MESSAGE FROM MANAGEMENT

Dear Stakeholders,

2020 was a momentous year for several reasons. It was the third year of operations for Ocean Network Express (ONE) since we launched in April 2018, but one that tested us beyond measure. As the world continues to battle the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses and communities sought to find new ways of working and living.

At ONE, we faced multiple operational challenges caused by the global supply chain disruptions, requiring us to double down on efforts to cater to the unexpected surge in container demand and maintain our service reliability. Besides deploying empty sweeper vessels to accelerate the repositioning of almost three million TEUs of empty containers and stepping up container procurement to secure our supply, we also made use of AI-based technology to improve our demand forecast system and enhance predictability.

The drive to adopt technology and digitalize our business processes has played a big role in helping us adapt relatively seamlessly to working and operating during the pandemic. Our ROOT enterprise architecture project was kicked off in 2020, comprising 25 digitalization initiatives across e-commerce, customer relationship management and business intelligence. It is the first phase of ONE’s digitalization roadmap, and part of our data-driven enterprise strategy, with the ultimate objective to achieve operational and service excellence, capture new opportunities and deliver greater value to our customers.

Amidst these extraordinary times, it is heartening that the transition to a clean energy future has only accelerated, with a groundswell of support for climate action arising across the world. ONE is committed to play a proactive role in driving decarbonization within our industry. We have been accelerating our own efforts towards achieving carbon-neutral shipping with initiatives to improve fuel efficiency and reduce carbon emissions in our operations. We successfully completed a first trial using sustainable biofuel blend to power the M/V MOL Experience across the Atlantic in 2020 and will continue with further trials to establish the viability of biofuels as a greener alternative. More recently, we set up the Green Strategy Department to drive our environmental sustainability endeavours. Through close collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, we seek to contribute to sector-wide initiatives in innovating and advancing sustainability, including the use of future fuels and efficient ship design, among others.

In 2021, we took a further step in our green strategy direction by joining six industry partners to establish a fund for a maritime decarbonization centre to be set up in Singapore. Under the Memorandum of Understanding with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), ONE will contribute S$10 million to support the establishment of the centre, fund maritime-decarbonization-related research and technology development projects, and collaborate with institutes of higher learning and research institutes.

Our progress is made possible only with the dedication and support of our people, who have persevered through the challenging times to deliver the service excellence that has come to be associated with the ONE name. People development remains a key focus for us as we strengthen our talent base for future success. We launched the THRIVE platform during 2020 to ensure our people can have an engaging and effective learning experience even when working from home. We continue to prioritize the health and safety of our colleagues, implementing pandemic safety measures in our office while allowing for flexible working arrangements.

At the same time, we are mindful of the support we must render to the ship crew who work on our chartered vessels – our maritime front liners who play a critical role to keep the global supply chain moving. ONE signed the Neptune Declaration for Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change, joining stakeholders from across the value chain to push for the resolution of the international crew change crisis.

Looking back at 2020, I am grateful for the utmost support of our employees, customers, shareholders and partners, that has enabled us to overcome challenges and forge ahead. The future may be uncertain, but it presents opportunities for us to build further resilience in our business to withstand waves of disruption that we may yet foresee. It is more important than ever for us to integrate sustainable ways of working as we transition into the new normal. Our priorities in the year ahead will reflect our commitment to be sustainable and resilient, and a trusted partner for our customers in delivering global shipping solutions. We will press on with our company-wide digitalization, upgrade our fleet to be more sustainable and efficient through technical modifications and newbuilding program, and continue to implement initiatives to work towards our carbon reduction targets. It will not be easy, but it must be done. I am confident that our collective efforts, anchored in our ONE Core Values, will steer us towards a more sustainable future.

We will strive to communicate our progress openly and consistently. In this fourth edition of our sustainability report, we have included a new section to provide an overview of our key targets and commitments to manage our material sustainability topics. I hope this report provides you with a snapshot of ONE’s sustainability efforts and performance to date, and I look forward to continuing this journey together with you.

