Management Fundamentals for
Value Creation
The Bridgestone Group believes that foundational initiatives are
essential to creating social and customer value. As a responsible
company, the Group is fulfilling its social responsibility byproactively responding to society’s expectations. Underpinningthese efforts are six Management Fundamentals and governancepractices that articulate the high expectations it has for operating
as a responsible business. The following pages detail the Group’s
work within each Management Fundamental.

Contents
Compliance, Fair Competition. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 63–64

Procurement .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 69

Business Continuity (BCP),
Risk Management .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 65–66

Topic: Sustainable Procurement of
Natural Rubber .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 70–71

Human Rights, Labor Practices .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 67

Quality and Customer Value .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 72

Safety, Industrial Hygiene. .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 68

Management Fundamentals for Value Creation

Compliance, Fair Competition
MISSION

Ensure excellence through compliance and integrity
We build trust with all stakeholders by ensuring that ethical decision-making guides
responsible business practices across our operations.
As the Bridgestone Group works around the world to fulfill its
vision of “continuing to provide social and customer value as asustainable solutions company toward 2050,” it is imperativethat it does so with the integrity expected of a leading global
business. That is why the Group is working toward its longterm goal of achieving a best-in-class compliance program.
One important aspect of compliance is the global Code of
Conduct that provides guidance to employees, suppliersand contractors for handling ethical issues such as anticorruption, competition/antitrust, conflicts of interest,
political contributions and charitable donations. The Group
strives to communicate with all employees around theworld and provide training (including in-person, virtual ande-learning formats) on a regular basis about the importanceof the global Code of Conduct and how it relates to each
employee’s role.

Global Anti-Bribery Program
To further clarify its expectations of all employees andthird-parties acting on its behalf, the Bridgestone Group
introduced its Global Anti-Bribery Policy in 2020. The policy
reinforces the Bridgestone Group’s longstanding policy
against bribery and corruption and represents anothersignificant milestone in its global compliance program.
The Global Anti-Bribery Policy was launched via live andonline trainings in each region. The policy provides that
“Bridgestone strictly prohibits all forms of bribery” andapplies to employees of the Bridgestone Group companies
across the globe, including joint ventures that it controls,
and third parties acting on the Group’s behalf. Where theGroup participates in but does not control a joint-venture
relationship, it encourages partners to adopt similar
requirements and abide by the principles of this Policy intheir own operations.
The Bridgestone Group also recognizes the bribery risks thatexist in working with third parties and conducts due diligenceon third parties it engages. In 2020, the Bridgestone Groupbolstered its compliance due diligence program with theintroduction of a new, third-party management system tohelp identify bribery and trade-compliance risks presented
by third parties with which the Group works. This supports

63 | Management Fundamentals for Value Creation | Compliance, Fair Competition

the rollout of the Global Anti-Bribery Policy, and the tool andpolicy together help to significantly strengthen the Group’s
global anti-bribery program.

Ensuring compliance is prioritized
The Bridgestone Group’s compliance program is built upon
five key elements:
1.	 Leadership, including engaging leaders, managers andsupervisors on compliance to ensure employees act
with integrity in everything they do.
2.	 Risk assessment, including taking a risk-based approachin designing the ethics and compliance program.
3.	 Standards and controls, including the Code of Conduct,
Global Anti-Bribery Policy and other global and regional
standards and controls.
4.	 Training and communication, including e-learning,in-person and other trainings that are risk-based anddesigned for targeted audiences.
5.	 Monitoring and responding, including providing multiple
channels for employees and others to report allegationsof misconduct or wrongdoing.
Across the enterprise and with all employees, the BridgestoneGroup is simultaneously pursuing multiple channels to ensurecompliance. For example:•

It hosted Regional Ethics and Compliance Advisory Panels
featuring leaders from different parts of the business
who encouraged employees to regularly address theimportance of ethics and compliance with their teams.

•

The Group’s operation in Japan conducted a surveyof more than 10,000 employees to measure overall
knowledge and secure feedback on the Complianceprogram, the Code of Conduct, the Global Anti-Bribery
Policy and the different resources available for sharing
concerns.

