Yokohama Rubber

Sustainability strategy and accountability
Yokohama Rubber discloses its process for identifying and prioritising its most relevant sustainability impacts as well as the outcome of this process, in relation to its sustainability strategy.

Stakeholder engagement
Yokohama Rubber discloses an overview of the issues raised during its stakeholder engagement activities.

Impact and dependencies assessment
Yokohama Rubber discloses a policy which outlines how the company evaluates the impact that its business activities have on the natural environment and upon ecosystems where it conducts business activities. This includes an Action Guidelines which outline its process for evaluating its impact.

Key areas and species
Yokohama Rubber categorises the status of the species in its own locations according to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species or in Japan’s domestic list of species requiring special conservation efforts.

Ecosystem conversion and restoration
Yokohama Rubber discloses a Sustainable Natural Rubber policy which outlines its commitment to zero deforestation regarding its sourcing of its high risk commodity, rubber. The company discloses some activities to achieve conversion-free supply chains.

Water
Yokohama Rubber discloses quantitative reductions in its water withdrawal compared to the previous year.

Solid and air pollution
Yokohama Rubber discloses annually on air quality parameters on relevant pollutants identified in relevant regulations, including SOx, NOx,, HAPs and Ozone depleting substances.

GHG emissions
Yokohama Rubber discloses a target to reduce the Group’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, as well as product manufacturing related CO2 emissions per unit of production output (through collaboration with our supply chain partners) by at least 30% compared to the base year (2013). The company aims to have reduced total CO2 emissions throughout the entire value chain of the Group by at least 50% compared to the base year (fiscal 2005).

Indigenous Peoples’ and land rights
Yokohama Rubber requires its business relationships to identify and recognise affected Indigenous Peoples and to obtain their free, prior and informed consent regarding whether and how to carry out projects, in correspondence with the Methodology and Guidelines on “Free, Prior and Informed Consent” developed by the UN-REDD Program. The company requires business relationships to to have a process to identify legitimate tenure rights holders and that the acquisition of land for developing or expanding operations must respect legitimate land tenure rights, use rights and customary rights according to the Methodology and Guidelines on “Free, Prior and Informed Consent”.

Sustainability strategy and accountability
Yokohama Rubber does not disclose group-wide targets on key sustainability topics for the most material parts of its value chain. The company does not report whether it assigns decision-making and oversight responsibility for its sustainability strategy to the highest governance body. No evidence was found that the company links performance criteria in senior executives’ remuneration policies to targets and objectives which cover nature, including biodiversity, and social issues. The company does not disclose whether its highest governance body has expertise regarding nature-related topics.

Stakeholder engagement
Yokohama Rubber does not disclose its process for engaging with stakeholder groups beyond its materiality assessment.

Lobbying
Yokohama Rubber does not report on its lobbying and advocacy practices on nature-related issues, nor whether these activities align with its sustainability strategy.

Impact and dependencies assessment
Yokohama Rubber does not disclose any assessment of its impacts on nature, including biodiversity, in its supply chain. The company does not disclose any assessment of its dependencies on nature within its own operations.

Key areas and species
Yokohama Rubber does not disclose the locations that are in or adjacent to areas important for biodiversity within its own operations. The company does not disclose species populations existing in or adjacent to its own locations.

Ecosystem conversion and restoration
Yokohama Rubber does not disclose time-bound targets to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose a commitment to restore ecosystems. The company does not disclose details and outcomes of ecosystem restoration projects in areas affected by its own operations or by its suppliers.

Resource exploitation and circularity
No evidence was found regarding Yokohama Rubber’s efforts to work towards a circular economy or which organisms it exploits. The company has an opportunity to develop a strategy and publicly report on specific, time-bound targets. The company does not disclose efforts to improve soil health.

Water
Yokohama Rubber does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce water withdrawal across its own operations. The company does not report how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas. The company does not disclose targets to reduce water pollution. The company does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water.

Solid and air pollution
No evidence that Yokohama Rubber is reducing the production of hazardous waste was found. The company does not report on the amount of plastic waste generated and proportions directed from or to disposal. The company does not report time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.

GHG emissions
No evidence that Yokohama Rubber’s scope 1 and 2 emissions target is aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory was found. The company does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce its scope 3 emissions.

Invasive species
Yokohama Rubber has not identified any activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive species in its own operations.

Safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Yokohama Rubber does not disclose a commitment to respecting local communities’ right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment or to zero tolerance for acts of violence, threats, intimidation or judicial harassment committed against land and environmental rights defenders.

Indigenous Peoples’ and land rights
Yokohama Rubber does not disclose a commitment to respect Indigenous Peoples’ rights. The company does not disclose its processes for identifying and recognising the rights of Indigenous Peoples when activities in its own operations may impact their rights, nor does it describe how it obtains Indigenous Peoples’ free, prior and informed consent. The company does not disclose a commitment to respect ownership and use of land and natural resources and related legitimate tenure rights, as set out in the relevant part(s) of the VGGTs or the IFC Performance Standards.

Yokohama Rubber has an opportunity to describe a comprehensive process for identifying its human rights risks and impacts across all its activities, especially through its business relationships. The company has an opportunity to describe a process for assessing the human rights risks it has identified and to disclose what it considers to be its salient human rights issues. A description of this process would include how relevant factors are considered, such as geographical, economic and social factors. No evidence was found that the company has a global system to act on its salient human rights issues. The company has an opportunity to disclose the stakeholders it engages with on human rights risks.

While Yokohama Rubber has a publicly available statement regarding respect for the health and safety of workers on webpage, there is no evidence this is a formal policy, approved and signed off by the highest governance body. No evidence that the company discloses a time-bound target for paying all workers a living wage or that it has achieved paying all workers a living wage was found. No evidence that the company describes how it determines a living wage for the regions where it operates was found. The company states that it comply with each country’s and region’s applicable laws and regulations regarding minimum wage, however it does not describes how it works to support the payment of a living wage by its business relationships. The company has an opportunity to disclose the coverage of collective bargaining agreements. The company has an opportunity to describe how it works to support the practices of its suppliers in relation to freedom of association and collective bargaining.

Yokohama Rubber has a publicly available tax strategy, which is approved by the highest governance body. No evidence that the company describes the process for identifying its bribery and corruption risks and impacts in specific locations or activities covering its own operations was found. The company includes anti-bribery and anti-corruption clauses in its contracts with direct business relationships. The company does not disclose its approach to lobbying and political engagement in a public policy document.