Sincerely,

Jeremy Nixon

Chief Executive Officer

Vision and Commitment

VISION AND COMMITMET

While shipping is universally recognized as one of the most efficient means of commercial transport, the industry still has significant impacts on the environment and society that need to be managed. This is compounded by the rise of international trade driving continued growth in maritime traffic, which is expected to translate to a nearly threefold increase in Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, according to estimations by the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

As the sixth largest container carrier in the world by fleet size, ONE recognizes the role we can play to mitigate such impacts and advance sustainability efforts in the industry. In 2019, we developed our sustainability strategy to focus our efforts around four areas of priority:

1. Environment

2. Social

3. Governance

4. Operational Excellence

Vision and Commitment — Click image to enlarge

These priorities are based on the material sustainability topics that drive long-term value for our business and our stakeholders. Underpinning our priorities, is our Business Credo, which forms the core of ONE’s commitment to embedding responsible business practices.

ONE recognizes our role in providing safe and reliable services while meeting our customers’ expectations and maintaining their trust. At the helm of our brand, ONE’s Business Credo enshrines eight principles reflecting how we want to do business.

ONE’s Business Credo

1. Good-faith business activities

2. Environmental and safety initiatives

3. Enhanced security

4. Compliance with laws and ordinances, respect for human rights

5. Exclusion of antisocial activities

6. Disclosure of information and communication with society

7. Social contribution activities

8. Preservation of favourable work environments

Commitment to UNGC

ONE’S COMMITMENT TO THE UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL COMPACT (UNGC) PRINCIPLES

GCNS_Member_logo With our broad business activities spanning across 120 countries around the world, ONE is inherently confronted with worldwide ethics, human rights, labour and environmental issues, be it from a direct or an indirect manner. In turn, to responsibly mitigate the impacts of our operations on the global environment, ONE has sought to become a member of the Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS), the local chapter of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) network.

As a member, ONE supports the ten UNGC Principles and has pledged to adopt and promote sustainable and responsible business practices. This means operating in ways that, at a minimum, meet fundamental responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The Sustainable Development Goals are a suite of 17 actionable guidelines for all nations to adhere regardless of their income status, for the promotion of global prosperity and environmental protection. The initiative accentuates the importance of counteracting poverty which is perceived as a barrier to economic growth and emphasises on the tackling of social and environmental issues, as the precursors of the problem.

As a corporate member of Global Compact Network Singapore, ONE commits to the SDGs via the incorporation of the recommended best practices to its business strategies and operations.

While our business activities touch on all 17 interrelated SDGs, directly or indirectly, we have identified four priority SDGs (as shown below) which we believe we can have the biggest impact on through our core business activities as well as through partnering with others. These SDGs are of greatest relevance and alignment to ONE’s business and sustainability priorities, representing opportunities where we can best contribute to sustainable development. In addition, we identified SDGs 4, 5, 8, 12, 16 and 17 as also relevant to ONE’s overall sustainability agenda, constituting secondary focus areas where ONE’s activities can positively contribute to.

Commitment to UNGC — Click image to enlarge

Environment

Promotion System

Environmental Policy

At Ocean Network Express (ONE), we recognize the importance of environmental concerns which can have long-term impact on our well-beings.

Therefore, ONE is committed to take proactive measures to minimize the impact of our activities on the environment by ensuring:

the protection of the environment including prevention of pollution
environmental objectives are compatible with the strategic direction and the context of the company
the integration of the environmental management system requirements into the company’s business processes
the use of the process approach and risk-based thinking
the resources needed for the environmental management system are available
the environmental management system achieves its intended outcomes

We are devoted to fulfill our compliance obligations and to continually improve our environmental management system to further enhance our environmental health.

This is our policy, and together we shall achieve this.

Commitment to the environment

From climate change to decreasing environmental quality, the shipping industry can contribute to a number of adverse environmental impacts if not properly managed. As a container shipping business, it is our responsibility to ensure our operations are handled to minimize our environmental impact. We also recognize the business value of positive environmental practices in a globally changing regulatory landscape and providing ocean transport services that have a low environmental burden for our customers. As such, we commit to using best industry practices and accelerating our environmental response with new technologies. We will focus on an effective approach to environmental management as a key aspect of our business. We establish an environmental management system which certified ISO14001 in 2018. Personnel involved in this process will receive training to understand and implement the requirements COMMITMENT TO THE ENVIRONMENT to be certified. Thereafter we will establish an environmental committee to manage our environmental impact. As part of our environmental management system we will also define our environmental goals and aspirations, developing key performance indicators (KPIs) to track and monitor our progress.