•

In Europe, Middle East, India and Africa, the Grouplaunched its first-ever Integrity Day in November 2020
with 37 compliance-related events involving more than
3,000 employees.

Sustainability Report 2020–2021

••In the China Asia Pacific region, the Group launched aregional conflicts of interest policy via multiple training
events and held a variety of Integrity Day events.
The Group’s Americas operation was named an honoree
for Convercent’s Compliance Innovation Award for its
sixth annual Ethics and Compliance Week. Activities
included a leadership discussion on compliance attended
by 1,100 participants, Leading with Integrity Awards
and the Bridgestone Compliance Battle Royale
gamification training.

Reporting concerns
As set forth in its Code of Conduct, the compliance programprovides multiple channels for employees and others toreport allegations of misconduct or wrongdoing, including
through an employee’s supervisor, Human Resources, theregional Chief Compliance Officer, the Law Department,Internal Audit, and the BridgeLine ethics hotline.
The BridgeLine is a web-based reporting system andphone hotline operated by third-party specialists that allow
employees and others to confidentially and anonymously
report suspected violations of the Bridgestone Code of
Conduct or other ethical concerns and questions. The
BridgeLine is available in multiple languages in all
Bridgestone Group companies. Each report is thoroughly
investigated, and information is regularly provided to
the Boards of Directors of Bridgestone Corporation andeach of its significant subsidiaries around the world.
More information on the Bridgestone Group’s global ethics
and compliance program is available online.

Our Approach to Tax
The taxes the Bridgestone Group pays are an
important part of its broader economic and social
impact and play a key role in the development of
the communities in which it operates. The Group
regards taxes as a cornerstone of its commitment
to grow in a sustainable, socially responsible
way. The Group introduced a Global Tax Policy toemployees responsible for corporate taxes with
the intent to improve penetration throughout theorganization. The Tax Policy will be used as a guideas it strengthens its governance to align withsociety’s expectations of responsible companies.

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Management Fundamentals for Value Creation

Business Continuity (BCP), Risk Management
MISSION

Prevent and mitigate operational risks
We anticipate, prevent and mitigate risk, and when crises arise, we protect our people,
property and profits.
To achieve its vision of providing social and customer value,
the continuity of business operations and safety and securityof employees are top priorities of the Bridgestone Group.
By anticipating, mitigating and appropriately managing
potential risks, the Group positively impacts business successwhile also protecting employees. To advance this knowledgeorganization-wide, the Group conducts regular trainings andfrequently reviews risk management and business continuity
plans and controls.

The Group also regularly reviews and updates its global risk
identification process to more effectively and efficiently
identify and mitigate global risks. This information, alongwith best practices, is shared with all SBUs around the world
to further improve processes. Information also is sharedwith employees, so they understand how their actions best
contribute to preventing and mitigating operational risks.

Managing risk across the enterprise

In 2020, the Group leveraged the unified, global crisis
management and business continuity approach it previously
developed to ensure it effectively responded to the COVID-19
pandemic. This approach included sharing best practices
that helped drive consistent responses to challenges theorganization faced in locations around the world.

The Bridgestone Group divides risks into two broad
categories: business strategic risk directly related to therealization of the Mid-Long Term Business Strategy, andoperational risks related to daily operations. These risks are
guided by ISO 31000:2018, the international standard for risk
management, and fall into the following four main areas:•

Occupational safety•

Environmental protection•

Sustainable operations and supplies•

Ethics and complianceMore information on each of these categories is available
in the Group’s Annual Report.
The Bridgestone Group initiates an annual, Group-wide
process to identify potential business risks facing each
Strategic Business Unit (SBU) and the overall organization.
Once risks are identified, the Group names individuals
responsible for driving risk mitigation and management
activities at the department and SBU levels. These people
focus on advancing the concept of autonomous andcontinuous improvement, and ensure effectivenessby establishing and promoting a risk-audit system.

