Modern Slavery Act Transparency Statement for FY 2025
This statement is made under s.54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 of the UK and illuminates policies and processes that Presperse has taken and continues to take to ensure that modern slavery or human trafficking does not occur within our business or supply chain. This statement addresses the fiscal year 2024 (from 04/01, 2024 to 03/31, 2025) in compliance with the requirements of this Act and was approved by the board of directors of Presperse on December 11th 2025.
Background and organizational structure
Modern slavery occurs in almost every part of the world and is often linked to poverty, conflict, and a lack of protective safeguards and legislation.
As a leader in Corporate Social Responsibility, Presperse has a zero-tolerance approach to any form of modern slavery. We adhere to the highest ethical practices, act with integrity and transparency in all business dealings, and implement effective systems and controls to safeguard against any form of modern slavery within the business or our supply chain.
Presperse is an advocate for the elimination of modern slavery. We do this by ensuring that the people and communities that support our business are treated with dignity and respect. We collaborate with our partners, the value chain, industry peers, and other stakeholders to mitigate any modern slavery risks that may arise during our business operations. By taking concrete actions, we ensure compliance with relevant national and local regulations and contribute to eliminating modern slavery.
For more than 40 years, Presperse has been a trusted partner to the world’s best beauty brands for transformational ingredients, breakthrough formal innovation, and supply chain excellence. As a recognized leader in quality, sustainability, research, green chemistry, and more. Presperse provides premium specialty ingredients and visionary expertise to formulations for skin care, sun care, hair care, color cosmetics, and beauty.
For more information on Presperse’s business overview, please visit the following link: https://www.presperse.com/
Steps taken to ensure that modern slavery including forced labor, child labor and human trafficking are not taking place in Presperse’s business and supply chains.
Presperse, as a member of the Sumitomo Corporation (SC) Group, shares Sumitomo’s Business Philosophy, which has been passed down and followed faithfully for more than 400 years since Masatomo Sumitomo (1585-1652) had founded the company.
SC Group’s Corporate Mission Statement (Management Principles and Activity Guidelines) is based on this philosophy and represents SC Group’s fundamental and ultimate value standard. In the Corporate Mission Statement, it clearly states that SC Group respects the personality of each individual and places prime importance on integrity and sound management.
Furthermore, to achieve sustainable growth through resolving social issues, we have set “Respect Human Rights” as one of “Material Issues” which are referred to important social issues that SC Group must address and its advanced medium- to long-term commitments toward resolving them. We will continue to promote these efforts and disclose our progress.
Presperse takes its commitment to tackling modern slavery including forced labor, child labor and human trafficking very seriously. The followings are the steps which we have taken to help ensure that modern slavery including forced labor, child labor and human trafficking are not taking place in our business or supply chains:
SC Group’s Human Rights Policy
Presperse respects the International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work, and we operate in accordance with the United Nations (UN) Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
In addition, Presperse participates in the UN Global Compact and declared our commitment to support the 10 principles in July 2021.
The UN Global Compact is a global sustainability movement that aligns member company’s strategies and operations with principles on human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption, and takes strategic actions to advance sustainability and societal goals. Under the UN Global Compact, Presperse has chosen to focus on the four corporate sustainability goals: Gender equality, Decent work and economic growth and Sustainable production and consumption and Climate action.
Our company also acts, as a member of the SC Group, in line with SC Group’s Human Rights Policy. We strive to identify and to prevent or mitigate any adverse impact on human rights through the implementation of human rights due diligence processes. Where we identify that our group’s practices have caused or contributed to an adverse impact on human rights, we will endeavour to take appropriate remedial measures. We will seek to improve and progress human rights measures through engagement and dialogue with relevant stakeholders, and so on.
The SC Group CSR Action Guidelines for Supply Chain Management
Presperse acts in accordance with the SC Group CSR Action Guidelines for Supply Chain Management. Through the implementation of these guidelines, we are aiming to realize a sustainable society by working together with our suppliers, business partners, and contractors, etc. to achieve responsible value chain management. As part of these guidelines, we set out its values to “Respect for human rights and not to be complicit in human rights abuses” and to “Prevent forced labor, child labor and the payment of unfairly low wages.” These principles establish the overarching guidelines encompassing our commitment to preventing modern slavery including forced labor, child labor, and human trafficking.
