Sony’s founding charter contains the phrases, “building an ideal factory that is both open-minded and pleasant” and “rebuilding Japan with the power of technology and improving culture through energetic activity,” which express the desire to reconstruct a post-War Japan fallen into difficulty using the power of technology. As such, during the 1950s, we set up laboratories for children in order to teach them the joys of science through scientific experiments.

More recently, we have been active in efforts with the aim of achieving a sustainable society, beginning activities related to the environment in 1990 and establishing the CSR Department in 2003. At the same time the CSR Department had been created, we initiated CSR procurement, one of the first among Japanese companies. The company believes that using its influence as a large corporation, it can help transform the other companies in its conglomerate as well as small- to mid-size trading partners, wielding a significant positive effect on society as a whole.

Behind the decision to commence CSR procurement.

There were two main occurrences leading to our decision to begin CSR procurement. First was the 1990s boycott movement led by NGOs and consumer groups after issues of child labor were discovered at the factories of a major apparel manufacturer’s subcontractor. Companies in the electronics industry like Sony saw that soon enough we too would be held accountable for conditions in our subcontractors’ factories. The other occurrence was a growing tide within the electronics industry to cooperate and actively promote CSR activities. Many of our trading partners and subcontractors also did business with other major IT manufacturers, and the various CSR activity standards set by companies were causing confusion and difficulty.

To alleviate such problems, Sony and other electronics makers formed the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC). In such a fashion, the various major corporations in the electronics industry came to hold consultations amongst ourselves to determine common standards for CSR involvement, while also having periodic exchanges of opinions with international NGOs and other groups.

Corporations can’t go it alone.

However, as long as there were people who had no choice but to work under even harsh labor conditions, it was possible that going ahead with CSR procurement would backfire, costing those same people their jobs. At the same time, companies cannot realistically provide welfare assistance as part and parcel of their principal business activities. Only through the aggregate effect of efforts by the government of the country along with supportive NGO activities will develop economy and mature society, giving corporate CSR activities a chance to work.

However, CSR procurement is not widely understood in Japan. Nor, even, is the term yet a ‘household’ name within the company. As such, we are currently holding monthly showings of movies dealing with the problems in the production process, as well as hosting talks by NGOs. One employee praised such efforts, saying, “I felt a renewed sense of pride in my work after learning how much they take into consideration in the manufacturing process.” First, after creating such awareness among the entire company’s employees, then eventually a similar awareness can be brought to the Japanese consumer, instilling a feeling of pride among producers and retailers as well as customers.