azbil Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines

Request for action in line with the azbil Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines for business partners

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in consistently conducting activities in line with the azbil Group philosophy. At the azbil Group, we strive to implement the philosophy and actively work towards achieving a sustainable society and protecting the global environment through our business activities. Our efforts focus not only on Japan but also on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),^*1 which are a global undertaking.We are making progress with a broad range of initiatives, such as activities aimed at decarbonization, sustainable planning of new products, and regional revitalization.

In this context, we aim to build a long-term relationship of trust with you, the azbil Group’s business partners, in our procurement activities, thereby enhancing the added value provided by both you and the azbil Group. With this foundation, we will reinforce our supply chain initiatives to realize a sustainable society and fulfill our social responsibilities more proactively, in response to growing societal expectations regarding the SDGs and other important challenges.

As part of these supply chain initiatives, we prepared the "CSR^*2 Procurement Guidelines" in 2021, considering both social and environmental perspectives. Thanks to the substantial cooperation we received from our business partners, we have been able to make progress with initiatives aimed at a sustainable society. These initiatives require accurate adaptation to the continually changing environment and customer requirements, which is why we have revised our correspondence standards for business integrity,^*3 BCP, ^*4 and other necessary initiatives, based on recent domestic and international trends. We have updated and released our guidelines, now known as the “aG^*5 Sustainable Procurement Guidelines”.

The guidelines outline the orientation of diverse sustainable activities within the supply chain as well as points requiring compliance, based on the fundamental principles expressed in the azbil Group’s philosophy and the Guiding Principles for azbil Group Business.

The azbil Group looks forward to further collaboration with you, our valued business partners, toward a more sustainable society. We ask for your continued understanding and cooperation in this endeavor.

If you would like to view this in PDF format, you can download it here.
Details are also available on the following website.

azbil Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines Fifth edition, issued on March 2025

English (618KB)

The azbil Group considers the following to be areas for Sustainable Procurement.
*Please click on the links in the table or below the table to see the details for each target area.

Main category	Intermediate category	Subcategory
E (Environmental supply chain)	Climate change(GHG, energy)	Climate change (GHG, energy)
	Pollution and resources (Air, wastewater, hazardous waste, waste reduction, raw materials, etc.)	Compliance with environmental regulations Green procurement Management of chemical substances in products Effective use of resources and waste reduction Environmental considerations in product design and handling of goods
	Water security and risk	Reduction of water use and wastewater emissions Prevention of pollution (wastewater, sludge etc)
	Biodiversity	Biodiversity
	Environmental management	Environmental management
S (Social supply chain)	Labor practices	Labor recruitment and employment Working hours Wages and allowances Elimination of child labor and employment of young workers Prohibition of discrimination Freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining Prohibition of inhumane treatment Promotion of diversity and inclusion
	Health and safety	Occupational safety Emergency preparedness Occupational accidents and illnesses Industrial hygiene Consideration for physically demanding work Machine safety measures Sanitation facilities, food, and housing Health and safety communication Employee health management Work style reform and work-life balance
	Human rights	Respect for fundamental human rights Exclusion of anti-social forces Responsible mineral sourcing
	Contributions to the local community	Contributions to the local community
	Quality, customers	Quality management Provision of accurate product and service information
G (Governance)	Compliance with laws and regulations/Respecting international standards	Compliance with laws and regulations/Respecting international standards
	Observance of fairness in commercial transactions	Observance of fairness in commercial transactions Anti-corruption Respect for intellectual property Protection of whistleblowers Appropriate import/export controls
	Management system construction	Management system construction Supplier Management Grievance mechanism
	Appropriate information disclosure	Appropriate information disclosure
	Information security	Information security Protection of personal information Prevention of leaks of confidential information
	Drafting and preparation of a business continuity plans	Drafting and preparation of a business continuity plans

azbil Group Sustainable Procurement Guidelines outline in specific terms the actions and activity that we would like to see from our business partners in each of these target areas.

azbil Group Sustainable Procurement Self-Evaluation Questionnaire (September 2024 Edition)

English (173KB)

The azbil Group conducts an annual questionnaire with our business partners based on the Sustainable Procurement Guidelines. We promote sustainable initiatives by collaborating on improvement activities, considering the self-assessment results of our business partners.
If you would like to view the questionnaire content, you can download it from here.

*1. SDGs: Sustainable Development Goals
The SDGs were incorporated into the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted unanimously by member states at a United Nations Summit in September 2015. The SDGs consist of 17 goals and 169 targets that aim for a sustainable and better world by 2030.

*2. CSR: corporate social responsibility
CSR refers to corporate action through which a company takes responsibility for the impacts of its activities with an eye to living in harmony with society and environment and achieving sustainable growth. It is used to describe how a company should act to earn the trust of the various stakeholders surrounding it.
Generally speaking, CSR refers to voluntary activities in areas that are not purely financial, such as legal compliance, consumer protection, environmental protection, labor rights, human rights, and contribution to local communities.

*3. Business integrity
This refers to the capacities and sense of values considered most important in a company’s management. Companies are expected to prioritize integrity, fulfilling a broad range of social responsibilities that extend beyond mere compliance with the law, and to practice business ethics.

*4. BCP: business continuity plan
A plan to allow for the continuation of important business, even if a company is faced with an emergency situation like a disaster or accident. It helps minimize business interruptions and facilitates rapid recovery.

*5. aG: azbil Group
aG is an abbreviation for the azbil Group.