Contribution to industry and social initiatives

Since 2006, the Group have donated the money to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for the World Refugee Day (June 20), which was established by the United Nations. We have supported world refugees who have been driven out of their homes due to conflict, persecution, and disaster by donating the money to the UNHCR. Since 2012, we have continued to make matching donations in which the company contributes the same amount as donations from employees.

The Shirakawa Plant conducts traffic safety activities in conjunction with the Spring National Traffic Safety Campaign every year. Employees greet children as they walk to school and urge them to be safe on the roads. Going forward, the plant will continue to carry out seasonal traffic safety campaigns and patrol activities throughout the year as part of its traffic safety activities.

The Shin-Etsu Chemical Naoetsu Plant holds a summer school for 4th to 6th graders at local elementary schools, with employees in their first year at the Company serving as teachers. This initiative had been held annually since 1975 for the purpose of regional exchange and contribution to the local community, but was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic. This year it re-opened for the first time in four years. The summer school, in addition to helping children with their summer homework, also provides recreation and other activities to promote friendship with the students.

Shin-Etsu Chemical Kashima Plant employees conducted cleanups around the plant. Cleanups are held multiple times a year at various locations, with employees actively collecting trash and working to beautify the local environment. Going forward, these cleanups will continue as part of the plant's efforts to contribute to the local community.

SE Tylose, together with the Rhine Cleanup, an organization working to clean up the River Rhine, organized an action to collect discarded waste from the river. The Rhine, one of the largest rivers in Europe, is an important trade channel as well as a source of drinking and hydroelectric power, and is an indispensable part of people's lives. However, large amounts of waste, including plastic waste, flow into the ocean via rivers like the Rhine, adversely affecting marine life and human health. The waste, which was collected over a distance of about two kilometers on the banks of the river, included baskets, metal boxes, tires, bumpers, glass, mattresses, soccer balls, cigarette filters, and bottles. The c ompany plans to continue this activity in the future.

On November 13, 2023, three Shin-Etsu Group companies in Thailand—Shin-Etsu Silicones (Thailand) Ltd., Asia Silicones Monomer Ltd., and Shin-Etsu New Materials (Thailand) Ltd.—donated solar power generation equipment for vegetable water pumps to Wat Khiri Phawanaram Elementary School. This donation was conducted in collaboration with a major Thai power company, Global Power Synergy Public Company Ltd. Approximately 150 students from economically disadvantaged families attend the school, where they learn how to grow vegetables. By providing the solar power generation equipment, the three Group companies are contributing both in terms of financial support for school management and support for career development education.

In September 2023, Shin-Etsu Silicones (Thailand) Ltd. implemented a dengue fever prevention project for children in lower grades at the elementary school of Wat Chak Luk Ya School. Dengue fever is one of many infectious diseases that has become a major social issue in Thailand. In this educational activity, the children were taught the importance of dengue fever prevention through a performance by a character dressed as a mosquito and were given a mosquito repellent that uses our silicone oil.

Each year, the University of Newcastle in Australia, in cooperation with local companies, runs an outreach program aimed at encouraging aspiring mathematicians and engineers to study sciences and mathematics at school so that they can pursue a career in the technological world. At this year’s program, held in May 2023, Simcoa Operations Pty. Ltd. sponsored an event called Simcoa Challenge Day. On the first day, eight Simcoa employees volunteered to help the children as they took on a variety of challenges, including designing earthquake-proof towers and providing the lowest-cost electricity to a city.

Shintech Louisiana supported the Iberville Chamber Foundation's Industrial Vocation Scholarship Program. Scholarship programs like this are investments in local education that help us realize our company motto to, `Buy Local, Live Local, Hire Local.'”

Scholarships support high school seniors pursuing careers as millwrights, welders, pipefitters, electrical/ instrumentation specialists, and process technicians. This year, we awarded scholarships to 11 students pursuing careers in process technology, welding, instrumentation, and pipefitting. We will continue to support the career development of local students.