Environment Management
Environment Management System
Environment Management
The Group works on energy savings, waste reduction and chemical substance management as
important
issues. We annually create the Shin-Etsu Group Environmental Safety Management Plan in
accordance with the Responsible Care Codes1 and set goals using numerical
numbers. The
Company and all the plant of our Group companies set goals annually according to this plan
and working to achieve them. Annual activity results are reported to the director in charge
of the environment control at the Group Environmental Protection Conference.
In order to increase the level of activity, each plant and the Group companies perform
several internal audits a year to check if their goals are appropriately set and the
progress they have achieved. In addition, we also check the activities and achievements each
plant and the Group
companies have made through periodical environmental control and safety audits. The
results of audits are reported to top management.
Promoting the Reduction of Environmental Impact
The Group constantly works
to promote the reduction of environmental impact during 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. Research,
Manufacturing and Sales divisions are united to develop such products. These well-examined
products are used in various fields including manufacturing industry, our daily lives as
well as renewable energy industry.
Reducing the Environmental Impact of Business Activities
- 1 Responsible Care Codes
Six principle areas are addressed when implementing Responsible Care: environmental preservation, process safety (and disaster prevention), occupational health and safety, distribution safety, chemical and product safety, and social dialogue (with the public). The codes initiatives in these areas, together with the Management System Codes required for operating all the above. - 2 PRTR controlled substances
462 substances designated as Class I designated chemical substances from the "Pollutant Release and Transfer Register in the Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management." - ※ In order to clearly define the power consumption reduction efforts, the average power-CO2 conversion factor from 2000 to2009 is used.
- ※ Waste standards and PRTR controlled substances differs from country to country, the figures for the Company and Group companies in Japan were counted.
- ※ Waste recycling ratio indicates the ratio of an amount recycled to total waste generated.
- ※ Final disposal ratio indicates the ratio of an amount of landfill waste to total waste generated.
Targets and Results
The following are Targets and Results for environmental protection and chemical substance management for FY2019 as well as Targets for FY2020.
Target, Implementation Status, Evaluation, and Planned Implementation
Items 
Environmental Certification
In 1996, Shin-Etsu Chemical's Gunma Complex obtained ISO 14001 certification, becoming the first facility of a major chemical company in Japan to achieve such certification. The Group has continued to obtain ISO 14001 certification, the international standard for environmental management systems.
Environmental Accounting
In FY2019, the Company referring calculated to the Environmental Accounting Guidelines 2005 prepared by the Ministry of the Environment in Japan calculated the investments and expenditures involved in the reduction of the environmental impact of air pollution, water pollution, environmental release of chemical substances, etc.; energy-saving measures to conserve the global environment; and waste reduction and recycling to improve reuse of resources.
Environmental Conservation Costs in FY2019
million yen
| Category | Details | Investment | Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plant area costs | 2,456 | 9,115 | |
| (1)Pollution prevention costs | Prevention measures for air, water, noise and other type of pollution | 498 | 3,566 |
| (2)Global environmental conservation costs | Energy saving and global warming mitigation measures | 1,132 | 3,358 |
| (3)Resource recycling costs | Waste reduction, recycling and other measures | 826 | 2,191 |
| Upstream and downstream costs | Green purchasing and container and packaging measures | 24 | 45 |
| Administration costs | Environmental management, environmental impact monitoring and environmental education measures | 42 | 360 |
| Research and development costs | Research and development of environmentally conscious products and processes | 0 | 1,407 |
| Social engagement costs | Donations and contributions to environmental saving | 10 | 80 |
| Environmental remediation costs | Assessment, handling and other costs related to environmental pollution | 0 | 39 |
| Total | 2,532 | 11,047 | |
Economic Benefits of Environmental Accounting in FY2019
million yen
| Details of benefits | Economic benefit |
|---|---|
| Energy saving | 135 |
| Improved production efficiency | 3,546 |
| (1)Production process | 3,303 |
| (2)Secondary materials costs | 243 |
| Reduction in waste treatment costs | -153 |
| Profit from sale of valuable resources | 96 |
| Total | 3,624 |
Cost of Environmental Conservation:Investment and Expenditure
Economic Impact
Shin-Etsu Group Key ESG Issues
- The foundation of all activitieslegal compliance, fair corporate activities
- Employees and contractor health and safety
- Energy-saving, resource-saving and the reduction of the environmental impact
- Product quality improvements and product safety control
- Promoting CSR procurement and the diversification of supply sources
- Respect for human rights, the development of human resources and the promotion of diversity
- Respect for and protection of intellectual property
- Contribution to industry and social initiatives
- Accurate and timely information disclosure
and communication with stakeholders