Environmental Report 2012

1 / 21
Next

Building a More Sustainable Society

Environmental Commitment in a Difficult Economy

The global economy experienced a downturn in FY 2011. The leading developed nations performed poorly, with sluggish personal consumption and financial issues in the U.S. and financial crisis in Europe. Meanwhile, the high growth maintained by developing countries was slowed by the effects of the economic situation in the developed countries. Likewise, Japan faced a very harsh business environment due to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami, a sluggish stock market, and the persistently strong yen.
The JAE Group's environmental policy states that the group "will contribute to the attainment of a prosperous, sustainable society by fulfilling its corporate social responsibility through environmentally friendly business activities and respect for the natural environment and biodiversity." Despite the economic situation, the Group will continue to make improvements under this policy to achieve both environmental protection and profit generation.

JAE's Environmental Activities

Due to the power shortages resulting from the Great East Japan Earthquake and the incident at the Fukushima nuclear plant, restrictions were placed on power consumption in FY 2011. However, the JAE Group was able to maintain its normal measures against climate change at all its plants and to implement emergency power saving. Most of these power-saving measures are still in place, and the Group continues to work to reduce its electricity consumption.
The JAE Group in Japan participates in the electrical/electronics industry's voluntary action plan for measures against climate change. While the common target is a 35% reduction from FY 1990 in the average emissions per unit of real sales by 2010, we substantially met our own higher target of 41%. We have indicated our participation in the electrical/electronics industry's action plan for a low-carbon society as our mid- to long-term target from FY 2013 through 2020, and will implement more stringent measures against climate change in future.
From the perspective of environmental risk, we compiled Guidelines for the Prevention of Environmental Pollution in FY 2011 as the outcome of a risk evaluation concerning pollution of soil and groundwater. Based on this, all of the Group's manufacturing facilities are working to reduce environmental risk even further, with common standards for evaluation and improvement.
As our environmental contribution in the area of products, the JAE Group is working to reduce society's overall environment impact by focusing its efforts on developing products that realize energy savings and resource conservation and do not contain hazardous substances, as well as offering renewable energy-related equipment and products for use in hybrid automobiles.

Biodiversity

The JAE Group Forest, which was opened in Okutama-machi, Tokyo for the purpose of protecting the forest and conserving it as a watershed, helps to improve employees' awareness about the environment through forest maintenance activities. Eight years have passed since the inauguration of the JAE Group Forest, and in early spring, Magnolia kobus and Japanese cherry produce flowers, while in fall, a certain amount of autumn color can already be enjoyed. Protecting forests and water sources helps countless forms of life thrive, and in addition to this focus on biodiversity, JAE is positioning this program as a symbol of its environmental policies.
The JAE Group will continue to produce environmentally friendly products and promote ongoing environmental activities through our social contribution initiatives, and we would like to ask for your support in these efforts.

Yasutaka Akiyama, President

1 / 21
Next

Symbol of JAE Group's Environmental Policies

JAE Group Forest

Environmental Management

Environmental Performance

Environmental Accounting

Environmental Accounting Data

Group Sites