Fiscal 2007 marked the first year of our 5th Environmental Plan, which seeks to bolster balanced management with defensive and proactive environmental initiatives. We successfully steadily embarked on challenges in the following three areas.
1. Enhancement of Environmental Management on a Global, Consolidated Basis (Thoroughgoing Defense)
We strengthened management inside and outside of Japan with a view to expanding global environmental management to include non-production sites in Japan and overseas. In Japan, environmental audits were conducted at 13 non-production sites and 19 production sites belonging to Mitsubishi Electric. Also, the scope of environmental audits and compliance inspections at domestic affiliates was expanded to include non-production affiliates, and audits and inspections were conducted at 79 sites. We strengthened environmental management on the defensive front by continuing to train key environmental personnel for the future of the company and carrying out specialized training for environmental auditors. Overseas, we sent representatives to China and Europe to help develop systems at local affiliates, and conducted inspections of environmental activities at 12 sites. The inspections centered on promotion of measures to prevent environmental accidents.
2. Improvement in Environmental Performance along the Entire Supply Chain (Defensive and Proactive Measures)
We worked to reduce environmental impact at the stages of production, products and logistics. With respect to preventing global warming, we actively carried out investment in energy efficiency, which resulted in lowering carbon dioxide emissions by 459,000 tons-CO2, a 63% reduction from fiscal 1991 per nominal net sales. This means that we have already achieved the voluntary target we set for 2010.
In the area of waste reduction, the final disposal ratio of Mitsubishi Electric was 0.29% on a non-consolidated basis, as we achieved zero emissions (defined as a final disposal ratio of less than 1%) for the fifth straight year. Affiliates in Japan improved to 1.4%, approaching zero emissions status.
With respect to reducing release volumes of chemical substances, we added 13 volatile organic compounds to the scope of management in line with amendments to the Air Pollution Control Law. As a result, atmospheric release and waste transfer volume increased by 354 tons.
With regard to environmental considerations in products, we are steadily expanding our Design for the Environment program as a proactive initiative, and achieved an Eco-Products ratio (to production value) of 82%. We also focused on developing and evaluating material recycling technologies for plastics. On the defensive front, we strictly complied with environmental regulations for products, which are becoming multinational in nature. We developed compliance systems and maintained compliance with the European Union's RoHS Directive, which bans the use of certain chemical substances. We also made serious progress inside and outside the Group in responding to the EU's REACH policy, which requires the management of chemical substances down the supply chain.
In the area of environmental logistics, in fiscal 2007, carbon dioxide emissions from product (sales) logistics were down 20% from fiscal 2003 on a Group basis and 30% on a non-consolidated basis. Packaging material usage dropped 10% on a Group basis and 17% on a non-consolidated basis. We achieved our targets for both (targets are per unit of net shipping weight).
3. Expansion of Environmentally Beneficial Businesses (Developing New Offensive Initiatives)
We have set sales targets for our corporate energy saving solutions business. The business gradually grew in fiscal 2007, as sales rose by 7.3% over the previous year to ¥78.76 billion.
In order to continue to strengthen and develop these initiatives, steady execution of the 5th Environmental Plan and thorough compliance with ethical norms and legal regulations related to the environment will be the policies of the Mitsubishi Electric Group for fiscal 2008, and environmental management will be conducted on this basis. We will also continue to devote effort to environmental and social contributions and to improving communication, which is another pillar strengthened under the 5th Environmental Plan.
Well done
Almost there
More effort neededManagement, Environmental Business, Communications
| Enhance environmental management systems | ||
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FY2009 Targets Expand global environmental management to include non-production sites in Japan and overseas Incorporate regular company management and administration into environmental management, and strengthen supervisory responsibilities at the business group level Conduct environmental audits at both production sites and non-production sites in Japan and overseas, and increase the number of environmental auditors |
FY2007 Targets |
Hold regional conferences in the U.S., China, Asia and Europe Conduct auditing training at sites subject to audits and ensure auditor competence |
| FY2007 Achievements |
Held regional conferences in the U.S., China, Asia and Europe Conducted environmental audits at 13 sites and 19 factories in Japan, environmental audits and compliance inspections at 79 manufacturing and non-manufacturing affiliates in Japan, and environmental inspections at 12 manufacturing sites overseas. 143 people participated in entry-level training for environmental auditors conducted in Japan; 142 people participated in intermediate-level training |
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| Strengthen preventative protection in connection with the environment | ||
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FY2009 Targets Increase the number and competence of environmental management administrators in line with the environmental management system Formulate and execute a plan to quickly deal with stored PCB, and soil and groundwater contamination Devise and carry out measures to prevent environmental accidents and strengthen environmental protection |
FY2007 Targets |
