Initiatives Related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I)
Respect for human rights and human rights due diligence
As the impact of companies on human rights expands with the globalization of business, there have been increased calls from the international community for companies to implement measures to ensure human rights are respected. In light of this trend, the Chubu Electric Power Group revised the Chubu Electric Power Group Basic Human Rights Policy in July 2023.
Based on this Policy, we will make further efforts to respect human rights, including conducting human rights due diligence.
Chubu Electric Power Group Basic Human Rights Policy
The Chubu Electric Power Group respects and supports the International Bill of Human Rights, the International Labour Organization (ILO) Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and other international human rights norms. We also endeavor to put into practice the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
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Respect for Human Rights
We respect the human rights of all people engaged in business activities, and we refuse to be involved in any human rights violations. The Chubu Electric Power Group complies with laws and regulations that are applied in the countries and regions in which the Group operates. If national or regional laws and regulations are found to be different from or contradict international norms and principles, we seek approaches with which to respect international human rights norms and principles.
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Scope of Human Rights Policy
The Policy applies to all directors and employees of Chubu Electric Power and consolidated subsidiaries. We also seek the understanding of and cooperation from all business partners, including the aforementioned suppliers, as to the Policy, and continuously encourage them to establish respect for the Policy.
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Commitment to Specific Human Rights Issues
The Chubu Electric Power Group, in every opportunity of our business activity, respects the following rights and human dignities in accordance with the international norms and principles on human rights:
(1) We do not discriminate in any form on the basis of race, nationality, origin, creed, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, social status, lineage, or disability.
(2) We do not engage in harassment of any form, including but not limited to workplace harassment, sexual harassment, and pregnancy discrimination.
(3) We respect the freedom of association and the right of collective bargaining.
(4) We promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
(5) We do not, in any form, engage in human trafficking, forced labor, and child labor.
(6) We support ensuring a minimum wage and living wage.
(7) We appropriately manage working hours and reduce excessive working hours.
(8) We ensure a healthy and safe workplace and work environment.
(9) We protect personal information and privacy.
(10) We endeavor to protect the environment of the local community.
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Implementation of Human Rights Due Diligence
We develop and continuously implement a human rights due diligence system to specify and assess the negative impact inflicted on human rights by business activities, and prevent or mitigate the risk thereof.
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Remedy and Redress
The Chubu Electric Power Group establishes both internal and external reporting desks to respond appropriately to human rights-related issues. The desks are open for use not only by the Chubu Electric Power Group directors and employees but also by every stakeholder such as business partners, including suppliers, and local community members.
In addition to ensuring the anonymity of the whistleblowers and the confidentiality of the content of their reports, we thoroughly protect the whistleblowers and prohibit unfavorable treatment and retaliation against them. If it becomes apparent that the Chubu Electric Power Group’s business activity causes or is conducive to a negative impact on human rights, we engage in remediation and redress through appropriate procedures and dialogues. -
Dialogue and Discussion
We dialogue and discuss with relevant stakeholders on responses for actual or potential impact on human rights.
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Human rights Education and Training
We systematically and continuously provide education and training to deepen our correct understanding and awareness of human rights.
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Disclosure of Information
The Chubu Electric Power Group regularly discloses information about efforts that are based upon the Policy.
Revised on July 10, 2023
President and Director
Chubu Electric Power Co., Inc.
Chubu Electric Power Company-Wide Human Rights Awareness Promotion Plan
In accordance with the Chubu Electric Power Group Basic Human Rights Policy, we systematically and continually implement the following awareness-raising activities so that we may fulfill our corporate social responsibility with the goal of realizing a society in which all human rights are respected.
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Human Rights Awareness Training
So that personnel have a proper understanding and increase their awareness of the problem of social discrimination and other human rights issues, Chubu Electric Power takes advantage of opportunities when stratified training and workplace training is provided to educate our employees about these issues. In addition, we actively participate in outside training on human rights issues sponsored by relevant government agencies and organizations.
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Human Rights Awareness-raising Programs
To raise personnel’s awareness of and respect for human rights, we hold awareness-raising programs during specific times of the year, such as Gender Equality Week (June 23~29) and Human Rights Week (December 4~10).
