Mitsui

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

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

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

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

Sustainable development strategy
In its 2020 Sustainability Report, the company discloses that it undertook a materiality assessment in 2019 which identified five material sustainability topics. These are sustainable resources and products, quality of life, organisational integrity, talent development and creating an eco-friendly society. The company can improve its performance by disclosing time-bound targets that address the three benchmark dimensions of environment, nutrition and social inclusion.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
The company has a Sustainability Committee to promote sustainability within the organisation. However, ultimate responsibility and accountability for the sustainability strategy lies with the board of directors. The company has an opportunity to improve its performance by linking board-level remuneration to the achievement of sustainability objectives.

Stakeholder engagement
The company does not disclose stakeholder engagement activities, including how it selects the stakeholders, nor an overview of the topics discussed or their outcomes.

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
In its 2020 Sustainability Report, the company has a target of net-zero emissions by 2050, with an interim target to halve GHG emissions by 2030 (compared to a 2020 baseline). The company can improve its performance by reporting progress against this target in its next report.

Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions
While the company discloses that it is measuring segments of its scope 3 emissions, it has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by setting targets and reporting progress against them. Up until March 2020, when the company began accounting for emissions resulting from investments, it was only accounting for scope 3 emissions resulting from transport, commuting and business trips.

Protection of terrestrial natural ecosystems
The company has a target, which it reports against, to increase the proportion of sustainable certified palm oil procurement, including RSPO-certified, to 100% by 2030, but it does not provide similar targets for other relevant high-risk commodities such as coffee or soya. The company could improve its performance by disclosing the proportion of palm that is currently deforestation and conversion-free or by setting time-bound targets for all of its relevant high-risk commodities.

Soil health and agrobiodiversity
The company does not disclose that it is adopting sustainable production practices that improve soil health and increase agrobiodiversity.

Food loss and waste
Mitsui has food loss and waste initiatives in its own operations such as creating by-products from the production of tea, strawberries and sugarcane. The company discloses quantitative data related to the amount of food waste diverted as a result of these initiatives. The company has an opportunity to improve its performance by setting targets to reduce food loss and waste across its own operations and supply chain and reporting progress against these targets.

Water use
The company does not disclose that it is reducing water withdrawals across its own operations and supply chain.

Availability of healthy foods
The company does not disclose a commitment or activities to increase the availability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
The company does not disclose a commitment to address food insecurity by improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Clear and transparent labelling
The company does not disclose that it provides nutritional information through clear, transparent and accurate labelling.

Workforce nutrition
Mitsui discloses a programme to improve workforce nutrition by providing workers with healthy foods as well as nutrition education. The company has an opportunity to develop this programme further to include nutrition-focused health checks and breastfeeding support throughout its operations.

Food safety
The company does not disclose evidence of ensuring safe food for consumers through compliance with national regulations or the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene, nor an effective food safety certification scheme.

Child labour
While the company commits to prohibiting child labour in its own operations and requires its suppliers to adhere to the same standard, it has an opportunity to disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to have an age-verification system in place.

Forced labour
While the company commits to prohibiting forced labour in its own operations and supply chain, it has an opportunity to disclose a requirement that prohibits its suppliers from retaining workers’ personal documents and restricting workers’ freedom of movement.

Living wage
The company has achieved paying all workers in its operations a living wage. However, it has an opportunity to set a target to pay a living wage across its supply chain and include living wage requirements in its contracts with suppliers.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
The company does not disclose that it specifically recognises the health and safety risks to vulnerable groups, such as migrant and temporary labourers, women and young farmers.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
The company discloses that it provides farmers with information and training on the use of agricultural inputs. It can improve its performance by undertaking further support activities and disclosing their impact on farmers’ productivity or resilience.

Mitsui commits to respecting human rights and the ILO core labour rights, and it has a publicly available statement of policy that expects its supply chain partners to commit to respecting the ILO core labour rights. The company discloses its due diligence process for identifying, assessing and taking action on salient human rights risks in its own operations and its supply chain. However, Mitsui lacks disclosure on engaging with stakeholders whose human rights have been impacted. In addition, while it has a grievance mechanism, it does not disclose whether stakeholders can choose to remain anonymous when raising a human rights complaint.

Mitsui places health and safety expectations on its supply chain partners but does not publicly commit to protecting the health and safety of its own workers. The company discloses that it pays all workers a living wage but does not disclose any relevant information on the topics of regulating working hours or collective bargaining. It has a time-bound target on gender equality and women’s empowerment but otherwise provides limited information on workforce diversity.

Mitsui commits to protecting personal data and has a privacy statement on the use of personal data. The company prohibits bribery and corruption and includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in contracts with supply chain partners. While Mitsui discloses its tax strategy, it lacks reporting on income tax payments for all tax jurisdictions. Finally, the company does not disclose its approach to lobbying and political engagement, although it does disclose that it makes political contributions.