Have at least 20 employees complete key environmental personnel training Formulate and execute a plan to quickly address soil and groundwater contamination Formulate a plan for processing stored PCBs, and promote processing |
| FY2007 Achievements |
23 employees completed key environmental personnel training Continued to carry out groundwater and soil contamination measures Devised plan to complete processing by 2010 and raised awareness of processing rules |
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Further develop an environmental mindset Raise environmental awareness and train personnel (motivate employees in the area of environmental protection and conduct environmental education) |
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FY2009 Targets Foster employees who voluntarily engage in environmental protection, promote nature activities in which employees participate together with their families, and promote activities that contribute to society from an environmental perspective Raise environmental awareness through education and by developing an educational system that takes into account the employee's stage in life |
FY2007 Targets |
Hold "Mitsubishi Electric Outdoor Classroom;" train 20 outdoor classroom leaders Promote local woodland conservation as a social contribution initiative Raise environmental awareness through education and by developing an educational system that takes into account employee career stages |
| FY2007 Achievements |
Held "Mitsubishi Electric Outdoor Classroom" (in Hibiya Park for 20 local kindergarten students) Prepared woodland conservation activities (Nagoya area) Conducted Mt. Fuji forest initiative three times Conducted in-house training for different stage in life (regular, specialized); total of 30,000 Group employees participated |
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| Expand environmental businesses | ||
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FY2009 Targets Expand environmentally beneficial businesses with the goal of ¥100.0 billion in sales by fiscal 2011 |
FY2007 Targets |
Promote energy saving solutions business for global warming prevention measures Increase sales from environmentally beneficial businesses for corporations by 7% over the previous year |
| FY2007 Achievements | Increased sales from environmentally beneficial businesses for corporations by 7.3% (¥78.76 billion) over the previous year |
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| Hold dialogues with diverse groups of stakeholders and maintain channels of communication | ||
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FY2009 Targets Enhance dialogue and collaboration Enhance environmental communication in every region, including overseas |
FY2007 Targets |
Enhance environmental information provided on website and Environmental Sustainability Report Exhibit at Eco-Products 2006 (Japan) and the Eco-Products International Fair (Singapore) Conduct awareness-raising activities inside and outside the company linked with national campaigns against global warming |
| FY2007 Achievements |
Published 2006 Environmental Exhibited at Eco-Products 2006 (Japan) and the Eco-Products International Fair (Singapore) Participated in the Team -6% campaign (Marunouchi watering event, etc.); raised awareness of the "Cool Biz" campaign in the company and promoted it to visitors |
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Eco-Products: Initiatives at the Procurement/Product Use/Recycling Level
| Environmental considerations down the supply chain | ||
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FY2009 Targets Create Mitsubishi Electric Group Green Certification Guidelines and certify qualified suppliers |
FY2007 Targets | Create Mitsubishi Electric Group Green Certification Guidelines |
| FY2007 Achievements | Created Green Certification Guidelines and revised the Green Procurement Standards Guide; conducted green certification of major suppliers covered by the RoHS Directive |
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| Create eco-products by promoting DFE | ||
FY2009 Targets Raise the ratio of Eco-Products to production value Home appliances, mass produced industrial automation systems, and information and communication systems: 100% Other than the above: 80% Double product environmental efficiency (Factor 2) Strengthen DFE-related technology development |
FY2007 Targets |
Achieve Eco-Products ratio (compared to production amount) of 80% Improve plastic recycling technology |
| FY2007 Achievements |
Achieved Eco-Products ratio (compared to production amount) of 82% (88% for mass produced products; 43% for others) Conducted environmental impact assessment of material recycling (mixed plastic processing) and verified superiority compared to other processing methods |
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| Level of Achievement (Self-Evaluation) | |
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| Completely eliminate HCFC | ||
FY2009 Targets Abolish the use of HCFC for refrigerants by the end of FY2011 |
FY2007 Targets | Completely eliminate HCFC in package air conditioners for buildings (complete conversion to HFC) |
| FY2007 Achievements | Completely eliminated HCFC in package air conditioners for buildings (completed conversion to HFC) |
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| Comply with the RoHS Directive | ||
FY2009 Targets Continue to strictly comply with RoHS Directive |
FY2007 Targets | Conduct inspections of management practices for contamination risk and strictly comply with RoHS |
| FY2007 Achievements | Promoted risk management at the Business Group level and maintained RoHS compliance |
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| Comply with REACH regulation | ||
FY2009 Targets Establish systems for managing chemical substances to comply with the REACH regulations |
FY2007 Targets | Establish systems for managing chemical substances to comply with the REACH regulations |
| FY2007 Achievements | Participated in JAMP (Japan Article Management Promotion Consortium) to build informational foundations for complying with the REACH regulations |
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Eco-Factories: Initiatives at the Manufacturing Level
