Sept 8, 2020 – Showa Denko (SDK; TSE:4004) signed a document to declare joining “The Valuable 500,” an international initiative to promote inclusion of handicapped persons on September 1, 2020, because the Company endorsed the aim and activities of the initiative.
The Valuable 500 was launched at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos held in January 2019. This international initiative was launched to promote inclusion of handicapped persons under an idea that “inclusive business creates inclusive society.” The Valuable 500 aims to encourage business leaders to make their own companies’ businesses inclusive ones in order to let handicapped persons demonstrate their potential to add value to businesses, society and economy.
To indicate its own approval for the idea and activities of The Valuable 500, SDK set up commitments as follows:
The Showa Denko Group will promote diversity and inclusion, aiming to let all employees shine in the company as a stage, regardless of whether each employee has been handicapped or not. We will act to move people’s heart and society, and provide the world with surprises and excitements.
1. Under the slogan that “We change unique personality into power” which aims to promote inclusion of handicapped persons, the Showa Denko Group will promote establishment of inclusive workplaces where each handicapped or sick employee can feel peace of mind and show what everybody can do. (D&I: Diversity and Inclusion)
2. We will provide handicapped employees with environment and opportunities that enable them to show what they can do, career vision that fit to their personalities, and support to realize these.
3. We will promote employment of handicapped persons (inclusion of handicapped persons) with specific targets.
In addition, with this signing as motivation, the Showa Denko Group will start an in-house campaign named “Uniqueness Supporter 500.” In this campaign, we will call for 500 or more employees who voluntarily support the idea to establish inclusive workplaces, and, in the future, we will aim to create a community in the Group to give support to handicapped persons.
The Showa Denko Group will continue promoting diversity and inclusion, aiming to become a corporate group that contributes to creation of sustainable society, and let “everybody in this organization have power to yield profit and create new value through cooperative work among diversified persons who make the most of each other’s uniqueness, values and ideas.”
The Valuable 500 website: https://www.thevaluable500.com/
Diversity and inclusion activities of the Showa Denko Group: https://www.sdk.co.jp/csr/Labor_Practices/employee.html
About Showa Denko K.K.
Showa Denko K.K. (SDK; TSE:4004, ADR:SHWDY) is a major manufacturer of chemical products serving from heavy industry to computers and electronics. The Petrochemicals Sector provides cracker products such as ethylene and propylene, the Chemicals Sector provides industrial, high-performance and high-purity gases and chemicals for semicon and other industries, the Inorganics Sector provides ceramic products, such as alumina, abrasives, refractory/graphite electrodes and fine carbon products. The Aluminum Sector provides aluminum materials and high-value-added fabricated aluminum, the Electronics Sector provides HD media, compound semiconductors such as ultra high bright LEDs, and rare earth magnetic alloys, and the Advanced Battery Materials Department (ABM) provides lithium-ion battery components. For more information, please visit www.sdk.co.jp/english/.