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Consultation Services
Toward achieving our aim of creating positive workplaces that are comfortable to work in, we have strived to raise recognition and awareness among employees and coworkers about our Harassment Consultation Service and Human Resources Consultation Office, both of which support this aim.
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Cooperation with Chubu Electric Power Group Companies
To raise awareness about human rights throughout all Chubu Electric Power Group companies, we are cooperating with affiliates to implement human rights awareness-raising activities.
Overview of the Chubu Electric Power Group’s Human Rights Initiatives
The Chubu Electric Power Group is implementing (1) Commit to protecting human rights through policy, (2) Implementing human rights due diligence and (3) Development of remedies, to prevent, alleviate, or remedy negative effects on human rights in line with the human rights frameworks such as the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, one of the most important international frameworks for companies and human rights.
| 3 initiatives | Details | Initiatives at Chubu Electric Power |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Commit to protecting human rights through policy | Formulate a response policy for human rights and publicly commit to it as a company. | Revised the Chubu Electric Power Group Basic Human Rights Policy |
| (2) Implementing human rights due diligence | Conduct a survey internally and externally to identify the effects on human rights and implement preventative and response measures for risks to human rights that were identified | Build a Group-wide operating structure Develop standards for assessing human rights risks Implement preventative and corrective measures |
| (3) Development of remedies | Develop and operate a process that can remediate the negative impact on human rights caused or facilitated by the company | Establish and appropriately operate a remediation desk |
Governance Structure Respecting Human Rights
- The CSR Committee is chaired by the President and consists of the Executive Officers of Chubu Electric Power, and the Presidents of Chubu Electric Power Grid and Chubu Electric Power Miraiz.
- In principle, the CSR Committee meets once a year to discuss human rights-related issues, confirm the progress of the previous year's initiatives, deliberate on the current year's plans, and monitor human rights due diligence.
Matters considered and decided by the Chubu Electric Power Human Rights Awareness Promotion Committee are reported to the Senior Executive Committee and other bodies as necessary.
Discussions had on initiatives to respect human rights
| Date | Agenda | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| 8th CSR Committee November 11, 2022 |
Direction of initiatives for respecting human rights in business activities | 13/15 people |
| Senior Executive Committee July 10, 2023 |
Revised the Basic Human Rights Policy | 17/17 people |
| 13th CSR Committee April 15, 2024 |
Summary of FY2023 achievements Direction of FY2024 activities |
14/17 people |
Implementation of Human Rights Due Diligence
We conduct human rights due diligence based on the Chubu Electric Power Group Basic Human Rights Policy. We identify and assess relevant human rights risks in the Group's business model, including the supply chain, define priority human rights risks, and work to respect the human rights of our employees, people in our supply chain, and other stakeholders.
Identifying and assessing human rights risks
For human rights due diligence where effectiveness is key, we reviewed the human rights risks that could arise in Chubu Electric Power's business activities and identified risks that should be prioritized through dialogue with relevant stakeholders using the method below.
We reviewed risks that could affect not only our own employees, business partners, local residents, and customers, but also women, children, non-regular workers, indigenous peoples, and migrant workers.
We will continue to periodically inspect and review our assessments in response to changes in the internal and external business environment.
- Method for identifying priority human rights risks
STEP1: Research and in-house interviews
- Conducted research on various trends surrounding human rights (e.g., international norms, industry, stakeholders)
- Conducted interviews with 14 divisions including each operating company, functional divisions within the head office, and global business headquarters.
- Analyzed past lawsuits, human rights-related consultations and reports.
STEP2: Identifying human rights risks
- Comprehensively extracted human rights risks based on international human rights standards and the unique characteristics of the energy industry
- Identified human rights risk items related to the Company, as indicated by the internal reviews and research
STEP3: Ranking human rights risks
- Risks were assessed in terms of "likelihood of leading to a human rights violation," "scale of the potential human rights violation," "scope of the potential human rights violation," and "possibility of remediation (possibility that affected victims can return to the original state in which they could exercise the human right in question)," and the identified human rights risks were then mapped.
- Ranked the identified human rights risks and selected risks to be designated priority human rights risks
- Human rights risks to be addressed as a priority
Using the method above, the following human rights risks were identified as priority human rights risks to be addressed. Preventive, corrective, and mitigating measures for these risks are being prioritized.