Environmental Management System

The management has decided to adopt an environmental management system (EMS) back in 2017 3rd quarter.

In the 1st quarter of 2018, we have established our environment management system manual, procedure and setting of our environmental objectives. The EMS will serve as the backbone of ONE’s environmental protection plan, which all employees were guided. Additionally, various trainings (internal auditor’s course, ISO14001 for management etc) were conducted for the management team and ISO project team members.

Environmental Certification (ISO 14001)

ISO 14001 is an international EMS standard set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Requirements for the EMS are stipulated in ISO 14001.

We have received our ISO14001:2015 certificate on 05 Nov 2018 from ClassNK. The validity of this certificate is until 17 Oct 2021 (3 years) with annual audits requirements in 2019 and 2020.

pdf

Click here to download copy (PDF).

Education and Awareness-raising

Ocean Network Express (ONE) plays an active role in educating its internal employees on issues of environmental sustainability. In so far, 15 environmental awareness workshops were conducted between April and September 2018, while ad-hoc periodic sessions are regularly scheduled for new joiners to the company.

And during the recent World Environmental Day in June 2018, a mini bazaar was organised by ONE at the corporate headquarters in Singapore to help raise the awareness and importance of preserving the environment. Posters and signages were put up to educate and encourage the reduce, reuse and recycling of resources.

On the other hand, to minimise food wastage, “food bank” collection boxes are placed in our cafeteria to encourage employees to donate food which they did not consume to the needy.

Regulations

The relationship between our business activities and the global environment

As a container shipping carrier, our day-to-day operations entail various environmental implications that are prone to affect the global environments and public. For examples, these might include:

Emission of air pollutants from operating vessels, such as GHG (CO₂) (global warming); SO_X and NO_X (acid rain); and PM (harmful to the human respiratory system).
Marine contaminations from the discharge of ballast water from vessels.
Various polluting effects (i.e., the toxic release of asbestos into the atmosphere, soil contaminations, etc.) that arise from the recycling process of scrapped vessels.

Environmental Regulations

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) was established in 1958, as a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN). The role of the IMO is to promote international cooperation on maritime affairs (i.e., ship safety and pollution control) through the implementation of international conventions and regulations, which ONE has insofar duly conformed with.

Air Pollution

Regulation of SOX (sulphur oxide) and PM (particulate matter)

Annex 6 of the IMO’s MARPOL convention (Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships), regulates the need for all sulphur content in fuel oil to be gradually reduced when it was first imposed in 2005. And from 2020, the annex will regulate all ship operators to use fuel oil which contain less than 0.5% sulphur content or to remove the exhaust gas discharge of the ship with a Sulphur Oxide Exhaust Gas Cleaning System (SO_X ECGS).

table

*North America, North American Caribbean Sea, North Sea and Baltic Sea are designated as Emission Control Areas (ECA).

Regulation of NOX (nitrogen oxide)

This regulation, which also came into force in 2005, further regulates the reduction of NOX emissions from ships. The regulation as part of the MARPOL’s Annex 6 imposes specific emission limits of NOx from diesel engine which are installed on ships constructed on or after 2000, and with a rated engine speed of over 130 kW output power:

Tier 1 (Ships constructed on or after 2000): Emission limit regulated by engine rated speeds (>130kW)
Tier 2 (Ships constructed on or after 2011): Reduce 15.5% - 21.8% compared with Tier 1
Tier 3 (Ships constructed on or after 2016): Reduce 80.0% compared with Tier 1 (Applicable to ships operating in ECA only)

*As of today, only the regions of North America and North American Caribbean are designated as ECAs. The Baltic Sea and the North Sea will however be added from January 2021.

Global Warming

Under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which went into force in 2016, 197 countries agreed to collaboratively maintain the rise in global average temperature to “well below 2oC above pre-industrial levels”, and to pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5oC. This is in addition to another initial strategy by the IMO which aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping, and to possibly eradicate all emissions by this century. The strategy envisages a reduction of the total GHG emissions by at least 50% in 2050, as compared to 2008, and seeks to concurrently develop measures to entirely curb the emissions. ONE fully commits to support the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and to work alongside the IMO for this purpose.

