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CSR Report 2014

Community Relations

Our Policy on Community Relations

The JSR Group has been involved in various social contribution programs with a focus on community activities. In January 2009, we established our "Basic Approach to Social Contribution" as a policy aimed at further strengthening our activities, and are promoting the initiatives outlined in this policy.

Basic Approach to Social Contribution

1. Our Corporate Mission dictates that we make a contribution to society through our business activities. Further, we are actively engaged in providing solutions to social requirements and issues as a responsible member of society.

2. We are continuously engaged in positive social contribution activities, capitalizing on the chemical and technical knowledge and skills that form the core of the JSR business.

3. Every employee is a point of contact between the company and society. We actively support our employees in their voluntary participation in social contribution activities.

FY2014 Initiatives

The main social and community activities we carried out in FY2014 are described below.

Fostering the Next Generation and Initiatives in Education

■ Support for Science Education
Visiting lecture of scienceVisiting lecture of science at Yokkaichi Municipal Utsube-Higashi Elementary School

One of the serious issues facing Japanese society today is our children's waning interest in science. This is illustrated by the results of an international survey that showed that only 20% of Japanese eighth graders wish to enter an occupation involving the use of science, which was 36 points lower than the international average of 56%*1. In response to this issue, with the cooperation of the boards of education in areas where the JSR Group's business sites are located, the Group periodically holds visiting lectures of science at local elementary schools and junior high schools in order to stimulate the curiosity of children, who will lead the next generation, and arouse their interest in science. Schools where we held visiting lectures of science and Fun Lab Classes in FY2014 are listed below. We will continue with these programs in the coming years.
*1 Results of the TIMSS2011 (2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study)


Fun Lab Classes Yokkaichi Municipal Shimono Elementary School November 29, 2013
Yokkaichi Municipal Utsube-Higashi Elementary School January 10, 2014
Visiting Lectures of Science Kamisu Municipal Hasaki Daiyon Junior High School December 12, 2013
Yokkaichi Municipal Kyohoku Junior High School February 25, 2014
■ Participation in the Yokkaichi Children’s Science Seminar
Science SeminarJSR booth at Yokkaichi Children’s Science Seminar

The Second Yokkaichi Children’s Science Seminar, organized by the Yokkaichi Board of Education, was held on August 9, 2013, in which a total of 12 organizations, including petrochemical complex companies operating in Yokkaichi, participated as exhibitors. As it did in the previous year, the JSR Yokkaichi Plant booth featured an experiment involving solidifying synthetic rubber, which was participated in by about 120 children along with their parents.


■ Special Industrial Engineering Course at Nihon University
A lecture at Nihon UniversityA lecture at Nihon University

As part of our efforts to promote collaboration between industry and academia*2, every year the Chiba Plant holds a special industrial engineering lecture at the Nihon University College of Industrial Technology.
The course, entitled “The Properties and Manufacturing Processes of Rubber and Quality Assurance,” was held on October 3, 2013 for about 150 students. It featured an experiment involving solidifying synthetic rubber, as well as case studies, to pique students' interest in the subject.
*2 This is part of Ichihara City’s program to strengthen collaboration between industry and academia, and we support this program by sending one of our engineers to give a lecture every year upon request from the city.


■ Career Experience Program for Junior High School Students

Every year, the JSR Yokkaichi Plant offers a career experience program for local junior high schools. The program provides students with an opportunity to experience a wide variety of tasks at the plant, including a tour of the production line and laboratories, safety patrols with the plant manager and special fire-fighting team training.

Career Experience ProgramChecking for odors using a regenerative thermal oxidizer
Career Experience ProgramPatrol with a plant manager
Career Experience ProgramWater-discharge exercise by the special fire-fighting team

Career Experience Programs Yokkaichi Municipal Minami Junior High School September 24–26, 2013
Yokkaichi Municipal Shiohama Junior High School October 1–3, 2013
Yokkaichi Municipal Utsube Junior High School November 13–15, 2013
■ Acceptance of Externs and Interns
A student traineeA student trainee

For three weeks from February 17, 2014, the Head Office provided externship (training) opportunities for students at Chuo Law School. JSR has offered externships to engage in corporate legal affairs at the Legal Department for a total of eight times, and every year over the past six years. At the same time, the JSR Yokkaichi Plant and a Group company in Thailand, Elastomix (Thailand) Co., Ltd., provide internship for engineering students each year.


■ Teacher Training at a Private Company
Teacher TrainingTraining at the Head Office Teacher TrainingTraining at the Chiba Plant

Since FY2011, the JSR Group has participated in a teacher training program at a private company, organized by the Japan Institute for Social and Economic Affairs. In FY2014, the fourth year of the program, we held a two-day training session from August 8 to 9 at the Head Office and Chiba Plant with three teachers to help them learn more about the basic attitudes required to do business and company efforts needed to address environmental problems. In the hopes that this training experience will be utilized for children's education and school administration, we will continue to cooperate in this program.

Environmental Initiatives

■ Yokkaichi Kid’s CO2 Reduction Challenge
Students at a lectureStudents at a lecture Commendation ceremonyCommendation ceremony

Since FY2008, the Yokkaichi Plant has participated in the environmental education program for fourth- and fifth-grade students at local elementary schools, which is jointly organized by Mie Prefecture, Yokkaichi City and four companies in Yokkaichi City. In this program, students devise and implement efforts to save energy at their homes and to verify the efforts’ results. The results are measured in terms of CO2 reduction and the students are commended for their efforts. In FY2014, the program offered lectures and held commendation ceremonies for students at two local elementary schools.