Priority human rights risks
Long working hours, occupational health and safety, workplace bullying, sexual harassment, rights of indigenous and local people, insufficient and unpaid wages, living wage, right to privacy, child labor, forced labor, discrimination, freedom of association
These priority human rights risks were chosen from the following list of human rights risks.
Fair wages, reasonable working hours, occupational health and safety, right to social security, harassment, forced labor, human trafficking, freedom of migration and relocation, freedom of association and right to collective bargaining, rights of foreign workers, child labor, human rights issues related to technology and AI, right to privacy, consumer safety and right to know, discrimination (e.g., equal work, equal pay), human rights issues related to gender, freedom of expression, rights of indigenous and local people, human rights issues related to environment and climate issues, intellectual property rights, bribery and corruption, human rights issues in the supply chain, human rights issues in areas affected by conflict, right of access to remedy, etc.
Prevention, correction and mitigation measures
To ensure that corrective and recurrence prevention measures are properly implemented, we review issues that have occurred and conduct engagement and monitoring as necessary.
- Initiatives to address major human rights issues
- Occupational health and safety
The Safety and Health Promotion Committee conducts risk assessments of workplace safety, identifies hazardous areas, and implements countermeasures.
| Examples of identified hazardous areas | Countermeasures |
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| A hose was left haphazardly in the parking lot, where people could trip over it and fall |
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| The west side service entrance of the head office is chained at night, in a way in which people could trip over and fall (outdoors) |
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In order to ensure employee safety and improve the workplace environment sustainably and effectively, safety specialists provide safety activities support (Note). (Safety specialists provided support to 11 workplaces in FY2023)
(Note) Safety specialists visit each workplace to systematically understand the status of safety activities and safety management through document reviews, on-site inspections and interviews.
- Rights of local residents
The Renewable Energy Company heard concerns about the noise that could occur during facilities construction work in the door-to-door visits to local residents, and installed soundproof sheets in response.
- Right to privacy, anti-discrimination
A survey was conducted on the number of people who were made uncomfortable by Chubu Electric Power Miraiz's communication and information dissemination efforts. We confirmed that no human rights violations have occurred in FY2023, but will continue to conduct investigations to monitor the situation.
- Supply chain initiatives
- Questionnaire for business partners
If risks related to human rights are discovered during the process of risk identification and assessment, such as those caused by suppliers, the supply chain management system and its scheme need to be promptly strengthened. To identify human rights risks in our supply chain, we conduct an annual survey of key suppliers on the status of their measures on CSR and ESG, which includes human rights.
- Approval process for new business partners
When considering and deciding on individual projects, such as new mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and other investments, the head of the investing department (Note) (risk owner) will check for risks related to labor law violations and such for each project.
(Note) Company presidents, division heads of head offices, and presidents of operating companies
- Raising awareness and education
In accordance with the Chubu Electric Power Group Basic Human Rights Policy, the following measures were implemented.
| Dates and content of the education or awareness-raising activities | Target scope for FY2023 |
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| December 2023 E-learning on initiatives for respecting human rights |
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| February 2024 Group Human Rights Liaison Committee |
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| February 2024 Lecture on human rights |
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Support for Consolidated Subsidiaries
Since FY2023, we have been conducting human rights risk assessments and human rights-related training for approximately 30 of our major consolidated subsidiaries. Preventive, corrective, and mitigating measures for diverse stakeholders will be expanded in the future, and will be addressed sequentially starting with priority risks for each company.
Human Rights Due Diligence Roadmap
Remediation Mechanism
Chubu Electric Power has set up consultation and reporting desks within and outside of the company to respond appropriately to human rights issues raised by stakeholders at all levels.
If there is a human rights abuse complaint filed, it is investigated swiftly and measures to correct the negative impact on human rights are swiftly implemented. In FY2022, 31 cases were filed with the human rights consultation desk, and necessary corrective measures and recurrence prevention measures were taken for each.
Chubu Electric Power Company Remediation Desk
Labor-management Relations
Chubu Electric Power respects the freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining of its employees.
For more information on labor-management relations, click here.