Nitto Denko Corporation (Headquarters: Osaka, Japan; Chairman/CEO: Hideo Takasaki, President/COO: Tatsuya Akagi; hereinafter “Nitto”) has signed the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), a joint initiative of the UN Global Compact and UN Women, as well as the Valuable 500, an initiative that promotes global inclusion of people with disabilities.

The Nitto Group places ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) at the core of its management and is pursuing sustainable business growth toward 2030, while striving to simultaneously solve social issues and create economic value. At the foundation of this approach is our unwavering belief that human resources are our most valuable assets. Creating an environment where all employees, regardless of gender, age, nationality, or disability, can freely and confidently demonstrate their abilities and continue to take on new challenges, has been the driving force behind the Nitto Group’s growth.

Our commitment to WEPs is not only a step toward accelerating women’s empowerment but also a crucial milestone in further advancing DE&I across the entire Nitto Group, through visualizing global issues, developing action plans, and strengthening of the PDCA cycle based on the seven WEPs principles. In addition, our commitment to the Valuable 500 demonstrates our strong determination to further advance initiatives that expand growth opportunities and areas of participation for employees with disabilities, and to realize a work environment and society where diverse employees can work happily and enthusiastically.

The Nitto Group places ESG at the core of its management and aims to become an essential top ESG company by 2030 by addressing social issues while creating economic value. At the heart of this vision is our belief that people are our most valuable assets, and we strive to foster a workplace where employees can work with peace of mind and take on challenges with confidence. Nitto respects diversity across gender, nationality, age, career, and disability, and promotes DE&I globally. While progress in women’s empowerment has been steady, regional differences remain. By endorsing the Women’s Empowerment Principles (WEPs), we will strengthen our efforts through visualization, action planning, and PDCA to enable diverse talent to thrive and continue delivering new value to society.

The Nitto Group places ESG at the core of its management. We aim to remain a sustainably growing company that continues to simultaneously solve social issues and create economic value. We view our ESG initiatives as an investment for the future and will convert future-financial corporate value into a corporate competitive advantage. We will continue evolving toward 2030 to become an essential top ESG company.

Based on the belief that the Nitto Group considers human resources as its most valuable assets, we aim to realize the 2030 ideal state by respecting individuals who understand diversity, including nationality, gender, age, career and disability, and act with integrity. To enable every employee to have a sense of ownership over their career development and demonstrate their strengths, we will place them in the right positions, expand growth opportunities, and foster a culture of embracing challenges.

Above all, within our understanding and respect for diversity, we consider the independent growth of persons with disabilities as a key theme, and we intend to actively expand employment opportunities. In Japan, centered on the five companies of the special subsidiary Nitto Himawari Group, we will create an environment where individuals can engage in work that leverages their strengths and in crucial tasks directly linked to Nitto’s business. We strive to expand the opportunities for employees with disabilities to play an active role, so they can take on challenges inside and outside the company. Globally, we are also evolving our approach to the inclusion of diverse human resources while respecting local laws and cultures. We are taking on the challenge of creating a work environment where everyone feels rewarding and satisfied with what they are doing.

Through these initiatives, we aim to contribute to the realization of an inclusive society that does not exclude persons with disabilities, working alongside the broader community to create a future where everyone thrives.

The WEPs are a set of guidelines jointly established by the United Nations Global Compact and UNIFEM (now UN Women) in March 2010, for companies which voluntarily integrate gender equality into the core of their business management. The seven principles cover the “workplace”, “marketplace”, and “community”, encouraging companies to address gender equality as socially responsible entities.

Nitto is a global manufacturer of high-performance materials, offering a wide range of products and services, including optical materials such as polarizers for display devices, circuit boards, industrial tapes, and medical-related products. These solutions are built on eight core technologies that have been cultivated since the company’s founding in 1918. Guided by its brand slogan, “Innovation for Customers,” Nitto strives to deliver essential value to society and contribute to a sustainable global environment and a prosperous future for humanity.