Three classes (110 students) at Yokkaichi Municipal Hinaga Elementary School October 4–November 27, 2013
One class (31 students) at Yokkaichi Municipal Kawarada Elementary School January 16–February 28, 2014

Local Community Initiatives

■ Communicating with Local Residents
Harmony FestaJSR Harmony Festa in Yokkaichi plant tourAnegasaki Industrial Festival (plant tour)

As members of their respective communities, each JSR Group business site promotes a wide variety of activities enabling interaction with local residents.
The Yokkaichi Plant periodically hosts a social event called the "JSR Harmony Festa." The plant also organizes tours for local residents in which, after explaining our safety and environmental measures, we show the participants around the plant to give them an opportunity to see our environmental facilities, thus deepening their understanding of the activities conducted at our plant.
At the same time, the Chiba Plant participates in the yearly Anegasaki Industrial Festival, which is one of three oceanfront festivals held in Ichihara City. The plant is in charge of public relations and provides the general public with a plant bus tour with the aim of enhancing its communication with local residents.

Social Welfare Activities

■ TABLE FOR TWO (TFT) Program
certificate of appreciation

Since February 2010, the JSR Group has participated in the TABLE FOR TWO (TFT) program. In addition, CUP FOR TWO beverages are also offered through vending machines at Emulsion Technology Co., Ltd. and the JSR Yokkaichi Plant. Being highly regarded for these ongoing efforts, we were selected as a Gold Supporter*3 and were granted a certificate of appreciation for two consecutive years in 2012 and 2013.
*3 Twenty-three companies and other organizations that have contributed considerably to the program were selected as 2013 Gold Supporters from among approximately 560 program participant companies and other organizations.


■ Foreign Coin Collection Campaign
Coin Collection

The JSR Group has been conducting a foreign coin collection campaign since 2009 to assist programs that support children around the world through the Japan Committee for UNICEF. These coins are effectively utilized to protect the life, health, and rights of children in developing countries.


■ Blood Donation Campaign
Blood Donation Campaign

Every year, our Group organizes a blood donation drive at each of its business sites.


■ i-project and Tanpopo

Since October 2010, the Yokkaichi Plant has been participating in aluminum can collection activities for social welfare organizations that help people with disabilities in Yokkaichi City learn to become self-sufficient: the “i-project,” which targets children, and “Tanpopo,” which targets adults.


■ Donating Hardtack and Water to a Food Bank
Hardtack and waterHardtack and water to be donated to a food bank

On Disaster Drill Day every September, a review of emergency supplies and emergency food is carried out at JSR Group offices in Tokyo. Stored old hardtack and water is replaced with new supplies. While some of these supplies are consumed through sample tasting or on other occasions, others are donated by some of our employees and sent to the Second Harvest Japan (2HJ) food bank, a specific non-profit corporation, in order to make effective use of the hardtack and water which has a shelf life of at least one month. This donation effort was launched two years ago.
2HJ receives food donations that would otherwise be disposed of for various reasons, from corporations, farmers, and individuals, and sends them to welfare facilities and other organizations in need.


■ Promoting Local Food
Pork steakPork steak as Yokkaichi’s specialty

Since October 2010, Yokkaichi operations of JSR Business Service Co. Ltd. has been supporting the local community and helping to mitigate global warming at the employee cafeteria of JSR's main plant, Yokkaichi Plant. Uokuni Sohonsha, the company that operates the cafeteria, has been increasing its use of local produce by introducing menu items inspired by the seasons and local culture of Mie Prefecture. The company supports JSR Group's social contributions activities by holding a "Local Food Fair" twice a month.


Initiatives at Overseas Offices

■ JSR Micro Taiwan Co., Ltd. (Taiwan): Promotion of collaboration with academia
LectureLecture at the National Cheng Kung University Plant tour for studentsPlant tour for students from the National Formosa University

The company actively cooperates with local universities with their company visit programs and other activities to maintain continuous mutual communication as part of the company’s efforts to support the development of next-generation human resources. In FY2014, more than 60 Taiwanese and Japanese students were invited to learn about the company’s business and tour the plant.


■ JSR Micro N.V.(Belgium): Significant Decrease in CO2 Emissions through the ik Kyoto Project
Participating employeesParticipating employees

The company implemented the “ik Kyoto” campaign for the eighth year in a row, most recently during a five-month period from May 1 to September 30, 2013. This campaign aims to reduce CO2 emissions generated during people's daily commute to work by encouraging the use of environmentally friendly methods of transportation (bicycle, public transportation, carpooling, etc.) in addition to working from home.
In FY2014, 40% of employees took part in the campaign, effecting a reduction of CO2 emissions totaling 4,988 kilograms.


■ JSR Micro, Inc. (United States): CSR Report Recognized
CSR Report

In March 2013, JSR Micro, Inc. published its own CSR report. JSR Micro, Inc. formed a project team called “Social Network” at the beginning of 2012 and conducted extensive research concerning the impact of its business activities on the environment and society. Its CSR report was published after one year, ranking tenth in the “Best 1st time Report” category on Corporate Register.com*4.
The CSR report is expected to lay the foundation for the company’s future sustainability activities. As a company that aspires to do business in consideration of the environment and society as a good corporate citizen, JSR Micro, Inc. will continue to actively promote CSR activities.

*4 Corporate Register.com is the world’s largest online directory of CSR reports, and selects excellent reports from corporations around the world every year.


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CSR Report 2014