Glossary
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| Terminology | Description |
|---|---|
| Absenteeism | A situation in which, due to mental or physical distress, an employee is frequently absent from work or misses work without notice. |
| Antistatic agent | A compound to prevent the electrification of synthetic fibers and plastics caused by static electricity, for which a surfactant is mainly used. It is applied to the surface of target materials by spraying and lets static electricity escape. |
| BCP | An abbreviation for Business Continuity Plan through which, in the event of a disaster or other crisis, companies ensure that critical operations are not interrupted. Even if business activities are unavoidably disrupted, important functions can be restarted within the targeted recovery time, and strategic preparations for continuing business are carried out in advance to minimize the risks involved in interrupted operations. |
| Carbon neutrality (CN) | Balancing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals. The Japanese government has pledged to aim for carbon neutrality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050. |
| Cellulose Nano Fibers | Very thin nano-sized fibers prepared by detangling cellulose, which makes up the cell walls of plants. The width of the fibers is about 10 nm (nano = one billionth). They are made from wood-derived pulp, and when used in plastics and rubbers, they enhance the strength of these materials while reducing thermal expansion/ contraction. |
| CNF | An abbreviation for cellulose nano fibers. *See “Cellulose Nano Fibers.” |
| Cocoon unwinding agent | An agent to spin silk yarn from silkworm cocoons. |
| COD emissions | COD is an abbreviation for Chemical Oxygen Demand. The value indicates the oxygen volume needed for oxidizing underwater objects and is one of the major indicators used for water quality. |
| Composite binders | Material that is composed of resin and multiple conductive materials and used for the negative electrodes of lithium-ion batteries. Improves battery capacity and extends battery life. |
| Conductive paste | Paste that conducts electrical current and is used in solar cell panels. |
| Digital transformation (DX) | A response for companies to drastic changes in the business environment by transforming their products, services, and business models through the use of data and digital technologies, based on the needs of customers and society. The objective is to rethink work tasks, organizations, processes, and corporate culture and climate in order to secure a competitive advantage. |
| Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) | A term emphasizing the importance of embracing not only diversity — where people of different genders, generations, abilities/ disabilities, and nationalities are represented in an organization — but also equity, where people are given the support and consideration they need based on their individual circumstances and backgrounds to enable them to participate on equal terms, and inclusion, where diverse individuals respect and recognize each other, working together to contribute to the unity of the organization. |
| Energy consumption per unit | A figure for expressing energy efficiency. It refers to the overall volume of energy consumption, such as electrical power and fuel, needed to produce a given unit or amount of goods. Generally, it is used as an indicator showing the progress of energy saving measures. |
| GMP | An abbreviation for Good Manufacturing Practice, which is a set of rules and a system that cover all processes from stocking raw materials to manufacturing and shipping, and ensure consistent quality and safe manufacturing of pharmaceutical products, food products, and the like. |
| Green purchasing | The practice of selecting products and services whose environmental impact is smaller, considering both their necessity and overall impact when making purchases. This approach encourages environmentally friendly consumer behavior and promotes the development of low-impact products by companies, potentially transforming all economic activities. |
| Green transformation (GX) | The concept of transforming the global environment by converting to non-greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting green energy, such as renewable energy. |
| Inspiring/Inspired Partners | Specific business partners of DKS who intuit the needs of end users, collaboratively inspire new approaches, and spark creativity in each other. |
| Ionic liquid | Compounds completely composed of ions (anions and cations). Salts with melting points generally below 100°C. |
| Low dielectric resins | Oligomer resins with excellent dielectric and thermal properties that are highly adaptable as substrate materials. |
| Material issues | A term that refers to how essential something is. Originally, it referred to the general rule of importance in the accounting field for items that could have major effects on financial affairs. Recently, important issues in CSR activities are also identified as “material issues,” and many companies are using this approach when conducting CSR activities and reporting the results in integrated reports. |
| Modal shift | Switching or changing from one mode of transport to another, especially to a means of transport with less impact on the environment. |
| Naturido | A new and useful ingredient discovered by Biococoon Laboratories, Inc. from medical fungus grown on the pupae of domestic silkworms obtained using sericulture technology. |
| Odor neutralization | A method that achieves an odor-neutralizing effect by having essential oils react with odor-causing substances, thereby cancelling smells and making them odorless. |
| Organizational Resilience | The capacity, and initiatives related thereto, for adapting to changes in the business environment and for handling natural disasters. |
| Polymer dispersions | Dispersions of polymer (resin) particles in water, used as the main ingredient in coatings and adhesives. Commercial coatings and adhesives are fabricated by adding various additives to polymer dispersions. |
| Presenteeism | The act or state of employees coming to the office and continuing work despite dealing with some type of disease, disease symptoms, or mental/physical distress. |
| Resist | A protective film, or a substance used to create a protective film, against physical or chemical processing, mainly in industrial applications. |
| Responsible Care (RC) activities | Voluntary control activities by the companies in the chemical industry that promote the safe handling of materials in every step of the process from manufacturing to distribution, consumption and disposal. First proposed by the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada in 1985. The Japan Responsible Care Council was founded in 1995. |
| Rock hardening agents | Agents used to prevent structural collapse during tunnel construction for bullet trains, expressways, and other infrastructure projects. |
| RSPO | An abbreviation for Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. Founded in 2004, a group of seven organizations, including the WWF, responding to the global increase in voices calling for sustainable palm oil that takes environmental impacts into account. |
| Sucrose fatty acid ester | A nonionic surfactant produced from natural sucrose and fatty acids. It is also known as sugar ester (SE). |
| TCFD | An abbreviation for Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures. This was established by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) at the request of the G20 to consider how to handle climate-related information disclosure and the responses of financial institutions. |
| Thermosetting oligomers | Resins with relatively low molecular weights that solidifies and hardens when heated. |
| United Nations Global Compact | A global framework for achieving sustainable growth announced by then United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the 1999 World Economic Forum (Davos). The framework states 10 principles in the four areas of human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. |
| Waterborne polyurethane | Polyurethane resin is an overall term for polymer compounds possessing urethane bonds. Industrially, they result from a polyaddition reaction between polyisocyanates and polyols, and waterborne polyurethane resin results from the emulsification of this polyurethane resin. |
| Zero emission | A concept proposed by the United Nations University in 1994 with the goal of achieving zero waste emissions. The goal is to eliminate landfill waste by having industries reuse waste from other industries. |