Iseki

No leading practices were identified for this company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for this company in the environment measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for this company in the nutrition measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for this company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Sustainable development strategy
As part of its sustainability strategy, Iseki has identified eight priority topics, covering the environment and social inclusion dimensions, and sets targets for each of these. The company describes its process for and prioritising these topics, which includes a materiality assessment. However, the company does not disclose targets on nutrition-related topics, highlighting a key opportunity for the company to improve.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
Iseki demonstrates having teams and committees in place to facilitate an efficient implementation of its sustainability strategy. In addition, it demonstrates board-level responsibility and accountability for sustainability. The company further has an opportunity to link remuneration for its executives and board-members to sustainability objectives and targets.

Stakeholder engagement
While Iseki discloses a list of stakeholder groups and its methods for engaging with each of these, it does not provide an overview of key issues raised with these groups. In addition, the company has an opportunity to disclose its process for identifying stakeholders with whom to engage as well as how it integrates stakeholder feedback into its sustainability strategy.

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
Iseki has set a 2030 target to reduce CO2 emissions by 26% compared to a 2013 baseline. However, it is not specified that this target includes both scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While the company reports on CO2 reductions for its manufacturing activities in Japan, no similar reporting for the company’s other activities, both in and outside of Japan, was found. There is an opportunity for Iseki to set a global target to reduce scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions and report on progress.

Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions
While the company makes reference to reducing the energy consumption of its products in its sustainability reporting, it does not provide quantitative information to support this. Moreover, the company does not report on its scope 3 GHG emissions and does not disclose a related target.

Soil health and agrobiodiversity
The company does not disclose that it is developing agricultural machinery solutions that contribute to improved soil health.

Water use
While Iseki had set a 2020 target to reduce its water use by 50% against a 2013 baseline, this target only covers the company’s domestic operations and no globally applicable target was found. In addition, the company report on water withdrawals in its Japanese and overseas operations separately. Although the company demonstrates a reduction in water withdrawals in Japan, withdrawals overseas have increased.

Food loss and waste
Iseki does not disclose that it is contributing to reduced food loss in agriculture. The company has an opportunity to disclose a commitment by demonstrating activities, such as product development, that tackle food loss and reporting on their impact.

Availability, accessibility and affordability of healthy food
Iseki demonstrates it is contributing to improved food security through activities to support productivity in underdeveloped areas. These activities include developing simpler, low-priced vegetable farming machines that are more accessible for less affluent farmers. While the company demonstrates it enables improved yields and productivity with its products, it does not demonstrate how it contributes to an increased availability of healthy and nutritious foods. Iseki has an opportunity to disclose commitments and activities aimed at improving the availability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Workforce nutrition
The company does not disclose a workforce nutrition programme that prioritises making healthy foods the standard in the workplace.

Child and forced labour
Iseki does not disclose a commitment to prohibit child labour and forced labour in its operations and supply chain.

Living wage
Iseki does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its suppliers to do the same. Neither has it set targets to do so in the future.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
Iseki provides evidence of activities to support the productivity and resilience, such as education activities to teach female farmers how to operate agricultural machinery. The company can further improve by disclosing the impact of its support activities.

While Iseki addresses human rights in its reporting, the company does not provide a publicly available policy statement committing to respect human rights and ILO core labour rights in its operations and supply chain. In addition, Iseki does not provide evidence of grievance mechanisms and a human rights due diligence process, nor does the company demonstrate how in engages with affected and potentially affected stakeholders.

Iseki has set two targets on gender equality and women’s empowerment. However, the company does not disclose a formal commitment to gender equality and does not report on key metrics such as its gender pay gap. While Iseki addresses workers’ health and safety in its reporting, it does not disclose a policy statement of commitment or provide quantitative reporting on injuries and fatalities in the workplace. No sufficient commitments or reporting on the other decent work topics – living wage, working hours, collective bargaining, and workforce diversity – were found.

Iseki discloses a privacy statement on the use of personal data but does not formally commit to protecting personal data. No relevant policies or commitments on other key ethical business topics – tax, bribery and corruption, and lobbying and political engagement – were found in the public domain.