" and "business contents", based on the characteristic of each of the above 11 businesses (country / region of operation and business contents etc.) and the characteristic of our suppliers of each businesses (place of operation, types of their products and business contents etc.). Through this survey, we have confirmed that in the business of fibers and products converting, human rights issues are most likely to take place, particularly in the countries of Myanmar, China, Vietnam and Thailand. Based on the result of such survey, we continue to promote improvement in the business of fibers and products converting as a high priority business.

    In FY 2021, through regular dialogues with the external expert of the fields of "Business and Human Rights", we have confirmed that we have the following three areas that are considered to have a significant negative impact and risks to human rights when and if the problems become reality: (i) in the business of fibers and products converting, the working environment at the contractors to whom we outsource sewing processing, (ii) in the pharmaceutical business, the working environment at the drug substance manufacturer of febuxostat, the active ingredient of FEBURIC®, our therapeutic agent for gout and hyperuricemia and (iii) in each business, the working environment for migrant workers, especially employed at Teijin Group's overseas bases. In these areas, we have been already promoting efforts to respect human rights, we will continue to promote investigation and improvement as high priority areas.

    For further details of Teijin Group human rights due diligence, please visit the Teijin's website at the following link:

    https://www.teijin.com/csr/human_rights/initiatives.html

    Responsible supply chain promotion

    The Teijin Group conducts the following activities for responsible supply chain promotion in cooperation with our suppliers.

    - Teijin Group supplier surveys

    We have developed and launched an original system for surveying and rating our supplier's status of efforts on CSR. The system utilizes a questionnaire to confirm whether or not suppliers are complying with the Teijin Group CSR Procurement Guidelines, and the results are used to determine their place in a 5-level ranking system. In addition, we conduct detailed interviews, etc., as necessary, based on the contents of each supplier's response to such survey, and request the suppliers that we consider to be at risk to create an improvement plan and we check their implementation status and provide necessary support. We also conducted such survey in FY2021 and were concerned about the responses of 51 companies in Japan and overseas to the questions regarding human rights issues such as not employing children under the age of 15 years and not allowing young workers to engage in late-night work or overtime work. Accordingly, we conducted detailed interviews directly with such 51 companies and have confirmed, for 48 companies of them, that slavery, human trafficking and other human rights risks do not actually occur. Regarding the remaining 3 companies, we could not confirm the same within FY2021. Therefore, we are working on the confirmation these 3 companies' actual situation.

    - Compliance surveys using database

    We are considering incorporating a database-based compliance survey of supplier in preliminary surveys when selecting new suppliers and in monitoring surveys to confirm that human rights risks do not occur at existing suppliers. In FY2021, we started to conduct trials of such compliance surveys of our suppliers using the database.

    - Efforts in the business of fibers and products converting

    In the business of fibers and products converting, we are making further efforts.

    Teijin Frontier Co., Ltd. ("Teijin Frontier"), a Teijin Group company with an integrated value chain from material development/procurement to product realization operating on a global scale, in the business of fibers and products converting, has created an original Standards for Sustainable Procurement in Japanese, English and Chinese and sends it to its suppliers in Japan and overseas that conduct transactions on a continuous basis. In FY2021, Teijin Frontier has continued to send its Standards for Sustainable Procurement to new suppliers including suppliers of the subsidiaries of Teijin Frontier. In addition, based on the results of the above Teijin Group supplier surveys, Teijin Frontier requests its suppliers to cooperate in on-site-survey. In FY2021, Teijin Frontier could not actually visit to some factories due to the influence of COVID-19, but in that case, Teijin Frontier conducted actual condition surveys using a remote conference system to the extent possible. Consequently, Teijin Frontier was able to conduct actual condition surveys of 15 processing or sewing factories etc. in Japan and overseas, including remote surveys.

    In addition, since 2014, Teijin Frontier has been holding a CSR Supply Chain Seminar every year for local processing, sewing and embroidery factories, material manufacturers, etc. with the aim of enforcing legal compliance and the protection of human rights. In FY2021, Teijin Frontier held such seminars for Vietnam, China and Japan respectively, using a remote conference system due to the influence of COVID-19. The Teijin Group believes it is important to raise awareness of CSR procurement locally on an ongoing basis.

