Hitachi Australia

OVERALL
Owned	JPN
Rating

Consumer and business electronics

Imports and distributes electronic products including air conditioning, power tools, automotive, IT, industrial, logistics, mining and construction.

Company Ownership


Hitachi Australia Pty Ltd	AUS	website		twitter
Hitachi Ltd owns 100% of Hitachi Australia Pty Ltd	JPN	website	email
Engineering and electronics Highly diversified company that operates eleven business segments. Part of the DKB Group of companies.

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Hitachi Australia Pty Ltd

Australian Packaging Covenant signatory

Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation.
Source: Australian Packaging Covenant (2020)

Hitachi Ltd

CDP Climate Change Score of A-

In 2019, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of A-.
Source: CDP (2019)

CDP Water Security Score of A

In 2019, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to manage and govern freshwater resources. Responding companies are scored on six key metrics: transparency; governance & strategy; measuring & monitoring; risk assessment; targets & goals; and value chain engagement. This company received a CDP Water Security Score of A.
Source: CDP (2019)

63.5% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017

This company received a score of 63.5/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.
Source: Newsweek (2017)

Involvement in tar sands

Hitachi make trucks that are used in the tar sands in Canada. The requirements of such vehicles are immense and they have almost certainly been developed specifically for use in unconventional oil extraction.
Source: Ethical Consumer UK (2014)

14.1% in conflict minerals rankings

As You Sow's 2019 report, Mining the Disclosures, is a deep analysis of 215 companies' human rights performance in relation to sourcing conflict minerals from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). This company's score was 14.1% (Weak).
Source: As You Sow (2019)

Human Rights Benchmark

The 2019 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 200 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world from the Agricultural Products, Apparel, Extractives and ICT Manufacturing sectors on 100 human rights indicators. This company's score was in the 10-20 band range. The overall average score was a disappointing 24%.
Source: CHRB (2019)

Forced labour in China

The Chinese government has facilitated the mass transfer of Uyghur and other ethnic minority citizens from the far west region of Xinjiang to factories across the country. Under conditions that strongly suggest forced labour, Uyghurs are working in factories that are in the supply chains of at least 83 well-known global brands in the technology, clothing and automotive sectors, including brands owned by this company. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute's 2020 report estimates (somewhat conservatively) that more than 80,000 Uyghurs were transferred out of Xinjiang to work in factories across China between 2017 and 2019, and some of them were sent directly from detention camps.
Source: ASPI (2020)

39/100 in KnowTheChain Benchmark

In 2018 KnowTheChain benchmarked 120 large global companies in the ICT, Food & Beverage, and Apparel & Footwear sectors on their efforts to address forced labour and human trafficking in their supply chains. This company received a score of 39/100.
Source: KnowTheChain (2018)

37/100 S&P Global ESG Score

This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 37/100 in the Electronic Equipment, Instruments & Components category of the 2019 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2019)

US recycling report card

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition's Recycling Report Card evaluates takeback and recycling programs for computer, TV, printer and game console companies. The report card focuses on the programs available to consumers in the US, and relies on publicly available information, as of Sept 2010. This company received a grade of F for its recycling efforts in the USA.
Source: Electronics TakeBack Coalition (2010)

Nuclear - direct involvement

Hitachi and General Electric operate a joint venture which builds nuclear power plants.
Source: company website (2014)

Price fixing in USA

In 2011 Hitachi-LG Data Storage, a joint venture of Hitachi Ltd and LG Electronics, pleaded guilty to 15 criminal counts in connection with a long-running probe of price fixing in the sale of optical disk drives to computer companies. The charges were brought by US prosecutors in the District Court (Northern California) and the joint venture company was sentenced to a US$21m fine after admitting conspiring with others to eliminate competition or fix prices for drives sold to computer companies dating back to 2004.
Source: The Guardian (2011)

Price fixing

In March 2009 Hitachi admitted to fixing prices of the screens sold to Dell for use in desktop monitors and notebook computers from 2001 to 2004, in violation of US anti-trust laws. Three other major producers of LCD panels including LG and Sharp had already admitted their involvement in price-fixing. Hitachi was fined US$31 million. [Listed under information due to age of court finding]
Source: news article (2009)

Climate action commitments

As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target.
Source: We Mean Business (2017)

Sustainability claims

This company has sustainability claims on its website, including environmental and social issues.
Source: company website (2020)

Supply chain practices in China

This company received a score of 43.5/100 (retrieved 10-Oct-2020) in the Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI), a system for evaluating supply chain practices in China, particularly in regards to environmental management and water pollution. Scores are calculated using government compliance data, online monitoring data, and third-party environmental audits, as well as trends in the environmental performance of factories in the company's supply chains.
Source: IPE (2020)

C grade at Behind the Barcode

C grade in the Baptist World Aid Australia's Behind the Barcode 'Ethical Electronics Guide 2016', which grades companies on their efforts to mitigate the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation throughout their supply chains. Assessment criteria fall into four main categories: policies, traceability & transparency, monitoring & training and worker rights.
Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2016)

Modern Slavery statement

California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
Source: Modern Slavery Registry (2017)

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Company Details

Type	Wholly-owned subsidiary
Employees	42 in 2013

Contact Details

Address	Suite 801, Level 8, 123 Epping Rd, North Ryde, NSW, 2113, Australia
Phone	02 9888 4100
Fax	02 9888 4188
Freecall	1800 448 224
Website	www.hitachi.com.au

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Hitachi Australia

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Hitachi Australia

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