＜Policies＞

As a member of the local communities that support our activities, we aim to help create prosperous local communities and engage actively in community activities.

From GCI Group CSR Policy “Local Community”

We promote the achievement of SDGs within Japan, and we participate in joint governmental-private sector platforms, as established by the Cabinet Office, for the promotion of SDGs to rejuvenate local economies. Through these activities, we aim to further rejuvenate Japan’s regional economies and engage in governmental/private-sector cooperative projects to deepen our partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders.

The principal objective of the SDGs Gunma Liaison Association, which was launched in November 2019, is to promote SDGs within Gunma Prefecture. As a corporate member of the Association, we contribute to the publishing of information on SDGs within the local community.

GCI Group is a member of the Takasaki Environmental Partnership Association.
The Takasaki Environmental Partnership Association is an organization led by the Takasaki city authorities. Based on the Takasaki City Environmental Basic Plan, the Association aims to bring together citizens groups, businesses and the city authorities to promote policies for the protection and creation of a sound local environment. GCI Group participates the clean-up campaigns organized as part of the environmental fair that takes place in the city every June.

The Goso Kyoeikai is composed of companies which are based in the Shukuorui industrial estate where GCI is located and neighboring industrial estates. The association was launched in October 2009 and aims to promote the maintenance of friendly ties between member companies, collaboration with related organizations, the maintenance and strengthening of the systems in place for managing the industrial estate, improvements to local public facilities and contributions to the local community. The name of the group comes from the desire of the original five (go) companies to prosper together (kyoei) as a group (kai) and create (so) new values. In addition to regular meetings of the member companies and mutual tours of each other’s plants, member companies conduct various activities to increase communications with the local community, including cleaning local roads, cooperating with blood donation drives, and volunteering to monitor local road safety.

Konan Industrial Estate Association began with 66 member companies in 1968 which were all based in Konan City in the southeastern part of Shiga Prefecture. The Association was founded with the aim of helping companies based in the same region collaborate widely over issues including labor conditions, the provision of employee welfare, health and safety in the workplace, and a range of other matters.
In addition to regular monthly meetings and mutual patrols of each other’s premises, the member companies strive to improve the surrounding environment through activities that include participation in a group working to improve the environment of the local Chagama River. Other events include inter-company social occasions such as bowling competitions. Last year, the Association members also took part in a walking event along the shore of Lake Biwa and nearby rice fields.

Oumi is an alternative name for Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, while “Eco Foster” is a Japanese phrase meaning to care for the environment. The campaign is a volunteer-based community cleaning activity comprised of volunteers who love and feel responsibility for the beautification and protection of local public areas, including local residents and businesses. It is intended to raise awareness of the need to clean and care for our surroundings and to help local people and local authorities to improve the area together by preventing the spread of litter. At the Shiga plant, we participate twice monthly in the cleaning of roads surrounding our premises.

We offer work experience placements in agreement with the policies of local educational institutions (including junior and senior high schools, vocational schools and universities) who wish to instill in their students a strong work ethic, a feel for employment, and knowledge about various jobs, helping their students develop the abilities and attitudes they need to select their careers.

Every year on the final Saturday of August, we hold the Gunei Summer Festival within our company premises to deepen our ties of friendship with the local community. In addition to a booth introducing the company, designed to help local people feel a greater affinity with our work, the festival also features performances of dance and traditional Japanese taiko drumming, and other attractions including food stands selling shaved ice, traditional fried noodles and French fries, etc., various games for children, and a prize lottery.

TGCI is a member of Good Governance Activity, an activity program promoted by the Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT), a government-affiliated body under the jurisdiction of Thailand’s Ministry of Industry. Through these activities, the company is actively involved in events with the local community as well as efforts to reduce the company’s environmental impact.

On September 25, 2020, after passing an audit involving local people and officials from the Ministry of Industry, the company received the IEAT’s Green Star Award in recognition of the company’s regular activities to prevent environmental pollution.

On May 5, 2022, after passing an audit of the green factory promotion activities conducted in line with the Thai government’s campaign for a bio-circulation-green (BCG) economy, the company was awarded the Green Industry Certification.

■ Contributing to local community welfare

As a corporate member of the Kitakami Social Welfare Association, a social welfare corporation formed with the objective of improving the welfare of local residents, we work together with related organizations and government organs to promote health and welfare among local residents, contributing to the creation of communities with comprehensive welfare provision.