Global risk identification

To identify its cybersecurity risk, the Group conducted thefirst assessment on its IT digital maturity in 2020. The
Group also continued to strengthen IT security organizationwide with e-learning programs for employees that addressed
email and other technologies. To raise awareness of IT
security among employees, the Group also regularly
conducts internal audits.
Moving forward, the Bridgestone Group will focus on
instituting a management system for addressing climatechange risks, as part of its Mid-Long Term Business Strategy.
It also will continue to address ongoing cybersecurity andcrisis management, as well as BCP framework improvements.

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BCP/Crisis management systembusiness operations and can transfer decision-making
and execution of event response and operations to a nonimpacted team, as necessary.

A prompt initial response is essential for business continuity.
In preparing for this response, the Bridgestone Group gives
top priority to ensuring life and safety, minimizing businesslosses, and anticipating business-impacting events that may
occur in the supply chain.

In 2020, a crisis management committee comprised of the
Global CEO, Global COO and key management was established
to review emerging information on various changes associatedwith the COVID-19 pandemic and make swift decisions toprotect employees’ health and safety and minimize businesslosses. This approach included sharing best practices
that helped drive consistent responses to challenges theorganization faced in locations around the world.

To achieve an early crisis recovery, it has established atiered response system based on the specific crisis situation,
and a system of countermeasures and protocols to addresseach situation. The Group’s approach enables prompt initial
response in the event of an emergency and immediate steps
toward early recovering and business continuity. Instrumental
to the Group’s success is a commitment to understanding
past experiences for continuous improvement in futurefocused plans.

Going forward, the Bridgestone Group will continue improving
its operational framework to strengthen risk management,
crisis management and BCP.
More information on the Bridgestone Group’s approach toBusiness Continuity and Risk Management is available online.

In addition, even in the event of a large-scale natural disasteror industrial accident, the Group is prepared to maintain

Climate Change Risk Management and Response to TCFD

The Bridgestone Group supports the Task Force on Climate-related Financial
Disclosure (TCFD) and its recommendations, and is working to address and disclose
climate change risks and opportunities identified in line with the TCFD framework.
The Group formulated a medium- to long-term strategy
towards carbon neutral in light of the climate-related risks
and opportunities. For strategy, the Group is working to
reduce transition risks (see pages 45-48) through climatechange mitigation actions, such as reducing greenhousegas emissions, while at the same time working to
reduce physical risks through adaptive measures, suchas diversifying natural rubber supply sources.

PHYSICAL RISKS

TRANSITION RISKS•

The risks include stronger typhoons and increased
frequency of flooding and drought, which pose
the risk of interrupting business activities••

The risks related to the procurement of raw
materials as a result of changing rainfall patterns
leading to poor harvesting of natural rubber•

The risk of lowering demand for winter tires
due to snowfall reduction

The risk of adverse effects on the Companies’
operating results and financial position, such as
limitations on business activities and increased
costs, in the event that the R&D expenses required
to meet the changing needs of clients and customers
do not produce sufficient results when systems
and regulations related to carbon taxes, reduction
obligations for CO2 emissions, emissions trading,and fuel-efficient tires, etc. are introduced.

The disclosure information recommended by TCFD is available online: TCFD Index / Annual Report66 | Management Fundamentals for Value Creation | Business Continuity (BCP), Risk Management

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Management Fundamentals for Value Creation

