Environmental Protection Activities
The Group continuously monitors CO2 emissions, energy consumption, and other factors as it works to facilitate the reduction of its environmental burden.
Measures to reduce the environmental burden and combat climate change
Since the 1980s, we have been working for many years to prevent
global warming by making effective use of fossil fuels (natural
resources) mainly at our plants.
In 2012, the Company was designated as a specified business
operator under the revised Act on Rationalizing Energy Use, and
we have been engaged in Company-wide efforts to further
conserve energy.
In addition, from FY2022, we have set a new goal of
reducing total CO2 emissions by 38%*1 by FY2030,
and we are implementing measures aimed at
achieving this goal.
- *1 Compared to our peak value recorded in FY2017.
Activities in FY2022
In FY2022, the Konan Plant, which accounts for more than 40% of the Company’s energy use on a non-consolidated basis, commenced activities that aim for Just-In-Time (JIT) production of energy as part of its energy-saving activities covering all divisions. In addition, about 10% of the electric power consumed at the Takarazuka Plant, Ono Plant, and the Konan Plant, which are the major production sites, are electricity generated from renewable energy. On top of that, it is our plan that the large submersible pump operation and inspection facilities of the Ono Plant, which are slated to commence operation in FY2024, will supply electric power generated using the photovoltaic panels mounted on their roof, which will contribute to reduction of CO 2 emissions of 52 t-CO2 /year at the production site.
Waste reduction
The Company is committed to reducing waste and recycling through the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) as well as Refuse (not accepting things that will end up as garbage). In our efforts to realize a recycling-based society, we have also set new targets in FY2022 of reducing total waste emissions by 10% *2 by FY2030 and achieving a recycling rate*3 of 99% or more.
- *2 Compared to FY2020
- *3Recycling rate: Amount of waste recycled/ Total amount of waste generated × 100 (%)
Activities in FY2022
We are working on reduction of the amount of materials purchased which are the source of waste and further conversion of industrial waste into valuable resources through further improvement of yield and quality in our production activities.
Cooperation in the training for enhancement of capacity for waste management
Based on its Sustainability Management Policy, the
Group aims to contribute broadly to society through
its business activities. Since FY2011, we have been
cooperating in the training for enhancement of
capacity for waste management organized by Japan
International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Kansai
Center.
The Learning and Ecological Activities Foundation
for Children (LEAF), an NPO corporation entrusted
with the project by JICA, provides this training to
national and municipal government officials of the
Pacific, Asia, Latin America, and other regions. By
also collaborating with the Japanese Technical
Cooperation Project for Promotion of Regional
Initiative on Solid Waste Management (J-PRISM),
the training aims to improve the administrative
capacity of national and municipal government
officials involved in waste disposal in countries in
these regions. Through the manufacture of refuse
compactors (garbage trucks) in our Special Purpose
Truck business, we offer efficient refuse collecting,
transporting, and recycling systems to society, and
as a leading company in this business, we are
contributing to all stages of waste management,
from collection to recycling, to realize a recycling-based
society. At training sessions, we explain the
safe operation and maintenance of refuse
compactors and present our initiatives to create a
recycling-based society.In FY2020 and FY2021, the
training was suspended due to the COVID-19
pandemic, but it is planned to resume after the
pandemic has receded.
| Date | Target countries | Participants |
|---|---|---|
| June 20, 2019 | Barbados, Micronesia, Samoa, Timor-Leste, Tonga | ５ |
| November 7, 2019 | Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Lao PDR, Lebanon, Nigeria, Sudan, Papua New Guinea | ９ |
Protecting Water Resources and Reducing Water Use
Saving water, a limited and precious resource, also leads to energy savings in the water purification process. Our plants are thus committed to proper management of both its water consumption and wastewater discharge.
Reducing emissions of pollutants
For substances discharged from our plants into the atmosphere and water, we set voluntary emission limits that are stricter than legal regulations *4 in our efforts to reduce our environmental impact.
- *4Ex/ NOx: Approximately 30–70% of the legal limit; BOD: 50% of the legal limit (Aircraft Division Konan Plant).