Preservation

Oil and marine pollutant substance spills

At ONE we are also prepared for the unexpected. Unplanned events and loss of containment can result in some of the most significant environmental impacts in our industry. To address this risk, our marine safety & quality team developed a Crisis Management Manual that sets out the appropriate response procedures in the event of cargo trouble or maritime accidents such as spills, ship collisions, ship damage, engine trouble, cargo damage and typhoons. In addition, the manual provides clear roles and responsibilities including CEO and reporting procedures when an accident occurs. Our regional managers went through a crisis management training to ensure the emergency preparedness of our organization. Large-scale maritime accident response training will be conducted at least once a year to ensure the effectiveness of the Crisis Management Manual and build capabilities amongst employees, ensuring our staff are equipped to respond to maritime accidents promptly and effectively.

Ballast water management

Taking on and discharging ballast water during voyage can provide a pathway for species transfer between different ecosystems. This could result in the release of harmful invasive and non-native algae, plants or animals into new environments. The IMO adopted the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention in 2004, with its provisions entering into force from September 2017. The Convention requires ships in international traffic to implement a Ballast Water and Sediments Management Plan, to carry a Ballast Water Record Book, and to apply ballast water management procedures to meet the standards set. Our operating fleet at this stage comprises of more than 200 ships. These ships are chartered from our parent companies and ship owners who are compliant with environmental regulations and committed to reducing their environmental footprint. Our fleet management team will work with ship owners to select the appropriate ballast water treatment system and establish operational guidelines to protect biodiversity during transportation.

GHG (Global Greenhouse gas) and other emissions

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from shipping currently represent around 3% of the total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions annually. The industry as a whole contributes to poor air quality through emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x), sulphur oxides (SO_x) and particulate matter (PM).

Reducing our GHG emissions along with other air emissions is ONE’s priority and an integral part of our operations. ONE aims to join the Clean Cargo Working Group with the objective to track and benchmark our CO2 emission performance and report back to our customers and stakeholders in a standardized industry-recognized format. All three of our mother companies are already members of this business-to-business leadership initiative and ONE will pursue best practice on this front.

We also plan to reduce our CO₂ emissions by chartering ships from ONE’s parent companies that also apply cutting- edge technology to improve the ships’ efficiency and reducing emissions.

We also plan to reduce our CO₂ emissions by chartering ships from ONE’s parent companies that also apply cutting-edge technology to improve the ships’ efficiency and reducing emissions.

ONE’s CEO, Jeremy Nixon, in support of the decarbonization initiative by the Global Maritime Forum, has committed to pursue emission reduction in our operations and drive changes toward decarbonization.

Energy efficiency in ship operation

Maximizing the energy efficiency of our fleet not only results in cost savings that can be passed on to our customers but ensures conservation of resources such as fuel and a key measure in achieving our emission reductions. ONE will develop a comprehensive data collection system to measure and monitor energy consumption from both renewable and non-renewable sources, including our bunker fuel consumption. As part of our energy efficiency measures, we will also develop and implement the international Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) and will work with ship owners to monitor and improve energy efficiency going forward.

CASE STUDY: Reducing fuel consumption through IBIS PLUS

The IBIS PLUS system will facilitate the optimization and micromanagement of ship operations including fuel consumption by consolidating real time data from ships. This system will allow ONE to promptly decide on the most appropriate steps to take. We expect the use of the IBIS PLUS system to assist us in reducing our bunker fuel consumption.

Social

Safety

Marine Accident Report System (MARS)

ONE launches our Marine Accident Report System (MARS), with aims of processing accident cases appropriately and swiftly, analysing accident trends, and formulating effective prevention measures.

We are taking various steps aimed at eliminating accidents, by using this system to analyse accident details and trends and the deeply explore root cause of accidents. By creating a database of accident information, moreover, we are able to share information with our worldwide network in a timely manner and establish optimal safety measures.

Crisis Management

ONE has created an emergency response network based on five overseas regions, allocating Marine Super Intendent (MSI) to regional vessel operators, which aims to be ready for maritime accidents and problems around the world.

