The Shin-Etsu Group aims to design environmentally considerate product starting from the product development stage. At the same time, we are also meeting our responsibilities as a chemical company by working actively to ensure the strict control of chemical substances, mitigate global warming, reduce energy consumption, reduce the amount of waste generated, prevent air and water pollution, and make other environmental contributions. We are also engaged in activities such as tree planting at our plant sites in compliance with the Factory Location Act and voluntary river cleaning in areas around our plants. Furthermore, we request our suppliers to implement environmental conservation initiatives in accordance with our CSR procurement guidelines.

We have purchased pulp derived from wood as the main raw material of cellulose derivatives. When purchasing pulp, we ask all our pulp suppliers to consider the conservation of biodiversity, and we have confirmed that they have all obtained national and/or international forest certifications. In addition, we work hard to learn about our pulp suppliers' biodiversity activities.

In February 2021, Shin-Etsu Chemical participated in the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which is aimed at preventing deforestation, preserving biodiversity, and addressing human rights and labor issues, and is promoting sustainable palm oil procurement through RSPO certification. The RSPO is a non-profit organization that promotes sustainable growth and use of palm oil by way of cooperation within the supply chain and open dialogue with interested parties. The Company agreed with the purpose and participated in the RSPO, and obtained mass balance certification in March 2023.

The Shin-Etsu Group strives to prevent human health hazards and minimize the environmental impact of chemical substances in the processes of development, manufacturing, distribution, use, consumption and disposal. We appropriately design chemical substances in accordance with laws and regulations, evaluate their safety based on the latest information collected in cooperation with government agencies and affiliated organizations, manufacture our products using optimal facilities, and strive to reduce emissions of chemical substances.
For example, we are taking measures to control and reduce the amount of chemical substances we use that are released into the environment and transferred through the Chemical Substances Control Law^*1and the PRTR system^*2. Furthermore, in order to minimize the impact of chemical substances on workers, we are promoting exposure countermeasures, the reduction of emissions, and the use of safer alternatives by improving work procedures, processes and equipment through the implementation of risk assessments of chemical substances, as mandated by the revised Industrial Safety and Health Act.

The Group does not use or produce substances that fall under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants^*3.

The Group is working to reduce emissions of air pollutants by setting emission reduction targets at each of our Group companies and by converting to the use of fuel components with less sulfur. Each group company carried out regular investigations on their emitted gas to confirm that they comply with laws and regulations.

At each plant, in accordance with the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act and through voluntary management based on agreements with the administrative authorities, we monitor groundwater and soil and verify compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In FY2025, the company performed groundwater and soil monitoring 229 times at its plant sites.