    - Efforts with foreign technical intern trainees in the business of fibers and products converting

    The business of fibers and products converting, which has adopted foreign technical intern trainees by utilizing the foreign technical intern training system for years, conducted its internal survey and found the fact that the foreign trainees have come to Japan by paying a large fee to the sending agency in their own country. To improve this, Teijin Frontier has launched so called, 'ZERO-FEE PROJECT' which would eliminate the foreign trainee's fee burden by having the factory that accepts the foreign trainee pay such fee from FY2019. Subsidiaries of Teijin Frontier that accept the foreign trainee have established a Code of Conduct regarding Foreign Workers and informed the supervising organization, and from FY2020, such subsidiaries have born such fee required for sending foreign trainees. In order to secure this ZERO-FEE, such subsidiaries have decided to accept foreign trainees from the supervising organization that discloses the information on fees at the sending agency. Such subsidiaries also confirm directly with the foreign trainees that they have not paid such fees.

    For further information of the Teijin Group responsible supply chain promotion activities, please visit the Teijin's website at the following link:

    https://www.teijin.com/csr/social/purchase_procurement/procurement.html

    Whistle-blowing

    Since 1999, the Teijin Group has established counseling and reporting center for all Teijin Group company employees. As of FY2021, such procedures are available in 18 languages of the Teijin Group's major bases.

    We also have the reporting desk on the Teijin's website to receive notifications from other than the Teijin Group company employees, such as suppliers.

    In addition, since FY 2021, in cooperation with our suppliers, we have begun considering establishing the dedicated reporting desk for receiving reports from the employees of our suppliers.

    For further information of the Teijin Group whistle-blowing procedures, please visit the Teijin's website at the following link:

    https://www.teijin.com/csr/materiality5/compliance.html

    Training

    The Teijin Group has been holding the Corporate Ethics Workshop every year during Cooperate Ethic Month (October) targeting all executives and employees (including contract/temporary employees) of our group. Our corporate ethics workshop includes case studies and group discussions. We have been deepening the understanding of the policies of the Teijin Group on human rights through this workshop. In FY2021, we conducted this workshop utilizing a remote conference system in consideration of the situation of COVID-19.

    For further information of the Teijin Group training, please visit the Teijin's website at the following link:

    https://www.teijin.com/csr/materiality5/compliance.html

    Effectiveness

    In FY 2021, continuing from the previous year, we held dialogues with the leading experts who active in the fields of "Business and Human Rights", as part of reviewing the method and results of human rights due diligence in our group, confirming its effectiveness, and considering our policy for future efforts. In such dialogues, we received good evaluation that the commitment of the Chief Executive Officer and the board of directors is clear and our attitude of exploring new issues and constantly responding to changes is excellent. On the other hand, we were pointed out that understanding of issues by combining human rights and the environment is an urgent issue and it is necessary to identify such issues and take measures from that perspective.

    We also received the comment, from the external expert of the fields of "Business and Human Rights" with whom we have regular dialogues, that the Teijin Group is advancing human rights due diligence process in stages for the entire Teijin Group considering the characteristics of its diversified and global business structure. In addition, they also commented that they hope the Teijin Group will appropriately deal with, monitor and disclose information if there is any content that needs any improvement regarding the three areas (*) extracted in such due diligence process.
    * Refer to the three areas mentioned in the section of Human rights due diligence.

    In order to assess the effectiveness of the steps we are taking to ensuring that slavery and human trafficking is not taking place in our business or supply chains, we will continue to (i) conduct the human rights due diligence survey periodically, (ii) review the results of the surveys of our suppliers and (iii) monitor the number and the contents of reports made through the whistle-blowing procedures from employee, suppliers or others who convey concerns about slavery and human trafficking.

This statement was made by Teijin Limited on behalf of itself and Teijin Group companies, and approved by the board of directors of Teijin Limited on August 3rd, 2022.

August 3, 2022

Akimoto Uchikawa
President and CEO, Teijin Limited