To implement the rules of the SC Group CSR Action Guidelines, and Presperse’s own commitments, in 2021 we partnered with EcoVadis to assess sustainability and in 2024 with Sedex to gain visibility into working conditions and environmental performance in our supply chain.
Sedex is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting ethical business practices including four pillars: labor standards, health and safety, environment, and business ethics. This organization helps businesses to gain visibility of modern slavery issues, to source more responsibly and prevent child labor and forced labor in their supply chain.
EcoVadis is the world’s largest sustainability platform that allows companies to assess suppliers’ performance in four themes, including labor and human rights. The current average score for our supply chain Labor and Human Rights theme is at 61 points, what significantly exceeds the benchmark. While Sedex strategy will be finalized in FY 2024, all ingredient and service suppliers were already rated by EcoVadis.
Presperse’s supply chain on-boarding program includes Corporate Social Responsibility and Code of Conduct survey. The survey consists of 4 sections, Labor and Human Rights, Environment, Business Ethics and Sustainable Procurement. All suppliers are required to commit to Presperse’s corporation foundation and principles.
If we find violations of the SC Group CSR Action Guidelines in our supply chains, either by use of EcoVadis 360° Watch option or any publicly available sources, we will urge the suppliers, business partners, or contractors, etc. to remedy and improve the situation, while providing support to them as needed. However, if there are no improvements to the situation by them, we will consider carefully whether to continue our business with them or not.
Human Rights Due Diligence
In accordance with SC Group’s Human Rights Policy, Presperse works together with our suppliers, business partners, and customers to achieve sustainable society and responsible value chain management.
We are dedicated to preventing forced labor, child labor, and the payment of unfair low wages in our supply chain by participating in the Responsible Mica Initiative (RMI) and Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO).
Responsible Mica Initiative is a coalition of action that establishes a fair, responsible, and sustainable mica supply chain that is free of child labor and provides responsible working conditions. Through number of programs, including Supply Chain Mapping and Workplace Standards, Community Empowerment and Legal Frameworks, as well as 6 action groups, we contribute our time and expertise to implement program pillars into affected communities.
By participating in Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil, as a licensed distributor, Presperse supports sustainability efforts not only to mitigate climate change but also to improve smallholder livelihoods, end exploitation of workers and help expand global reach and ability to drive positive impacts.
We strive to identify and to prevent or mitigate any adverse impact on human rights through application of human rights due diligence process. Where we identify that our company’s or our partners practices have caused or contributed to an adverse impact on human rights, we will endeavor to take appropriate remedial measures.
Group Governance
As a member of the SC Group, Presperse is operating an optimal management system to control risks appropriately and increase the odds of achieving its business strategies for management. Specifically, we have introduced a governance framework that uses SC Group standard tool called Basic Elements to visualize the internal control status and solve issues identified through “dialogue” with SC.
The Basic Elements include “Respect for Human Rights”, “Response to workplace accidents”, “Labor Management, Health, Safety and the Environment”, and “Supplier Management”, and if there are issues, we formulate a response policy according to its business nature and regional conditions. Through regular monitoring, we will continue working to prevent modern slavery including forced labor, child labor and human trafficking in our business or supply chains through further enhancing governance considering its business nature and regional conditions.
Reporting Mechanism
Presperse offers employees a mechanism to confidentially report sensitive matters such as compliance violations, harassment, or discrimination.
There are several ways Presperse employees may report violations of the Human Rights Policy, including to their immediate manager, Human Resources, or to a member of the Parent Company Compliance group. Alternatively, an employee or third-party may report the matter anonymously or ask questions regarding the same Ethics Helpline at www.scamericas.ethicspoint.com or by calling 1-888-279-1912. Note that employees may report suspected ethical and other compliance violations without any fear of retaliation. We also have an internal incident management system to ensure that supply chain issues are communicated to Presperse management team for proper review and
Training
To raise our awareness especially about modern slavery, Presperse has deployed a new e-learning training module on business and human rights. This mandatory e-learning provides overall information of international initiatives and regulations on business and human rights, as well as SC Group’s own policies and procedures. Presperse will roll out this training to all employees in 2025.
Presperse believes that eradication of modern slavery is important, and we will continue to undertake these efforts aimed at ensuring that no modern slavery or human trafficking of any form exists in our business and supply chains.
December 11, 2025
Signed by:
Izabela Staniszewska, Ph.D.
Director, Quality & Corporate Social Responsibility
Presperse Corporation