Initiatives for Preventing Global Warming Back Number (2016)
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Basic Approach
The Minebea Group recognizes that the international issue of global warming, along with the related issues of soaring energy prices and abnormal climatic conditions, pose a significant threat to the sustainability of its business activities.
In response, each office and plant in the Minebea Group is proactively promoting energy efficiency initiatives in order to combat global warming after having completed formulating the main measures for their sites.
Results of FY2015 Initiatives
The Minebea Group's emissions of CO2 in FY2015 totaled 515,172 tons, 5% less than in FY2014. In terms of basic units of production, CO2 emissions declined 23% over FY2014 to 0.84 tons per million yen of production. The reason for this decrease was highly energy-efficient manufacturing activities amid strong business growth, as well as efforts taken by plants around the world to reduce CO2 emissions.
Initiatives in Office Spaces
Energy-efficiency Initiatives at Tokyo Head Office (Japan)
Tokyo Head Office
Our Tokyo Head Office relocated to a newly purchased office building in Tokyo in January 2013. In October 2013, the office began full-fledged ISO 14001 environmental management activities.
In FY2015, the building achieved an 8.4% reduction in overall energy consumption compared with FY2013 (base year) through both physical controls, such as changes to air conditioning settings along with turning off and dimming lights, to awareness-type activities such as encouraging all employees to adopt cool business attire. While the office reduced electric power consumption in the use of air conditioning, the amount of city gas used to power hot and chilled water generators during the summer months increased slightly. Altogether, the office reduced CO2 emissions by 4.3% in FY2015 compared with FY2013 when converting both electricity and gas consumption.
We also cooperate with the Ministry of the Environment's annual "Light-Down Campaign" encouraging lighted facilities, companies, and households nationwide to turn off lights on the summer solstice, and on Japan's "Tanabata Star Festival." On June 22, 2015, the summer solstice, and on the festival day of July 7, we turned off the Tokyo Head Office's exterior illumination lights for two hours between 8:00 pm and 10:00 pm, saving 6 kw of electricity.
Initiatives at Work Sites
Environment, Energy, CSR Week Exhibition (Thailand)
In November and December each year, NMB-Minebea Thai promotes a travelling exhibit at all of its plants to raise employee awareness of health, safety, the environment, energy, and CSR.
In FY2015, the following exhibits and events were held.
- Exhibit of environmental and energy-saving activities in 2014 and 2015
- Exhibit and introduction of World Environment Day slogan, "Seven Billion Dreams. One Planet. Consume with Care."
- Small-group activity contest on energy and resource conservation
- Design invention from food and beverage packaging contest
- Survey game on occupational health and safety, the environment and energy, and CSR
- Distribution of saplings among employees to help mitigate global warming
- Distribution of books, pamphlets, and posters about the environment and energy to employees
Exhibitions are held during environment and energy week
Trees Planted to Celebrate the King of Thailand's Birthday (Thailand)
Tree-planting at Lopburi Plant
Employees at NMB-Minebea Thai's Bang Pa-in Plant and Lopburi Plant planted trees on the plants' grounds on December 5, 2015 in celebration of the King of Thailand's birthday. The increase in greenery at the plants will help to mitigate global warming. Employees at the Bang Pa-in Plant planted 119 trees, while employees at the Lopburi Plant planted 89 trees. In addition to planting trees, the plants also held candle-lighting ceremonies on the same day to celebrate the King's 88th birthday.
Tree-planting at Bang Pa-in Plant
Candle-lighting ceremony
Initiatives at Logistics Divisions
Reducing CO2 Emissions from Logistics
In addition to direct CO2 emissions from business activities categorized as Scope 1 (gas and oil) and Scope 2 (electricity, steam, and heat), the Minebea Group also strives to grasp CO2 emissions from logistics activities (product shipment) categorized under Scope 3 (other).
In FY2015, Minebea Group's emissions of CO2 related to product shipments totaled 146,593 tons, an increase of 67% compared with FY2014.
When shipping products, logistics divisions select railway and marine shipment, which generate relatively low CO2 emissions, in order to reduce emissions to the extent possible.
Future Issues and Goals
The Minebea Group will continue to advance its measures to prevent global warming.
In regard to long-term goals for 2020 and 2030, we are taking into consideration the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, the Paris Agreement adopted by the 21st Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21), and draft agreements proposed by various countries as we make progress on our global warming countermeasures.
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