Use of Downtime to Measure Safety

We use the time that ships are stopped due to accidents or problems as a means of measuring the degree to which we have achieved safe ship operation. Our sea and land operations work together to bring us closer to the target of 'zero' downtime.

Pre-embarkation Briefing

Prior to embarkation, vessel operators and Marine Safety & Quality department conduct a pre-embarkation briefing for captains. This is an opportunity to explain the Company’s basic policies on safety, as well as to provide the latest specific information and instruction through safety management manuals and related written procedures adopted by each management company.

Large-Scale Accident Drill

In the unfortunate event of an accident, timely and accurate responses are crucial. To ensure such responses, we regularly conduct drill assuming “worst-case scenarios involving ships under our operation.” This drill involves practical training and cover everything from assembling an early emergency response team to establishing an accident response headquarters and setting up information-sharing systems within it, as well as establishing systems for communicating with overseas parties.

Navigation Policy (Anti-piracy activity)

The number of piracy incidents off the coast of Somalia and the Gulf of Aden has remained low in recent years due to countermeasures undertaken by various national troops, including Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force. Nevertheless, the situation could easily be reversed if the international community weakens its efforts. Moreover, piracy-related losses still occur frequently in Gulf of Guinea (West Africa) and in Southeast Asia. Accordingly, conditions for merchant ship navigation remain unpredictable.

Off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, we endeavour as much as possible to receive protection from Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force and navies of various countries. For our own self-defence, we do everything possible to ensure the safety of crew as top priority. This includes avoiding problematic areas, maintaining at high speeds, using high-pressure water nozzle, installing razor wire to prevent unauthorized embarkation, and wearing bullet-proof vests and helmets.

PDCA cycle for Safety

Marine Safety & Quality department publish up-to-date safety information to share accident case and good practice from our operating vessels. Lessons learned from the accidents, and environmental measures are notified to the shipowners, ship management companies, and all operational vessels through the monthly newsletter, and information is shared between onshore and offshore personnel.

Vessel Operation – day to day Monitoring

Global Vessel Operations conduct day-to-day operation meeting to check navigate risks timely and discuss measures against on-going issues if there is. ONE global head quarter has vessel operation room which monitor operating vessels by tracking vessel’s position together with the latest weather condition.

Safety Campaign

ONE periodically conducts safety enhancement campaigns to foster a corporate culture that embodies safety. Personnel engaged in onshore and offshore operations exchange opinions and deepen their mutual understanding about a main theme that is set based on current priorities. During the campaign period, Executive officers and management involving in the campaign will be conducting vessel visits to emphasize the importance of navigation safety with the captain & crews and discuss what measures can be taken on board to achieve this goal. ONE also creates opportunities for further discussion with representatives from shipowners and ship-management companies to get its safety activities to the frontline of vessel operations.

Quality

QUALITY

QUALITY POLICY

At Ocean Network Express (ONE), we create value for our stakeholders and society at large. Our operating vessels, being the frontline of our service, is the key element to achieving this.

We continuously monitor condition of fleet vessels considering both aspects of hardware and software. We then try to improve the conditions together with owners in order to pro-actively prevent accidents or detentions. We also endeavour to ensure that requirements of ONE for saving of bunker and other activities are properly understood and complied by those on board.

We are committed to comply with applicable requirements and continually improve the effectiveness of the Quality Management System.

This is our commitment, and together we shall achieve this.

Established in Nov. 2020

Revised in Mar. 2021

By Chief Executive Officer

COMMITMENT TO MAINTAINING Vessel QUALITY

Safety and Quality are and will remain our utmost priority.

It is our mission to provide quality and reliable service by incorporating highest standards of safety in the operation of our vessels and the transportation of cargo.

We understand that only with good safety and quality standard of our vessels, can we instil trust in our customers and achieve customer satisfaction.

In April 2018, we established ONE VESSEL QUALITY STANDARD (ONE-VQS) SYSTEM to fulfil this objective.

Vessels chartered by ONE undergo periodic Vessel Quality Standard (VQS) inspections to enable us in monitoring the condition of fleet vessels with respect to both hardware and software. We then try to improve the conditions on board together with owners, so as to meet our requirements. These inspections are carried out by third-party survey companies, in close collaboration with our Marine Safety & Quality department.

