Environmental Report 2019

Building a sustainable world  Tsutomu Onohara, President

Environmental Management

Based on an ESG perspective, and with “Harmony with the Environment” now a part of the “JAE Group Charter of Corporate Behavior,” the JAE Group delivers products that save energy and resources to build a smarter social infrastructure and operates a next-generation environmentally responsive business by respecting the natural environment and practicing environmentally friendly business activities.
 Today, with massive floods and devastating crop damage reported worldwide, we are rededicating ourselves to our efforts, and determined not to slow down, as we work toward our globally shared key environmental goals, including measures to fight climate change such as heavy rain, heat waves, and heavy snowfall accompanied by destruction of the ecosystem, which are also indicated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  
 As a good corporate citizen that benefits from the global environment, the JAE Group is committed to reducing the environmental impact generated by its business activities, and helping to build a safe, secure, prosperous, and sustainable world.

Tsutomu Onohara, President

Environmental Activities

The JAE Group, in addition to its basic commitment of complying with laws and regulations and never polluting, is fully aware of the environmental impact of its corporate activities, including the products it delivers, the procurement of materials for those products, development, from production to distribution to deliver its products to customers, and disposal. Under its environmental policy, it tackles environmental issues faced by society including environmental protection and measures to fight climate change. 
 In June 2004, the JAE Group participated in the “Corporate Forest Project,” a forestry promotion and forest preservation project in Tokyo. Since the establishment of the JAE Group Forest, a symbol of environmental management in Okutama-machi, Tokyo, we have contributed to the preservation of forests and replenishment of the watershed, for instance by planting forests, pruning undergrowth and maintaining trails. In November 2018, we received a letter of appreciation from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government commending JAE as a contributor to the Greening of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area  in the category of Forest Maintenance/Forest Preservation at the 42nd National Tree-Raising Festival , and for our many years of continuous forest preservation activities. (Please see “JAE Group Forest’” for details.)
 Our measures to fight climate change are focused on energy of production equipment with a high usage ratio, and we have insulated equipment and taken measures to prevent the leakage of compressed air. At all production bases in Japan and abroad, we constantly work to effectively use energy, such as by reviewing air-conditioning management in production areas and improving manufacturing efficiency. 
 In recent years, the international community has united and taken up plastic marine debris as a major environmental issue. JAE has also been working for some time on the environmental goals of recycling plastic waste and reducing landfill disposal.  
 In order to advance this activity, guidance and cooperation from customers and business partners is essential. However, as an effort that unites customers, sales, design, and logistics departments, I would like to present a case that promotes the reuse of plastic waste that is related to Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development). We used to use special Styrofoam that was processed to accommodate special product shapes as a plastic cushioning material for the packaging of products to be delivered to customers. However, after conducting evaluation testing for transportation and handling, and with the understanding of customers, we changed to a general bubble wrap cushioning material (called “air cap”). In addition to being able to reuse the bubble wrap cushioning material, which eliminates the fluff of paper, extensive cost-saving advantages are expected, such as enabling the use of a smaller box, reducing the physical load with a lighter weight, and saving cardboard.
 The JAE Group contributes to the development of a sustainable society by reducing its environmental impact in corporate activities, developing products that contain no harmful substances and applying them in environmentally friendly solutions for customers. The hands-on learning experience in forest preservation that continues every year at the JAE Group Forest is helping to foster environmental awareness, which forms the foundation of our activities, and we will keep caring for it as a symbol of our environmental management.
 The JAE Group will strive to balance both corporate activities and environmental protection by practicing environmentally friendly manufacturing.
 In closing, please let me request your continued understanding and support.

Tsutomu Onohara, President