Human Rights, Labor Practices
MISSION

Advancing fundamental human rights and responsible
labor practices
We will foster an inclusive culture in which all Bridgestone entities and locations
adopt and apply ethical labor practices, build trust with our teammates, and model
our respect for diversity and fundamental human rights.
As part of its commitment to be a true global leader, theBridgestone Group is committed to advancing fundamental
human rights and responsible labor practices throughout its
worldwide operations. In addition to being the right thing
to do, this commitment enhances job satisfaction and pridefor employees, which is critical to the long-term, sustainablesuccess of its business.
The Bridgestone Group’s Global Human Rights Policy guides
the organization as it strives to uphold fundamental humanrights principles through interactions with employees,
consumers, customers, suppliers, contractors and community
members wherever the Group conducts business.
The Policy respects international norms including thosereflected in the United Nations Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, the United Nations Guiding Principles on
Business and Human Rights, various International Labor
Organization conventions and other globally recognized
standards.
The Bridgestone Group’s Global Human Rights Policy also
closely aligns with its global Code of Conduct and Global
Sustainable Procurement Policy. Since the policies wereintroduced in 2018, the group has trained more than 84,000
employees, 92.9% of its target audience, on these important
guiding principles.
The Bridgestone Group’s cross-regional Human Rights andLabor Practices Working Group is collaborating with the
Sustainable Procurement Working Group and the global
sustainability team to develop human rights-specific content
as part of a holistic global due-diligence and risk-assessment
process. The process is being designed to help build
awareness of specific contexts and causes of human rights
concerns, to understand the relationship between businessactivities and human rights implications, and to forge a
deeper understanding of the importance of human rights
across the value chain.

67 | Management Fundamentals for Value Creation | Human Rights, Labor Practices

In 2020, as part of its exploration of a comprehensive duediligence program, the Bridgestone Group conducted an
exploratory human rights assessment at the P.T. Bridgestone
Sumatra Rubber Estate in Indonesia with Caux Round Table,
an independent third-party organization, to evaluate
potential assessment methodologies. These pilot learnings
are informing and accelerating efforts to develop optimal
human rights content to be included in the Group’s holistic
due-diligence approach.

Ensuring the safety and promoting thedevelopment of employees
In 2020, the Bridgestone Group and its strategic business
units (SBUs) quickly deployed policies and practices toprotect the safety and security of employees around theworld as the business environment shifted rapidly during
the COVID-19 pandemic.
On an ongoing basis, the Group also conducts education
programs to help develop key talent with the ability to
guide and support the global organization. The BridgestoneGroup has invested significantly in programs to develop
next-generation business leaders to ensure that it has thebest talent available to guide the business in the future.
More information on the Bridgestone Group’s Human Rights
and Labor Practices is available online.

Sustainability Report 2020–2021

Management Fundamentals for Value Creation

Safety, Industrial Hygiene
MISSION

Safety First, Always
At Bridgestone, we make safety a business value. Creating a safe working place for all
is everyone’s responsibility. We promote safety activities throughout the value chain.
The Bridgestone Safety Mission Statement applies not only
to employees, but also to contractors and visitors. In every
Bridgestone Group operation around the world, the Safety
Mission Statement is prominently displayed for employees,
contractors and visitors to see. Through leadership, training
and other educational approaches, the Group strives tocontinue to grow and ensure all employees embody the
Safety Mission Statement.

As part of its safety mission, the Group is deploying
innovations to best assess and visualize enterprise safety
maturity in all regions. Doing so will help it accelerate
safety maturity across the organization. A key part of thisworkstream is the development of a digital platform thatallows employees to evaluate the implementation status
and activity results of safety-related projects at any time.

The Bridgestone Group aims to mitigate and control all workrelated injury risks. In an effort to achieve this goal, the Grouphas established an internal global safety management system
in reference to ISO 45001 and national standards/regulations.
It also created global standards on occupational health andsafety, as well as disaster prevention. In 2020, it developed
the nine standards mentioned below. Today, the Group has
28 global standards being introduced at all sites across theorganization.

Safety Performance

•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•

Management of change
Communication
Emergency preparation and response
Safety training
Near miss, hidden danger report system
Handling large tires
Motor vehicle safety
Chemicals
Ergonomics

In 2020, across the Bridgestone Group, there were 12
serious injuries¹ and no fatalities among employees at its
4,691 production and logistics sites and retail shops.
Global lost-time injury frequency rates² were 2.57 for
employees. The rate for contractors, which the Groupalso works hard to protect, was 2.31.
The Bridgestone Group’s safety-related data is verified by
Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, a third-party organization,
to ensure the accuracy and transparency of this information.
More information on the Bridgestone Group’s global Safety
and Industrial Hygiene initiatives is available online.

