Recognizing that protecting the environment is a vital issue that all of humanity must face, the NGK Group formulated its Core Policy on the Environment in April 1996 in order to bring its corporate activities into harmony with the environment.
On the basis of this policy, we work to reduce the environmental impact of business activities, and actively strive to help protect the environment by developing products and technologies to that end.
NGK’s positive approach to the environment begins with its basic corporate philosophy: “NGK products and technologies must create new value and contribute to the quality of life.” In particular, we focus on the “Triple-E” areas of Ecology, Electronics, and Energy. Through our work in these areas, we seek to develop solutions to some of the critical challenges facing the next generation.
In addition to environmental management systems at its Nagoya, Chita, and Komaki Plants, the NGK Group is promoting environmental management on a consolidated basis, encompassing Group companies both in and outside Japan, using a management system led by the Company’s business groups.
A distinctive feature of separating environmental management systems by business group is that it enables the Group to promote environmental management by working in unison to address issues such as CO2 reduction, the curbing of by-products, and tighter control over chemical substances. We intend to enhance these efforts further going forward.
Under the Second Five-year Environmental Action Plan, NGK is promoting integrated management of environmental data across the Group through a unified database. We are taking steps to enhance this database with the goal of raising the level of environmental management Group-wide through accelerated collection and processing of global environmental data, as well as increased information sharing and visibility.
As a follow-up to our fiscal 2007 launch of a database for measurement data pertaining to by-product control, gas emissions and wastewater emissions, in fiscal 2008 we completed building a database relating to activities for limiting environmental loads, such as reducing CO2 emissions and curbing the generation of by-products. The latest database will help to mitigate environmental risks through information sharing and efficiently promote programs for lessening our environmental impact.
The NGK Group is working to acquire ISO 14001 certification, or an equivalent, in order to promote environmental conservation activities at an organization level in line with our Core Policy on the Environment on an ongoing basis. In addition to NGK’s three plants, as of March 2009, all 13 Group companies in Japan (15 sites), and 15 sites at our 17 Group companies outside Japan have acquired certification. In order to further promote consolidated environmental management, we intend to progressively implement environmental management systems at Group companies outside Japan.
ISO 14001 Certification Status
| Business Site | Sites | Certified Sites | |
|---|---|---|---|
| NGK | 3 | 3 | |
| Japan Group | Power Business | 2 | 2 |
| Ceramics Products Business | 5 | 5 | |
| Electronics Business | 8 | 8 | |
| Overseas | Power Business | 6 | 6 |
| Ceramics Products Business | 8 | 6 | |
| Electronics Business | 3 | 3 | |
Koji Matsuzaki
Sub-manager
Environmental Management Dept.
As NGK has increased production outside Japan, the environmental load generated outside of Japan has come to account for roughly 60% of the Group’s entire environmental burden. Accordingly, along with its initiatives in Japan, the Group is being called upon to step up its promotion of activities to lessen its environmental load globally.
To address this, in setting targets for reducing the environmental load of Group companies outside Japan in fiscal 2008, we created guidelines for an approach to developing reduction measures, and devised mechanisms that make it easier for managers outside of Japan to tackle reducing their environmental impact. At the same time, we made consolidated environmental management more efficient by introducing an integrated system for managing environmental data by creating the environmental information database.
Efforts to protect the environment are a critical component of corporate management, which makes the job that I do very worthwhile to me. Looking ahead, I plan to raise the level of environmental management at the NGK Group up a notch as we strive to make an even greater contribution to protecting the natural environment.