We established our Quality Management System (ISO 9001:2015 certified) in 2020. All related personnel have been trained to familiarise with related processes to ensure quality is not compromised. The quality policy is readily made available to all interested parties and such information can be passed down easily so that requirements of the standard are complied with.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (ISO 9001:2015)

ISO 9001 is an international Quality Management System (QMS) standard set by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Requirements for the QMS are stipulated in ISO 9001.

In 2020, the top management decided to adopt a QMS, built upon the basis of our internal vessel quality system, ONE-VQS. The QMS serves to implement our work processes smoothly and systematically, furthermore, strengthen both safety and quality aspects of our fleet.

We have received our ISO 9001:2015 certificate in March 2021 from ClassNK.

OCEAN NETWORK EXPRESS PTE. LTD. E_0

Click here to download copy (PDF).

ONE VESSEL QUALITY STANDARD (ONE-VQS) SYSTEM

ONE has established ONE-VQS, a rigorous, self-imposed safe ship management system, to better discharge our responsibilities with respect to safe navigation, safe cargo operation, protection of environment and achieving customer satisfaction. The standard covers more than 260 items, including international treaties, international quality standards, measures to prevent accidents from recurring, and requirements from customers. ONE-VQS has been applied to all our operational vessels, has been reviewed and continuously improved based on the QMS.

quality

Human Resources

Human Rights

As a member of Global Compact Network Singapore, we support universal principles regarding human rights and labour standards. Our commitment to human rights is expressed through our Credo and Code of Conduct. We will work to ensure that we do not contribute to human rights violations as a result of our global business activities. As a trusted employer, we will also ensure that all our employees are treated in a manner consistent with the applicable laws and labour conventions.

We will work to ensure that we do not contribute to human rights violations as a result of our global business activities.

A compliance committee has been established in 2018 whose responsibility is to ensure that ONE respects human rights throughout its operations and will integrate human-rights considerations into its existing management systems.

Modern Slavery Statement

OCEAN NETWORK EXPRESS

Modern Slavery Statement

November 2021

This statement is made pursuant to Section 54(1), of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 (UK) and constitutes Ocean Network Express Pte. Ltd. and Ocean Network Express (Europe) Ltd's (together as “ONE”) slavery and human trafficking statement for the financial year ending 31 March 2021.

This statement sets out the steps taken by ONE to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in its business and supply chains.

Our Structure

ONE is a global container shipping business operating worldwide with headquarters in Singapore.

Our policies on countering Modern Day Slavery and human trafficking

‘Modern Day Slavery’ is an umbrella term, which in the context of global supply chains often relates to cases where individuals are subject to human trafficking, forced labour, or debt servitude; where coercion, threats or deception are used to intimidate, penalize or deceive workers, thereby creating situations of involuntary work and exploitation.

ONE Credo and Code of Conduct

We are committed to ensuring that there is no Modern Day Slavery, human trafficking, forced labour or debt servitude in our supply chains nor in any part of our business. Our Credo and Code of Conduct reflects our commitment to act ethically and with integrity in all our business relationships and to implement and enforce effective systems and controls to ensure Modern Day Slavery (as defined above) is not taking place anywhere in our supply chains.

United Nations Global Compact

To be part of a global movement towards conducting business in a responsible and sustainable manner, ONE is a member of Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS), the local chapter of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) network. ONE supports the ten UNGC Principles and has pledged to adopt and promote sustainable and responsible business practices. This means operating in ways that, at a minimum, meet fundamental responsibilities in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

ONE is committed to respecting the ten principles, including Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour. ONE’s Code of Conduct Chapter 4 ‘Respect for Human Rights and Diversity of Cultures’ contains ‘Clause 4-4: Prohibiting Forced Labour or Child Labour’, which states ‘ONE does not engage in inhumane acts such as forced labour or child labour and ONE does not conduct trade with business enterprises engaged in such acts.’

Due diligence processes in our supply chain

As part of our initiatives to identify and mitigate risk, we have taken steps to integrate sustainability and compliance into our purchasing processes, by measuring and ensuring compliance with social and environmental standards.

