DESCENTE SUSTAINABILITY POLICY
DESCENTE has always carried out wide-ranging Corporate Social Responsibility activities based on its corporate principles. We put in place risk strategies ensure the company’s sustainability, and take responsibility for explanations to our stakeholders, most importantly our customers and shareholders. In this way, we will continue to proactively contribute to society.
1. Promote healthy lifestyles
To contribute to the physical and emotional well-being of people by supporting sports and promoting healthy lifestyles.
2. Contribute to the sustainable development of society
To engage in activities that benefit the community economically, socially and environmentally.
3. Respect human rights
In line with our Code of Ethics, to respect human rights in Japan and elsewhere, comply with all local, national and international laws and regulations, and ethically and with high integrity.
SUSTAINABILITY ACTIVITIES
Flexible and creative designs, backed by cutting-edge technology, help athletes to challenge their performance limits, and allow all sports enthusiasts to share in the passion.
DESCENTE is on a constant quest to create safe, high-performance sportswear of the highest quality to offer support to its customers - sports enthusiasts the world over -
In line with out Code of Ethics, to respect human rights in Japan and elsewhere, comply with all local, national and international laws and regulations, and ethically and with high integrity.
Improving the global environment through sports technologies
Through sportswear functions and technologies, we support comfortable living even in environments where energy conservation is necessary.
To respond to the trust given us by our stakeholders, DESCENTE has built a structure for corporate governance and internal controls, advancing efforts both to maintain the sustainability of the company and to enhance corporate value, while ensuring a compatible relationship between the two.
Our Relationship with the Community
DESCENTE contributes to the creation of a healthy lifestyle, improving the physical and mental well-being of the children who represent our future, students and local citizens through sports-related events and career education. At the same time, we continue our efforts to collaborate with NPOs and to assist those in disaster-affected regions.
Sports School for Healthy Kids
The Sports School for Healthy Kids is a hands-on sports program for children intended to encourage fitness by teaching children to enjoy sports. Children today have fewer opportunities to participate in sports, and their physical strength and athletic ability have declined as a result. We call on top athletes, including former Olympians, to serve as instructors, and provide opportunities for the children to experience sports at a high level.
One With the Environment
DESCENTE has formulated a Basic Environmental Philosophy and Environmental Policy, which serve as management guidelines, and has also established an Environmental Committee, comprised primarily of directors of the Company. Under the auspices of this Committee, DESCENTE engages in environmental preservation efforts intended to reduce environmental impacts and risks, and also takes proactive, ongoing action to prevent such impacts and risks.
Greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions of the DESCENTE Group (Japan only) are as follows.
From FY2023 onward, measurement will be expanded to include our global operations. Additionally, in line with the government's announcement, we will work to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, reducing overall GHG emissions to zero. We will also set medium-term targets to promote initiatives aimed at solving other important sustainability issues, including climate change and environmental problems.
DESCENTE Apparel Ltd. New Factory at Mizusawa
As part of its ongoing growth strategy, DESCENTE is dedicated to enhancing its manufacturing capabilities. A key element in this strategy is the commitment to revamp the company’s Mizusawa Plant and position it as the core manufacturing facility for the corporate Descente brand.
The proposed new Mizusawa plant is seen as the manufacturing focus for the next 50 years, carrying forward the company’s agenda to continue developing high value-added products through the ever-evolving manufacturing processes that give Descente its competitive edge. To achieve this, the new factory will prioritize environmental considerations, integration with the surrounding region and development of a fulfilling work environment.
Mizusawa’s Natural Assets and Environmental Considerations
The new plant features sophisticated insulation and airtight design and will employ radiant heating and cooling systems utilizing the abundant groundwater resources of the Isawa alluvial fan. These will not only benefit the factory workers by protecting them from the extremes of cold in winter and summer heat, but will also be in harmony with Mizusawa’s natural assets. In addition, locally grown timbers will be used for exterior walls, and also for some indoor floors and furniture, taking advantage of its natural resistance to heat transfer, its aesthetic fit with the local landscape and its local familiarity as a material.
The new factory’s exterior is also designed with a series of triangular roofs, inspired by the region’s traditional timber warehouses and intended to blend with the beautiful, natural local scenery of this area, which is well-known as one of Japan’s major dispersed settlements. The high ceilings within these triangular roof shapes promote a natural, and comfortable, air movement inside, and the central clerestory windows allow natural light to reach into every corner.
The fact that the new factory’s design is shaped by the excellent landscape resources of its rich natural environment adds another dimension to the practical performance improvements.
Corporate Governance
"To bring the enjoyment of sports to all." In line with our corporate philosophy, and in accordance with regulations and corporate ethics, we recognize that our social responsibility as a corporate citizen is to conduct an honest, fair and transparent business. Through our efforts to enhance corporate governance, we have positioned the continual improvement of corporate value as one of the most important issues for management.
To achieve this, we have established the DESCENTE Code of Ethics and the DESCENTE Standards of Ethical Behavior, working to build a positive relationship with stockholders, suppliers, communities, employees and other stakeholders. We also actively take a variety of other steps to enhance corporate governance, in addition to the legally stipulated functions of the general shareholders' meetings, Board of Directors and Board of Auditors.
As set forth in our Code of Ethics, DESCENTE works to ensure that our employees and all other people who have any relationship with us will not be harassed or discriminated against because of their place of birth, gender, age, physical disability or any other factors which are not directly related to carrying out their jobs.
Fair Business Practices
DESCENTE aims to build mutually beneficial, sustainable and equitable partnerships with its suppliers, improving human rights and working conditions and cooperating in environmental preservation. To do this, we require all of our suppliers to enter into the DESCENTE Supplier Code of Conduct (COC), and also engage in CSR monitoring of their factories.
Participation in the United Nations Global Compact
DESCENTE supports the ten principles in the four areas of "Human Rights," "Labor," "Environment" and "Anti-Corruption," as defined by the United Nations Global Compact. As a responsible member of the global society, we will demonstrate leadership and, at the same time, adopt those principles in the further globalization of our group. We will continue to be more proactive in our efforts to contribute to the realization of a sustainable global society.
Compliance
While the DESCENTE Code of Ethics sets forth our fundamental approach to our business activities, the DESCENTE Standards
of Ethical Behavior have been established to provide a guideline for each of our employees in their work. To promote compliance with the Code and Standards, we have established an Ethics Promotion Committee, and work to nurture a sound corporate culture. In addition, to respond to problems that may be difficult to resolve within the organization and to handle employee requests for advice regarding possible unethical behavior by other employees, we have also put in place an in-house DESCENTE Ethics Consulting Office in our headquarter, and have designated an external attorney's office to act as an independent consultation desk.