| Greening of factories and offices | ||
FY2009 Targets Develop eco-factory/eco-office guidelines, and build and initiate an internal certification system |
FY2007 Targets | Create indicator for assessing environmental initiatives, develop an assessment system and operate on a trial basis |
| FY2007 Achievements | Created eco-factory indicator and assessment tools Operated on a trial basis at five business sites |
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| Promotion of zero emissions | ||
FY2009 Targets Mitsubishi Electric: Reduce final disposal volume to 0.5% of total waste emissions or less Affiliates and subsidiaries in Japan: Reduce final disposal volume to 1.0% of total waste emissions or less |
FY2007 Targets |
Mitsubishi Electric: Reduce final disposal volume to 0.5% of total waste emissions or less Affiliates and subsidiaries in Japan: Reduce final disposal volume to 1% of total waste emissions or less |
| FY2007 Achievements |
Mitsubishi Electric: Reduced final disposal volume to 0.29% of total waste emissions Affiliates and subsidiaries in Japan: Reduced final disposal volume to 1.4% of total waste emissions |
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| Reduction in total waste emissions | ||
FY2009 Targets Factories: Improve by 10% per nominal net sales amount from FY2005 Offices: Improve by 10% per unit of floor space from FY2005 |
FY2007 Targets |
Factories: Improve by 10% per nominal net sales amount from FY2005 Offices: Improve by 10% per unit of floor space from FY2005 |
| FY2007 Achievements | Factories: Improved by 15% from FY2005 Offices: Improved by 70% from FY2005 |
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| Level of Achievement (Self-Evaluation) | |
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| Effective use of water | ||
FY2009 Targets Confirm the status of water usage at Mitsubishi Electric's works and affiliates, and promote effective usage policies |
FY2007 Targets | Confirm the status of water usage at Mitsubishi Electric's works and affiliates, and promote effective usage policies |
| FY2007 Achievements | Water usage status confirmed at two Mitsubishi Electric manufacturing works |
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| Level of Achievement (Self-Evaluation) | |
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| Reduction in CO2 emissions | ||
FY2009 Targets Mitsubishi Electric's Works in Japan (including research centers): Reduce by 2% per year per real nominal net sales Head office, Branch offices, Non-Manufacturing Companies in Japan and Overseas: Reduce by 1% per year per unit of floor space Manufacturing Affiliates in Japan: Reduce by 1% per year per nominal net sales Manufacturing Affiliates Overseas : Reduce by 1% per year per nominal net sales |
FY2007 Targets | Mitsubishi Electric's Works in Japan (including research centers): Reduce by 2% per year per real nominal net sales Head office, Branch offices, Non-Manufacturing Companies in Japan and Overseas: Reduce by 1% per year per unit of floor space Manufacturing Affiliates in Japan: Reduce by 1% per year per nominal net sales Manufacturing Affiliates Overseas: Reduce by 1% per year per nominal net sales |
| FY2007 Achievements | Invested in energy saving facilities at a targeted rate of 0.1% of production amount and reduced emissions by 6% per year at domestic manufacturing works (including research centers) Started calculating on a floor space basis at head office, branch offices and non-manufacturing affiliates in Japan (Head office and branch offices: 3,720 tons-CO2; non-manufacturing affiliates in Japan: 288,000 tons-CO2) Started calculating on a real sales basis at manufacturing affiliates in Japan and overseas (Manufacturing affiliates in Japan: 172,000 tons-CO2; Manufacturing affiliates overseas: 234,000 tons-CO2) |
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| Level of Achievement (Self-Evaluation) | |
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Eco Logistics: Initiatives at the Transport/Logistics Level
| Reduction in CO2 emissions from product (sales) logistics | ||
FY2009 Targets Japan: Reduce by 30% per net shipping weight from FY2003 Overseas: Increase the number of companies tracked |
FY2007 Targets |
Japan: Reduce by 24% per net shipping weight (kg-CO2/ton) from FY2003 Overseas: Expand scope to manufacturing companies and sales companies |
| FY2007 Achievements | Japan: Reduced by 30% in FY2007 (Mitsubishi Electric); reduced by 20% in FY2006 (Group) Overseas: Calculated for manufacturing companies (15 million tons-CO2) |
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| Reduction in CO2 emissions from waste logistics | ||
FY2009 Targets Establish method for calculating CO2 emissions, and devise and execute reduction plans |
FY2007 Targets | Establish method for calculating CO2 emissions, and devise and execute reduction plans |
| FY2007 Achievements | Established calculation method based on the ton-kilo method |
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| Level of Achievement (Self-Evaluation) | |
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| Reduction in CO2 emissions from supply logistics | ||
FY2009 Targets Establish method for calculating CO2 emissions, and devise and execute reduction plans |
FY2007 Targets | Establish method for calculating CO2 emissions from supply logistics |
| FY2007 Achievements | Established calculation method based on the ton-kilo method |
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| Level of Achievement (Self-Evaluation) | |
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| Reduction in usage of disposable packaging materials | ||
FY2009 Targets Japan: Reduce by 10% per net shipping weight from FY2005 Overseas: Increase the number of companies tracked Continue eliminating use of wood products (Japan only) |
FY2007 Targets | Disposable packaging materials Continue eliminating use of wood products (Japan only) |
| FY2007 Achievements | Disposable packaging materials Continued eliminating use of wood products (Japan only) |
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| Level of Achievement (Self-Evaluation) | |
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