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Sustainability

Kansai Electric Power Group Code of Conduct

Basic view

The Kansai Electric Power Group Code of Conduct details specifically how our executives and employees should act, providing a foundation for decision-making in our business activities. This code is based on the Kansai Electric Power Group Management Philosophy and takes all in-house company rules as prerequisites.

The business activities of the Kansai Electric Power Group are supported by a variety of stakeholders, including customers, shareholders and investors, business partners, employees and other members of society. The trust we receive from these stakeholders is itself the foundation that allows us to continue fulfilling our duties and pursuing sustainable growth as the Kansai Electric Power Group.

We fulfill our duties as a member of society by acting in accordance with our Management Philosophy and always thinking about what it means to thoroughly implement compliance not only for laws and regulations, but also for the standards expected by modern society.

We want to make our various stakeholders have unshakable trust in us by responding sincerely to their expectations for our group business activities.

Based on this mindset, our employees all work together and combine their individual capacities, enabling the Kansai Electric Power Group to contribute to the sustainable development of society.

1. Thorough compliance implementation1

At the Kansai Electric Power Group, we practice thorough legal and ethical compliance as the foundation to all our business activities. Business results and activities are absolutely never prioritized above compliance.
Moreover, anyone who raises questions or reports about issues related to compliance will not be treated unfairly in any way as a result.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • Act sincerely with good sense and dignity as one member of the Kansai Electric Power Group.
  • In the execution of business, abide by domestic and foreign laws and ordinances that restrict business along with other relevant legal restrictions as well as regulations established by the company and other in-house rules. Never undertake any behavior that is contrary to corporate ethics and accepted social norms.
  • Ask yourself the following questions about your conduct.
    • Would the conduct go against your own conscience?
    • Could you speak proudly about the conduct to your family and other people important to you?
    • Could you confidently explain the conduct to customers and other people outside the company?
    • Do you think continuing conduct as you have in the past is fine? Are you assuming that conduct is correct?
    • Are you continuing conduct as before even though you have doubts or feelings of discomfort about it?

When you have doubts about something or feel it is strange, have courage and report to and consult with work superiors or a Compliance Hotline.

2. Fair business activities

At the Kansai Electric Power Group, we practice fair and free competition and conduct reasonable business transactions. We do not participate in bribery or other corrupt conduct with the goal of obtaining profits unfairly. Moreover, we promote responsible procurement with high levels of sustainability and transparency.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • Provide services of higher value through fair competition.
  • Comply with the Antimonopoly Act, the Electricity Business Act, and other laws and regulations regarding fair business activities, and make a clean break with rule violations.
  • Do not provide or accept inappropriate gifts or entertainments.
  • Do not do anything that presents advantages only to specific individuals or businesses.
  • Maintain healthy relationships with politicians and government administrators.
  • Resolutely refuse inappropriate demands from antisocial (criminal) forces and organizations. Respond to such demands with the fortitude of the organization rather than as an individual. Maintain no relations with such forces and organizations.
3. Appropriate information disclosure, management and discussion

At the Kansai Electric Power Group, we reflect the feedback of society in our business activities appropriately. In addition, we conduct open business activities with high transparency by further advancing suitable and timely information disclosure and transmission along with communication with members of society as we fulfill our explanatory duties to society with sincerity. Furthermore, we manage personal data along with other types of information appropriately.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • Proactively communicate with members of society.
  • Undertake efforts fairly when providing information to members of society and conducting activities to promote understanding of our business activities.
  • Gather a wide range of opinions, desires and other feedback about our business activities from customers and members of society, share this data within the company and apply it to business improvement.
  • Manage personal data, customer data, business secrets and similar information appropriately.
  • Strictly handle records related to business.
  • When problems arise in business operations, report on the facts quickly and accurately.
4. Respect for human rights and promotion of diversity

At the Kansai Electric Power Group, we recognize human rights as a universal value shared by global society. We support international standards related to human rights and respects them in all our business activities. In addition, as we advance diversity, we will continue seeking to realize ways of working and cultivating workplace environments that enable every person to work with peace of mind and exercise their abilities to their maximum potentials.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • Respect the human rights of every individual involved in business activities and promote diversity.
    • Never say or do anything that is discriminatory, harassing, defamatory or taunting or that could otherwise cause another person to feel uncomfortable based on race, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, social position, family background, occupation, disability or other personal trait. Moreover, do not sympathize with such words or behavior or allow them to pass.
    • Never be involved in any kind of forced labor or child labor.
    • Endeavor to create workplaces that make the most of diverse senses of value and that enable people to work with vigor and vitality.
5. Assurance of safety2

