Daigas Group Code of Business Conduct

In 2000, the Daigas Group established the Daigas Group Code of Conduct (“the Code”), a detailed Code of Conduct to be followed by all directors and employees. The Group’s directors, officers, and employees must perform their duties appropriately in accordance with the Code, which also forms the basis of the Group’s other internal rules.

The Code has been revised based on the 10 principles of the United Nations Global Compact proposed by the United Nations in 2008 and ISO 26000, issued in 2011. It was further revised in April 2021 following revisions to the Daigas Group Charter of Business Conduct.

The Code stipulates that Daigas Group compliance encompasses a broad range of corporate behavior that is not only based on laws and regulations but also on sound ethics.

The Daigas Group’s corporate social responsibility is to create new value through fair competition, thereby contributing to society. In fulfilling this responsibility, compliance is of utmost importance for the Daigas Group.

The Daigas Group Code of Business Conduct (“the Code”) sets the standards of conduct that all individuals working in the Daigas Group, including directors, officers, and employees, must follow to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations in our business operations.

As we conduct our business in alignment with the Code, which serves as the foundation for the Group’s other internal rules, we must always adhere to the spirit and intent of the Code —even in circumstances that fall outside its expected situations, which we might encounter in the rapidly changing business environment.

By delivering on our responsibility in accordance with this Code as well as the Daigas Group Charter of Business Conduct, we aim to be a corporate group that continues to be recognized for its excellence in business operations and needed by customers and society. Simultaneously, we strive to continue evolving as a corporate group in which we take pride in working.

To promote better understanding of the Daigas Group Code of Conduct, we prepared “Our Declaration” consisting of 10 items, which is an extracted essence of the Code of Conduct. A pocket-size card bearing “Our Declaration” has been distributed to all Group employees. The declaration is also posted on the Group's intranet system for dissemination to all employees.

A paper version of the Code of Conduct and a pocket-size card bearing the Code of Conduct has been distributed to all employees, and posted on the intranet for dissemination to all employees.
We have also posted an Explanation of the Code of Conduct on our intranet and incorporated the Code of Conduct into training and similar activities to deepen employees’ understanding.

We fully embrace the UN Global Compact, and in June 2007, we became the first utility in Japan to join. The Global Compact encompasses 10 principles for enterprises to follow in the four fields of human rights, labor standards, the environment, and anti-corruption.

In May 2008, the Daigas Group revised its Code of Conduct to incorporate the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact and in doing so clearly prohibited activities such as bribes to foreign officials and the use of child labor (currently, details are described in the internal guide for understanding the Code). Because these principles also relate to the dealings that the Group has with its business partners, in June 2009 the “Policy for Purchasing” (currently the “Daigas Group Procurement Policy” and the “Daigas Group Procurement Policy for Suppliers (Daigas Group Procurement Guidelines for Suppliers)” was also revised to stipulate adherence to the UN Global Compact. In July 2011, we revised the “Daigas Group Code of Conduct” again to reflect ISO 26000, which was published in November 2010, to add principles such as respecting international norms, including the laws and regulations of each country/region and those concerned with human rights, and promoting the understanding and requesting the cooperation of business partners.