ONE Supply Chain Management Guideline

ONE recognises that to achieve our sustainability and compliance ambitions, we must bring our suppliers and business partners on board. As a business, we purchase products and services from a range of companies. Critical to our operations are terminal operators, inland and coastal transportation companies, ships and container owners, bunker suppliers and IT vendors, without whom our core business activities cannot take place.

To ensure our high standards of sustainability and business conduct are upheld along our supply chain, ONE launched our Supply Chain Management Guideline (the Guideline). The Guideline calls on all ONE's suppliers and business partners to respect human rights, business norms and compliance. Respect of human rights includes -

Elimination of forced, bonded or child labour
Compliance with labour-related laws and regulations of each country
Equal terms of employment and treatment
Improvement of working environment concerning safety and health
Fair wages treatment

Procurement staff are required to share the Guideline with potential vendors.

Link to Supply Chain Management Guideline

Monitoring and review

ONE has taken steps to ensure that there is no Modern Day Slavery or human trafficking in any part of our business. As this is an ongoing process, the adequacy of these steps is subject to annual review.

Planning & Administration Department in GHQ has responsibility for implementing this statement and providing adequate resources to ensure that Modern Day Slavery is not taking place within ONE's business or its supply chains.

Training

We provide training to ensure that managers in ONE have a thorough knowledge of the ONE Code of Conduct and the Supply Chain Management Guideline and can act accordingly, sharing knowledge of this document and ensure a culture of compliance within their own organisation.

The year 2020-21 saw the development and rollout of bespoke Modern Day Slavery training via our e-learning platform. This training provided to all staff across the organisation with materials and quizzes to re-enforce organisational awareness of the company’s commitment to recognise the risks of Modern Day Slavery in its business and all the pertinent steps ONE is taking to prevent modern slavery and human trafficking in its business and supply chains.

Whistleblowing Program

Employees are encouraged, via our Whistleblowing program to identify and report any potential violations of applicable laws, internal rules and procedures , the ONE Code of Conduct and the Supply Chain Management Guideline. All reports are processed, investigated as applicable, and when justified, appropriate measures are taken.

MODERN SLAVERY STATEMENT REGISTRY

From November 2021 ONE will make this Statement available via the UK Government’s Modern Slavery Statement Registry. The Registry has been designed to make it easier for consumers and investors to search for businesses Modern Slavery Statements.

This statement was approved by the Board of Directors on 23rd November 2021.

Please find the signed statement here: ONE Modern Slavery Statement 2021

Governance

Corporate Governance

Corporate Governance Structure

ONE was born from the integration of the container shipping businesses of three companies - Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha, Ltd., Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd., and Nippon Yusen Kabushiki Kaisha. ONE Holding Company, based in Japan, oversees the governance of operational global headquarters based in Singapore (GHQ). With GHQ, ONE’s global presence through regional offices, branches, subsidiaries and joint-ventures will span across more than 120 countries and GHQ oversees the governance with delegation to regional headquarter(RHQ) based in Hong Kong, Singapore, London, U.S.A and Brazil.

ONE_Sustainability Report 2021_FA-Corporate Governance chart

Supply chain Management Policy

Ocean Network Express (ONE) recognizes the importance in establishing mutual trust and harmony with our business partners, who are essential to our business network. To accomplish a high service level, we aim to serve our customers with enhanced efficiency, compliance and integrity. We request the agreement and observance of "ONE’s Supply Chain Management Guideline” to support our efforts of fulfilling ONE's corporate social responsibility (CSR) project.

>> For more details, please visit here.

Tax principle

As tax laws and regulations are evolving and becoming more complex, the risk of unintentional compliance breaches is significantly increasing.

ONE is committed to ensuring compliance with local requirements and working towards tax transparency and disclosure.