Based on the Kansai Electric Power Group Code of Safety Conduct, we will continue building an unwavering culture of safety.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • Protect the safety of every person involved by making the assurance of safety the top priority in all activities.
6. Provision of products and services that customers choose

At the Kansai Electric Power Group, we strive to develop and improve products and services that customers choose through innovation and other efforts, and we contribute to resolving the issues of society.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • With self-awareness and pride as a professional, always strive to improve service and respond to customer desires and feedback sincerely, rapidly and accurately, contributing to their satisfaction.
  • In the execution of business activities, continuously improve work contents and rules to maintain and improve quality.
  • In order to deliver new value to customers and society, advance innovation and seek cooperative creation with stakeholders.
  • Endeavor to create and protect intellectual property, and utilize it effectively to develop and provide products and services that are useful to society.
7. Efforts toward the creation of an even better environment

At the Kansai Electric Power Group, we recognize the importance of working to respond to environmental issues ranging from climate change to the advancement of resource circulation and local environmental preservation. As a business with deep connections to the environment, we are striving to reduce the environmental impacts and risks that result from our business activities. Furthermore, we seek the creation of a better environment and actively contribute to the formation of a sustainable society by providing products and services with low environmental impacts.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • Recognize the significance of environmental conservation, and thoroughly consider the impacts that our own work has on the environment.
  • Practice conduct in our own work that considers the environment, including resource and energy conservation.
8. Problem-solving and development efforts for local communities

As a business that is very close to communities and daily life, we recognize that the advancement of the Kansai Electric Power Group is not possible without the sustainable development of local communities. With this understanding, as we cooperate with various stakeholders, we contribute positively to problem-solving and development in local communities through efforts to invigorate them and their economies. Furthermore, in our business activities overseas, we also contribute to the development of local communities as we consider their cultures and customs.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • Cooperate with local communities that have stakes in our business activities, and contribute to solving their problems and invigorating them.
  • In addition to listening for feedback from local communities, think about what you can put into practice yourself and participate actively in efforts that contribute to society.
9. Thorough risk management

The Kansai Electric Power Group is a business responsible for lifelines that are indispensable to society. We thoroughly implement systematic risk management in preparation for the occurrence of incidents, disasters and other events that threaten citizen lifestyles and corporate activities, and we make certain that products and services are provided safely and stably every day.

Conduct standards for individuals

  • Through daily inspections and other efforts, identify factors that could lead to accidents, disasters and defects, and strive to prevent them.
  • Prepare for natural disasters, military attacks, contagious disease spread, cyber attacks and other emergencies by anticipating them and conducting training, drills and other readiness practices.
  • In the event that an accident, natural disaster or other emergency occurs, work diligently in cooperation with all employees to realize rapid recovery and otherwise respond. This includes conveying appropriate information to customers in society, coordinating inside and outside the company, and arranging aid supplies.
10. Executive responsibility and thorough implementation of this code

The President and all executives of the Kansai Electric Power Group, recognizing their responsibility to implement this code, seek to build effective governance and make it understood well throughout the Group. Moreover, should any incident occur that violates this code and causes a loss of trust from society, all executives will bear responsibility for responding. This includes taking the lead in resolving resulting problems, investigating the causes and preventing recurrence.

  • 1In 2019, incidents were revealed in which executives and employees from our company received gifts and cash of significant value from a former deputy mayor of the town of Takahama in Fukui Prefecture and in which executives received problematic payments after retirement. These incidents caused great trouble and seriously betrayed the trust we received from our customers, members of society and our various stakeholders. This article takes this into consideration.
  • 2Taking to heart that safety is the foundation for all our business activities and the source of the trust that we earn, we established the Kansai Electric Power Group Code of Safety Conduct based on numerous lessons learned from accidents and disasters, including the accident that occurred at Mihama Nuclear Power Station Unit 3 in August 2004. This article takes this into consideration.