Foundation for all areas of the business
As the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the Bridgestone Groupdeveloped a risk assessment method regarding COVID-19
and deployed it globally. In this way, the Group carried out
safe business operations and provided a stable productsupply to customers.
Also in 2020, the Group began developing common global
requirements that each department should implement toensure safety, prevent disasters and protect the environment.
The Group also is in the process of expanding safety-risk
assessments beyond equipment to include work performed
in production, sales and warehouse locations. Future efforts
will include new technology to improve worker safety, suchas human detection in hazardous areas.
		 The Bridgestone Group defines serious injuries as amputation (except some first joints of finger or toe), complete loss of vision, fracture (excluding finger, toe, foot, hand or infracture) or
hospitalization of more than one month.
Lost-time injury frequency rate = (number of lost-time injuries/total working hours) x 1,000,000.

1

2

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Management Fundamentals for Value Creation

Procurement
MISSION

Create value to society through sustainable procurement practices
We are committed to creating value and continually working towards a sustainable
society to realize long-term environmental, social and economic benefits by incorporating
the following into the supply chain:
1.	Transparency

3.	Quality, cost, delivery (QCD) and innovation

2.	Compliance

4.	Sustainable procurement practices

The Bridgestone Group’s sustainable procurement initiatives
create long-term environmental, social and economic benefits
for stakeholders across its supply chain. This work is guided
by its Global Sustainable Procurement Policy that aligns with
the Group’s goal of using 100% sustainable materials1 by
2050 and beyond. The policy helps identify and evaluate
qualified suppliers, promote best practices and serves as acommunication and improvement tool for the industry.

The Bridgestone Group’s goal is to increase EcoVadis
assessments from 89% as of April 2021 to 95% or more ofits spend basis for the Group’s Tire 1 tire-direct material
suppliers by 2023.

To align with stakeholder expectations, including the Global
Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) Policy
Components that were approved in September 2020, theGroup will revise its Global Sustainable Procurement Policy
within 2021. One of the main revisions is the expectationthat suppliers promote a carbon-neutral supply chain. This
expectation mirrors the Group’s December 2020 update to its
long-term environmental target of achieving a carbon-neutral
state by 2050 and beyond, along with its target of reducing
total CO2 emissions by 50%2 by 2030. The Group also includes
new requirements for the enhancement of environmentally
responsible procurement and respect for human rights.

Ensuring compliance
To monitor compliance with its Global Sustainable
Procurement Policy, the Bridgestone Group works with
EcoVadis to conduct enhanced ESG risk assessments of new
and existing major Tier 1 suppliers to its tire business. As of
April 2021, 60% the Group’s Tire 1 tire-direct material suppliers
completed the third-party assessment with EcoVadis. Of
suppliers who were reviewed, 64% scored an overall averageof 45 or higher, which indicates a commitment to Sustainable
Procurement Practices.

The Bridgestone Group also conducts sustainableprocurement seminars in all business regions to help
suppliers improve their ESG activities, based on the resultsof the EcoVadis ESG risk assessment. In 2019, 65 suppliers
attended the seminars in Japan.

Tracing conflict minerals
The Bridgestone Group’s Sustainable Procurement Policy
covers all materials, including conflict minerals (tin, tungsten,tantalum and gold) and cobalt extracted in conflict areas suchas the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and adjoining
countries. The Group conducts risk assessments across its
supply chain using the Conflict Minerals Reporting Template(CMRT) and the Cobalt Reporting Template (CRT) compiled by
the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) alliance consisting ofover 380 global corporations and organizations. BridgestoneGroup suppliers whose products potentially contain conflictminerals are required to complete and submit the CMRT and
CRT annually.
Additionally, the Group has traced 100% of the smeltersfrom which it sources tire-product materials globally. All arecompliant with the Responsible Minerals Assurance Process(RMAP), which is certified by RMI.
More information on the Group’s procurement practices isavailable online.

		 The Bridgestone Group defines sustainable materials as materials "1) that come from resources with a continual supply, 2) that can be used as part of our business over the long-term, and 3) that have a
low environmental and social impact over the lifecycle from procurement to disposal."
		 Baseline year: 2011.

