Brother achieves RBA’s highest accolade across four manufacturing facilities

RBA Certified Facilities in the Brother Group (as of October 2024)

Brother Industries, Ltd. (President: Kazufumi Ikeda) today announced that four of its printer manufacturing facilities have now received RBA Platinum certification, the highest rating in the Validated Assessment Program (VAP) audit, which evaluates compliance with the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) Code of Conduct.

The RBA is a non-profit organisation that supports the rights and well-being of workers and communities affected by global supply chains. Its Code of Conduct sets out standards to ensure that working conditions are safe, that workers are treated with respect and dignity, and that business operations are environmentally responsible and conducted ethically. The organisation requests its members to pursue compliance with the respective standards through their management systems. Following this Code of Conduct, a VAP audit is conducted by a third-party organisation approved by RBA, and Silver (160 points or more), Gold (180 points or more), or Platinum (full 200 points) certification is issued depending on the evaluation score.

Louise Marshall, Director of ESG & OD at Brother UK said “these accreditations are a testament to the commitment Brother has to our colleagues, customers and partners globally. As a business we have always strived to align everything we do to our motto “At your side”. This means that we are dedicated to producing high quality products in a responsible, sustainable and ethical manner, and achieving platinum status in four of our major factories is confirmation of the work we do to achieve this”.

The Brother Group has identified five materialities in order to "contribute to society and help protect the earth," which are "Our Purpose" in the Brother Group's vision toward FY2030, "At your side 2030." To address one of the materialities, "pursuing a responsible value chain," the Group set the goal of attaining RBA Gold certification for three Group manufacturing facilities by FY2024. The Brother Group has surpassed this goal by obtaining Platinum certification in four of its factories, BROTHER INDUSTRIES (VIETNAM) LTD. and BROTHER INDUSTRIES, LTD. in 2024, and BROTHER TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) LTD. and BROTHER INDUSTRIES (PHILIPPINES), INC., in 2023.

The Brother Group will continue to make efforts in pursuit of a responsible value chain through its commitment to the RBA Code of Conduct and CSR procurement that addresses aspects such as human rights and the environment.