Corporate Social Responsibility
At Sumitomo Chemical, while we aim to improve our financial performance, we are also committed to contributing to the sustainable development of society through our Responsible Care activities, community activities, and corporate compliance. We are, in essence, seeking to achieve the best possible performance against environmental, social, and financial parameters – what has been called the ‘triple bottom line’—Sumitomo Chemical Annual Report 2004
Each successive generation of Sumitomo Chemical’s leadership has adhered to the fundamental principle that, alongside commercial considerations, the Company’s activities should make a lasting contribution to the public good in all the communities in which we operate.
Sumitomo Chemical’s business originated in 1913, with the manufacture of agricultural fertiliser by effective application of an air-pollutant emitted by copper smelting operations, sulphur dioxide. Thus, from inception, Sumitomo has been committed to addressing environmental issues and improving the quality of life. This commitment is at the core of our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme.
Sumitomo Chemical’s approach to CSR is multi-layered. Aside from initiating and sponsoring a wide range of educational and social welfare initiatives in Japan and worldwide, our ‘Responsible Care ’ philosophy describes all aspects of our social and environmental policies. All of Sumitomo Chemical’s operating companies are involved in activities aimed at preserving the environment, maintaining safety, and safeguarding health throughout each stage of the product life cycle: from R&D to production, distribution, use and final disposal.