1

2

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Topic: Sustainable Procurement of Natural Rubber

As a leading company in the tire and rubber industry, the Bridgestone Group is
focused on continually meeting the increasing global demand for natural rubber,while also addressing the environmental and social risks arising from this expansion.
This is why it is focusing on the sustainable procurementof natural rubber. In doing so, the Group is addressing
environmental stewardship practices, respect for humanrights, support of fair labor practices and increasedtransparency, all of which are outlined in its Global
Sustainable Procurement Policy.

Worldwide, it has donated 5.6 million budded stumps valued at
2 million USD. In addition, the Bridgestone Group uses genome
data to improve breeding technologies and growing methods
to make rubber trees more resilient and productive.

To prevent deforestation by all practicable means, theGroup’s sourcing and production activities protect andrestore primary forests, as well as High Conservation Value(HCV) and High Carbon Stock (HCS) areas that are criticalto addressing climate change and preserving wildlife.

In Southeast Asia, where over 90% of the world’s rubber
tree plantations are concentrated, white root rot disease isworsening, killing trees by infecting and rotting their roots.
It can be difficult to detect, especially in the early stages whentreatment is more successful. The Bridgestone Group has
developed techniques to diagnose the disease early using
satellite imaging and DNA testing, and by examining leaf
colors and temperatures.

Natural rubber is a renewable resource that provides
livelihood opportunities for millions of people aroundthe world. The natural rubber economy is massive but
fragmented, consisting of many complicated layers of
raw material dealers, processing plants, rubber productmanufacturers and smallholder farmers. While a key
ingredient in many products, 70% of the world’s natural
rubber consumption is used in tire production. Most of
this is grown by farmers in Southeast Asia, where rubber
trees are planted on small farms and large plantations.
Globally, farming of rubber trees provides employment
for more than 6 million people.
To improve traceability and sustainability along thecomplex natural rubber supply chain, the BridgestoneGroup introduced new KPIs on natural rubber traceability.
The Group is committed to collecting 100% of its natural
rubber sourcing information from direct suppliersby 2023.
SEEDING SUCCESS TO SMALLHOLDERS

Nearly all of the world’s natural rubber is derived from Hevea
brasiliensis, a type of rubber tree found primarily in the rain
forests of West Africa, South America and Southeast Asia.
These forests risk depletion, so to offset its footprint in theseregions, the Bridgestone Group provides Hevea rubber trees
to smallholders. The Group also provides these smallholders
with technical training and productivity-improvement
techniques developed on its own rubber farms. Since 2005,
the Group has provided more than 370,000 saplings tofarmers in Indonesia alone.

70 | Topic: Sustainable Procurement of Natural Rubber

FIGHTING AGAINST RUBBER TREE DISEASESUPPORTING RUBBER GROWING COMMUNITIES

Being respectful of local rubber farmers and smallholders is
critical to the Bridgestone Group’s commitment to protecting
the environment while creating value for the communities
where it operates. These efforts help protect the people andplaces the Group relies on.
On its farms, the Bridgestone Group ensures access to safe
and clean water; provides free medical care; operates 26
free schools from kindergarten to 12th grade and employs
more than 350 teachers; and has introduced renewableenergy sources for sustainable and affordable access tolighting and energy.
To help independent smallholder farmers, the BridgestoneGroup hosts Seeding Success to Smallholders workshops inSoutheast Asia, providing technical training and productivityimprovement techniques developed on its own farms. In 2018and 2019, hundreds of smallholders participated in sessions
to learn techniques such as how to grow quality rubber trees,
replanting trees, preventing disease and best practices fortapping trees.

CO-CREATING A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The Bridgestone Group is proud of its sustainability progress
but improvements at scale will be achieved through industrywide collaboration. That’s why the Group and other global

Sustainability Report 2020–2021

Topic: Sustainable Procurement of Natural Rubber

tire companies launched the Global Platform for Sustainable
Natural Rubber (GPSNR), to transform the industry for the
better. As a member of the GPSNR Executive Committee,
the Bridgestone Group actively drives discussions amongrubber suppliers, automakers, NGOs, smallholder farmers
and tire companies. GPSNR members are working together
to improve respect for human rights, prevent land-grabbing
and deforestation, protect biodiversity and water resources,
improve yields, and increase supply chain transparency andtraceability.
More information on the Bridgestone Group’s commitment
to sustainable natural rubber is available on its Bridgestone
Sustainability Journey microsite.

