Businesses that Contribute to a Sustainable Society
01Business Activities that Add Value to Society
Developing Environment-Friendly Products
The DIC Group has long been committed to effective stewardship of the products it provides. Conscious always of the importance of harmony with the environment, the Group promotes the development of environmentfriendly products that are useful to society by, among others, reducing the volume of hazardous substances it uses, focusing on products that are less hazardous and products that facilitate recycling, and realizing safer production processes that generate less waste and use less energy. DIC established internal standards in Japan for evaluating environmentfriendly products in 2002 and has since worked to increase the number of products that qualify for this designation in its portfolio.
Standards for Evaluating Environment-Friendly Products
Products that Contribute to the Realization of Clean Technologies
The DIC Group develops materials that contribute to the realization of clean technologies designed to resolve critical global environmental issues. The Group promotes the development of clean technology–related products for target markets that leverage its distinctive technologies and shares related information with stakeholders via its global website.
DIC showcases diverse, creative technologies and business activities that contribute to a sustainable society in the special feature section of the DIC Report, published annually, with the goal of helping stakeholders better understand DIC Group products.
02An Expanded Focus: From Environment-Friendly to Sustainable
Clarifying the Value that the DIC Group Provides
Recognizing that externally driven strategies that involve setting targets from the perspective of helping address social imperatives and environmental issues have gained currency, the DIC Group has reordered its businesses based on functions offered and the markets they serve. Two examples are the DIC Group’s PPS compounds, which help reduce the weight of automotive components, and the PASLIM series of adhesives with oxygen-barrier properties, which help prolong the shelf life of food products, thereby contributing to the reduction of food loss. As these examples show, materials have the power to contribute to the betterment of society in ways that may not be immediately visible.
In addition to clarifying the value that DIC Group products provide to stakeholders, DIC believes that a greater focus on product functions will help accelerate efforts Groupwide to advance the development of sustainable products.
Developing a Sustainability Index: Driving Further Evolution
The DIC Group has inaugurated the Sustainability Strategy Working Group, a cross-business working group, and is promoting the development of a new sustainability index for gauging the effectiveness of efforts to promote sustainable businesses. These include an environmental impact indicator that combines such concepts as sustainable contributions to customers and markets as measured by value provided. The Group believes this index will enable it to better elucidate the functions of its products, which help address social imperatives and respond to social changes.
The new sustainability index will also facilitate effective management from the perspective of both economic value and social value (the scales of the index) and will underpin its efforts to transform its business portfolio with the aim of strengthening its business structure and assisting product development. This involves quantifying indicators broadly in terms of production, technology and sales. Plans are to begin using the new indicators in Japan in fiscal year 2020 and subsequently to expand application globally.
The DIC Group will continue to promote the evolution of its sustainable businesses in the years ahead as it strives to become a unique global organization that is trusted by society.
