Supply Chain Management

At Sunstar Group, sustainable supply chain management isn’t just a function but rather a reflection of our global values. We take a long-term, ethical approach to procurement, grounded in transparency, compliance, and environmental responsibility. From enforcing human rights due diligence to promoting eco-conscious sourcing and fair partnerships, our procurement practices are designed to support a healthier planet and society.

Policy and Approach

The Sunstar Group conducts all business activities with respect to the sustainable development of society and the planet. In our procurement process, we endeavor to fulfill our social responsibility through compliance with laws, ordinances and social norms, and due consideration toward environmental conservation, human rights, safety, and other issues.

As the scope of our activities expands across the world, we strive to form long-lasting relationships with our partners, rooted in honest and fair transactions and strong considerations for society and the natural environment worldwide. When starting or continuing business with our suppliers, we place importance not only on their performance in terms of quality, delivery, cost, and technology, but also on their commitment to continuous improvement and their attitude toward environmental preservation and social responsibility. For that purpose, we periodically ask suppliers to respond to questionnaires on social responsibility and environmental conservation. Through these activities, we promote sustainable procurement.

We are committed to respecting human rights, upholding fair working conditions, and protecting the environment across our full supply chain — from raw materials to finished products. Our approach is grounded in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs), the ILO core conventions, and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises.

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Sunstar Group Basic Procurement Policy

The Sunstar Group shall engage in fair and honest purchasing activities in compliance with laws, ordinances and social norms.
In support of a sustainable society, we shall endeavor to fulfill our social responsibility, giving due consideration to environmental conservation, human rights, and other issues

１．Compliance with laws, ordinances and social norms
In procurement activities, we shall conduct our business in compliance with related laws, ordinances and social norms

２．Fairness and honesty
In procurement activities, we shall refrain from bribery, corruption, fraud, and anti-competitive behaviour and engage in appropriate business transactions where there are fair and honest opportunities for competition from a global perspective.

３．Environmental conservation
In procurement activities, we shall work with business partners to address any environmental impact based on an understanding of the importance of environmental conservation.

４．Human rights
We are committed to respecting human rights throughout our supply chain and expect our suppliers to uphold standards relating to fair working conditions, the prohibition of forced labour, bonded labour and child labour, and the responsible sourcing of minerals.

５．Building of mutually beneficial relationships
We shall uphold the confidentiality of information from business partners and work to build mutually beneficial relationships of trust.

６．Contribution to society
Throughout procurement activities, we shall seek to contribute to society, placing importance on ties with business partners, customers, employees, and local communities.

Sunstar Group Business Partner Code of Conduct

We expect our business partners to share our commitment to responsible business. These expectations are set out in our Business Partner Code of Conduct — the minimum standards any supplier, distributor, or contractor must meet to work with Sunstar. We back these expectations with a structured due diligence process applied to all Tier 1 suppliers globally.

Read our Code of Conduct

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The Value Chain and Sustainability—Initiatives and Challenges

Major Initiatives

Building a responsible supply chain (Europe, Americas, Japan)

We run the Sustainability Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for our suppliers to confirm commitments to human rights, the rejection of forced and child labor, environmental protection, the advancement of eco-friendly technologies, and the highest ethical standards. In addition, there is a strong focus on working with suppliers to increase the usage ratio of eco-friendly materials for the existing products and promote green purchasing practices.

Technology exchanges (Japan)

We strive for mutual growth alongside suppliers and hold technology exchanges with the aim of expanding the business operations of all parties based on a principle of prosperous coexistence. While sessions were held online from 2020, they went back to in person since 2023. The sessions are held with small numbers of participants to facilitate more in depth discussions.

Enhancement of the working condition in logistics and reduction of environmental impact (Japan)

Sunstar is working with information management, transportation and manufacturing firms to better coordinate sales distribution and logistics data, so that we can move in a ticket-less (reducing paper usage) and inspection less (improving working conditions) direction. We are also striving to improve working conditions and reduce CO₂ emissions across the whole of the logistics sector by using shared logistics to improve truck loading efficiency, reduce truck numbers, cut down on driver waiting times and achieve a modal shift.