A MESSAGE FROM

Sadayoshi Tobai
Chief Executive Officer, WWF Japan
Establishing GPSNR in 2018 as a place for discussion
among various stakeholders was a major step forward
towards sustainability of natural rubber, and WWF
has been involved in many of the discussions eversince. Yet, ensuring supply chain transparency andsustainability, and the equitable sharing of thecosts for sustainability throughout the supply chain,remain today’s big challenges.
It is urgently important for GPSNR and its members
to deliver positive impact on producing areas.
Thus, WWF is pleased to start a joint effort with
Bridgestone on the development of a due diligenceprocess to uphold human rights and safeguard
the environment, in addition to supporting thesmallholders who account for the majority of rubber
production. As multi-stakeholder discussions at the
global level and best practices at the production levelare equally essential, WWF expects Bridgestone toshow the leadership in both areas.

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Management Fundamentals for Value Creation

Quality and Customer ValueMISSION

Creating customer value and trust
We are leveraging on a global framework in collaboration with all related Bridgestone entities
and stakeholders to proactively identify, prioritize and address customer quality issues in
keeping with the intentions of our founder to “Serve Society with Superior Quality.”
Quality is essential for the safety and satisfaction ofcustomers. The Bridgestone Group established the Quality
Mission Statement to engage every employee in contributing
to building quality products, services and solutions thatexceed customers’ expectations through innovation and
Kaizen (continuous improvement).
The Quality Mission Statement enables the future directionof the Bridgestone Group and its leadership, based on thespirit of founder Shojiro Ishibashi, by advancing the Group’s
proud heritage of quality and commitment to continuous
improvements.
Through employee engagement with continuous
improvement and innovation, the Bridgestone Group strives
to apply the principles of excellence to achieve superior
quality across all businesses globally and throughout
the entire value chain. To further pursue this aim, in 2017,
the Bridgestone Group established the Global Quality
Management Committee to strengthen global governanceto enhance the consistent deployment of the Quality Mission
Statement across all SBUs.

Quality Assurance Under the COVID-19
Pandemic
In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect business,
special attention was paid to addressing quality assurance,
given the necessity to adapt operations and apply preventive
measures to protect teammates and prevent the spreadof infection.

and growth for over 50 years. Employees from all over
the world, who have passed rigorous regional qualifiers,
have gathered at a global TQM conference for sharing bestpractices every year since 2010.
However, in 2020 during the pandemic, the Group shifted
to using a variety of technologies such as remote work andweb conferencing to share details on various TQM activities
as it continued to increase employees’ awareness of theimportance of quality.

Construction development and operationof the Solution Business Management
Guideline to realize Bridgestone T&DPaaS
In 2020, the Bridgestone Group developed the Solution
Business Management Guideline to enable Bridgestone
T&DPaaS and support the Group’s journey to become asustainable solutions company. The guideline will lead to theestablishment of strong quality management systems in eachbusiness unit at the global level to enhance value creation
along the development and operation process for the solution
business model. Through the Guideline, the BridgestoneGroup aims to continuously enhance value to customers andsociety in alignment with its strategy.
More information on the Bridgestone Group’s Quality andCustomer Value activities is available online.

Keeping in mind the Bridgestone Group’s priority to deliversafe and high-value products, services and solutions tocustomers, a global initiative was launched to ensure thathigh-quality standards were maintained. The Group also
adjusted production volumes and resources to adapt tothe variable market demand.

Bridgestone’s DNA, TQM activity
The Bridgestone Group’s long-standing TQM (Total Quality
Management) activities are essential to support its unique,core solutions platform, “Bridgestone T&DPaaS.” TQM
activities have been incorporated into the Group’s culture

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