ONE does not condone the behaviour of profit shifting with a tax avoidance intent to minimize its tax obligation and commits to be a responsible taxpayer in all relevant countries. As a starting point, our tax department will conduct a research study in view of analysing local tax laws and reporting requirements in various countries where ONE may operate. This study will help us prepare for our country-to-country reporting to local tax authorities in accordance with the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting project. Global tax policies and an internal control framework will be developed by April 2018, following our commitment to comply with tax laws and regulations in each jurisdiction. ONE will therefore formalize the approach it will take to carry out its tax planning strategy without compromising the integrity of its corporate governance and tax morality. Tax matters will be monitored by our tax department at our global headquarters which also manages country and regional tax departments

Compliance Framework

Reliability is one of ONE’s core values and we are committed to carry out our business in a reliable manner. All directors, managers and employees adhere to ONE’s Business Credo and Code of Conduct which includes our pledge to work in accordance with the law and social ordinances as an absolute obedience.

The Compliance Committee, held twice a year, establishes ONE’s compliance framework and is the driver for solidifying the culture of compliance in ONE Group chaired by Chief Compliance Officer and attended by Directors, senior management, and department heads. It determines actions required to establish, monitor and further enhance ONE’s compliance initiatives. The Committee is designed and run for each department in charge to take responsibility of its compliance including the monitoring and work as one team to tackle challenges as an organization.

A global hotline system has been set up for early detection of the concurrent issues, and so to receive whistleblower reports and provide immediate consultation on various matters related to compliance.

Bribery and Corruption

As elaborated in ONE’s Basic Anti-Bribery Policy, all directors and employees – whether directly or through third parties – are prohibited from engaging in any form of corrupt practice, including bribery and extortion.

Operational Excellence

Operational excellence is a mindset and way of working that we embrace at ONE.

When we first started operations in 2018 as one of the newest players in the industry, we knew we had to bring our best to the table to successfully compete in the market. This strategy has enabled us to strive for sustainable improvements within our operations and high levels of service quality.

RAISING THE BAR ON SERVICE QUALITY

Innovation and digitalization are critical enablers of operational excellence at ONE. In 2019, we established our Digital Strategy Committee and Digitalization Roadmap, to build our digital capabilities and enhance existing business models and services, with a focus on delivering better customer experience and operational efficiency.

DELIVERING BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

We commenced the first stage of our Digitalization Roadmap in December 2020, digitalizing our channels, operations and assets to provide an end-to-end customer experience within a single digital environment from quotation to e-invoice.

We continue to enhance our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to provide full visibility of customer information and interactions across global and regional offices for key accounts, in order to improve customer communication and experience. We also started deploying Robotic Process Automation (RPA) for our booking documentation process to improve quality, accuracy and turnaround time. We aim to have 100% of customer bookings done via our digital platform by 2025.

MAINTAINING OUR OPERATIONAL EDGE

High levels of customer satisfaction and service quality cannot be met if we do not execute on-time delivery of our customers’ goods. That, in turn, requires us to achieve the best operational efficiency at sea and on land.

One of the initiatives implemented is the ONE Agile Supply Chain Integrated System (OASIS) which is a centralized inventory management system that uses data analytics to forecast container demand and supply from shippers (export) and consignees (import) so we can optimise our container positioning strategy. It has been implemented in 99% of locations in ONE’s depot network, with realized savings on equipment cost and empty container reposition costs.

Another initiative is our Terminal Partnership Program (TPP), launched in 2018 to partner terminal operators to improve productivity and service reliability through close cooperation on scheduling, stowage planning and equipment deployment. It is now expanded to more than 10 terminals including a number of major terminal operators all over the world.

CARGO AND CONTAINER SAFETY

The safe transportation of cargo is fundamental to delivering the highest standards of customer service and enabling a smooth flow of operations. It also protects ship and land crew from unnecessary harm. We ensure safe cargo transportation and operations onboard by enforcing strict safety standards and inculcating safety awareness in our employees and contractors.

ONE’s stringent Vessel Quality Standard (VQS) drives our approach to vessel safety. The VQS ensures high safety standards are maintained on ships, based on requirements for ship safety and quality management systems that are in line with industry standards.

To ensure the safe operation of ships, we developed and implemented an Operational Standard to provide guidance to ship crews on how to manage and respond to issues such as cargo damage, heavy weather, accidents and fires, as well as on safe navigation of areas at high-risk of piracy and conflict zones. Issues such as robbery and theft, unauthorized stowaways, and the smuggling of firearms, drugs, and other illegal contraband are also addressed in the Operational Standard.