Environment Management

Environment Management System

Environment Management

The Group works on energy savings, waste reduction, and chemical substance management as important issues. We create the “Shin-Etsu Group Environmental Safety Management Plan” every year in accordance with the Responsible Care Codes* and set numerical goals. The company and the plants of our Group companies set goals annually according to this plan and work to achieve them. The plants conduct employee education programs such as inviting outside experts to give environmental lectures.

Hosting an environmental lecture
(June 2024, Shin-Etsu Chemical Naoetsu Plant)

Annual activity results are reported to the corporate officer in charge of environment control at the Group Environmental Protection Conference.

In order to increase the quality of activities, each plant and the Group companies perform several internal audits a year to check if they have set appropriate goals and the progress that they have achieved. In addition, we check their activities and achievements through periodic environmental control and safety audits. The audit results are reported to the top management.

*Responsible Care Codes
Responsible Care Codes set the basic conditions for the implementation of Responsible Care. They consist of seven codes, including the Management System Code which is designed to operate the areas such as environmental preservation, disaster prevention, occupational health and safety, and distribution safety.

Environmental Certification

In 1996, Shin-Etsu Chemical Gunma Complex obtained the ISO 14001 certification, becoming the first facility of a major chemical company in Japan to achieve such a certification. The Group has continued to obtain the ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems.

Targets and Results

The following shows our targets and results for environmental protection and chemical substance management for FY2024 and our targets for FY2025.

Reduction of Environmental Impact

Promoting the Reduction of Environmental Impact

The Group constantly works to promote the reduction of environmental impact in the manufacturing stage. Furthermore, we are considering ways to reduce the environmental impact at the product usage stage and to contribute to energy and resource conservation. The Research, Manufacturing, and Sales Departments work together to develop products that are used in various fields, including the manufacturing industry, our daily lives, and the renewable energy industry.

Environmental Impact of Business Activities

figure: Environmental Impact of Business Activities. INPUT: Raw materials, Energy, Water, Packaging materials and supplies → Plants, complex → OUTPUT: Products, Packaging materials and supplies, By-products, Air, Waste, Water discharge, Chemical substances

*1Waste
Since the standards of waste differs between Japan and other countries, the range of entities for the waste is Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. and the consolidated in Japan.

*2PRTR controlled substances
515 substances have been identified as Class I designated chemical substances from the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) system in the Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management. Since the standards of PRTR differs between Japan and other countries, the range of entities for the PRTR is Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd. and the consolidated in Japan.

Environmental Accounting

In FY2024, the company referred to the “Environmental Accounting Guidelines 2005” prepared by the Ministry of the Environment in Japan to calculate the investments and expenditures necessary to reduce the environmental impacts of air pollution, water pollution, environmental release of chemical substances, etc.; energy-saving measures to conserve the global environment; and reducing waste and recycling to reuse resources. In FY2024, productivity increased due to yield improvement, resulting in a significant increase in economic impact.

Environmental Conservation Costs in FY2024
million yen
Category Details Investment Expenditure
Plant area costs 2,674 10,623
(1)Pollution prevention costs
Prevention measures for air, water, noise and other type of pollution 724 4,681
(2)Global environmental conservation costs
Energy saving and global warming mitigation measures 1,446 3,107
(3)Resource recycling costs
Waste reduction, recycling and other measures 504 2,835
Upstream and downstream costs Green purchasing and container and packaging measures 649 107
Administration costs Environmental management, environmental impact monitoring and environmental education measures 39 481
Research and development costs Research and development of environmentally conscious products and processes 0 3,434
Social engagement costs Donations and contributions to environmental saving 0 130
Environmental remediation costs Assessment, handling and other costs related to environmental pollution 0 24
Total 3,362 14,799
Economic Impact of Environmental Accounting in FY2024
million yen
Details of impact Economic impact
Energy saving 2,054
Improved production efficiency 5,242
(1) Production process 4,538
(2) Secondary materials costs 704
Reduction in waste treatment costs 156
Profit from sale of valuable resources 254
Total 7,706

Cost of Environmental Conservation : Investment and Expenditure

graph: FY2024 (million yen) Investment 3,362 Expenditure 14,799

Economic Impact*3

graph: FY2024 (million yen) Economic benefit 7,706

*3The range of entities for the Environmental Accounting is Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.

Reduction of Environmental Impact in Plants

figure: Gunma Complex, Naoetsu Plant, Takefu Plant

The Gunma Complex, our main production base for silicone products, is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by introducing a cogeneration system fueled by natural gas. In addition, it is implementing initiatives to minimize water withdrawal by recycling the water taken from rivers and to reduce the percentage of final landfill disposal to less than 1% of the amount of waste generated.

The Naoetsu Plant, which produces a wide range of chemical products and highly functional products, including silicone products and electronics materials, is working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions with a gas turbine cogeneration system. It is also working to save energy by reusing nitrogen necessary for chemical reaction processes.

The Takefu Plant, which conducts research and production of cutting-edge magnet materials using rare earths, and produces silicone products and rare earth compounds, is working to promote energy conservation and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by, among other measures, applying heat-shielding paint to the roof of the factory building to prevent heating from sunlight.

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