Biodiversity
- Basic approach
- Promotion system
- Targets
- Implementation of the LEAP approach based on the TNFD framework
- Achievements
Basic approach
artience group recognized the importance of biodiversity from an early stage, and has made it a policy to engage in nature conservation activities, including the conservation of biodiversity, and has voluntarily promoted tree-planting activities and clean-up activities in rivers and lakes in the region.
In response to the establishment of the Keidanren Declaration on Biodiversity in March 2009 prior to the 10th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP10) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP10) in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, the Group has established the Biodiversity Policy (revised in January 2024) by organizing and integrating its views and activities related to biodiversity.
The Group is dependent on a large amount of natural capital, such as naturally derived raw materials and water resources, and recognizes that there is a burden on ecosystems due to production activities. In the midst of a biodiversity crisis, the Group revised its Biodiversity Policy in January 2024 in order to contribute to the realization of the goals set forth in the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework and the realization of Nature Positive.
As a chemical manufacturer, we will work to conserve biodiversity through the sustainable use of biological resources, the reduction of chemical emissions, and the provision of products that contribute to sustainability.
The artience Group (hereafter referred to as the “Group”) is committed to the realization of its sustainability vision, asv2050/2030: a set of medium- to long-term goals to contribute to the improvement of social sustainability and the global environment and achieve sustainable growth as a corporate group. In working to achieve this sustainability vision, the Group regards proactive efforts to conserve biodiversity that may be affected by its business activities as one of its key management issues, and aims to prevent the loss of biodiversity, and restore it.
- Procurement and conservation of resources
The Group pays care and consideration to biodiversity in the procurement of raw materials, materials, and energy, etc., and takes biodiversity initiatives into account when selecting suppliers. We will also strive to use biological resources sustainably. - Products, production activities
Our group strives to develop "sustainability-contributing products and services" that help realize a sustainable society, and through the provision and dissemination of these products, we contribute to the conservation of biodiversity. We will also strive to reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and waste generation during manufacturing. - Water-related initiatives
The Group works to ensure the appropriate use of water resources, such as by reforming production processes, and by recycling and utilizing water used in such processes. We actively engage in monitoring and initiatives to maintain and preserve water quality in the regions where we operate. - Initiatives to prevent atmospheric pollution
The Group actively engages in initiatives to reduce emissions of volatile chemical substances (VOCs) in manufacturing processes and works to minimize impact on biodiversity. These initiatives cover production processes not only for the Group’s own products, but also for those produced by customers. - Cooperation with local communities
The Group conducts in and supports community-based biodiversity conservation activities at its business sites, both in Japan and overseas, in cooperation with local governments and various other organizations. We also endeavor to communicate with society by announcing the results of these efforts. - Enlightenment and education
The Group conducts appropriate awareness-raising and educational activities for its officers, corporate advisors, and employees, in order to raise awareness and knowledge of biodiversity within the Group, and to promote the introduction of biodiversity conservation initiatives in all corporate activities, including management and business strategies.
Established in May 2009
Revised on January 1, 2024 (Resolved at Board of Directors on December 8, 2023)
Promotion system
We are promoting initiatives within the environmental management system.
Targets
artience Targets for 2027 (FY2024~FY2026)
Implementation of the LEAP approach based on the TNFD framework
In promoting biodiversity conservation activities, we have implemented the LEAP approach outlined in the TNFD framework to understand the Group's dependence on natural capital, its impact, risks and opportunities, and formulate a strategy. It covers all of the Group's businesses, and this time we evaluated the scope of direct operations.
Understanding our dependence on nature and our impact
Using ENCORE (Exploring Natural Capital Opportunities, Risks and Exposure), a biodiversity management assessment tool, we assessed the Group's dependence on nature and its impact on nature in the "Integrated Chemicals" and "Specialty Chemicals" industrial subgroups. As a result, although the dependence on natural assets was generally low, "water use," "use of terrestrial ecosystems," "GHG emissions," "air pollutants other than GHGs," "water pollutants," "soil pollutants," and "solid waste" had a high degree of impact on nature.
| Factors influencing nature | Sector: Material Industry Subgroup: Integrated Chemicals |
Sector: Material Industry Subgroup: Specialty Chemicals |
|---|---|---|
| Water use | Very High | high |
| Use of terrestrial ecosystems | high | high |
| GHG Emissions | － | high |
| Air pollutants other than GHGs | Moderate | high |
| Water Pollutants | high | high |
| Soil contaminants | high | high |
| Solid Waste | － | high |
Risks and Opportunities
In the life cycle of our business activities, from the procurement of raw materials to disposal and recycling, we summarize what kind of points of contact with nature (INPUT, OUTPUT) we have, and how they affect items such as "deterioration of habitat and growing environment," "raw materials in satochi and satoyama," "invasion of alien species," "exposure to chemical substances," and "global warming and climate change" of biodiversity. Risks to biodiversity have been clarified.
In terms of opportunities, in our Sustainability Vision ASV2050/2030, we have set a goal of increasing the ratio of sales of products that contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions from a life cycle perspective with an 80% sales ratio by 2030, and to make all products sustainability-contributing products by 2050, and we are working to expand the number of products for which demand is expected to increase in the future.
In addition, since the natural environment varies greatly from location to location and cannot be measured by a single indicator, TNFD recommends information disclosure with an emphasis on regional characteristics.
The Group evaluated 44 business sites in Japan and overseas and identified priority regions. In the future, we will conduct risk management tailored to each region.
| Evaluation item | Assessment Tool | Evaluation indicators |
|---|---|---|
| The importance of biodiversity | WWF Biodiversity Risk Filter | Scape Physical Risk |
| Water Stress | Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas 4.0 | Baseline water stress |
| Significant potential dependencies and impacts | ENCORE Hotspots Terrestrial | Combined hotspots of natural capital depletion |
| The importance of biodiversity | Water Stress | Significant potential dependencies and impacts | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| high | Noticeably higher | high | Noticeably higher | high | Noticeably higher | |
| Japan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asia (excluding Japan) | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Europe | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| North America/Central and South America | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
strategy
In particular, with regard to the water environment, one site in China and two sites in Thailand, India, and Europe have been evaluated as "extremely high-risk," and we will work to address water risks at these sites.
Metrics and goals
Based on the concept of core indicators in IUCN's "Guidelines for Planning and Monitoring Corporate Biodiversity Performance" and the results of the "Relationship between Business Activities and Biodiversity (Risks and Opportunities)" above, we monitor and manage the activity targets and KPIs that we have been working on to reduce environmental impact as biodiversity management indicators.
| Biodiversity Indicators | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water consumption (10,000 m3) | 559.5 | 485.7 | 483.3 |
| CO2 emissions (Japan) (t-CO2) | 79,380 | 73,404 | 59,669 |
| Energy intensity (overseas) (L/t) | 164.1 | 164.1 | 156.5 |
| VOC emissions (domestic) (t) | 44.3 | 53.3 | 52.7 |
| Nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions (t) | 74.8 | 94.9 | 67.1 |
| Sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions (t) | 7.2 | 13.2 | 14.8 |
| Soot and dust emissions (t) | 8.2 | 10.3 | 9.4 |
| COD emissions (t) | 148.7 | 224.5 | 159.0 |
| External waste emissions (Domestic) (t) | 13,949 | 13,466 | 10,625 |
| Sustainability Contributing Products*1 Net sales (100 million yen) (Percentage of net sales (%)) |
970 （64.4） |
1,050 （62.4） |
1,248 (53.6) |
*1 Until FY2022, it will be a environmentally-friendly product, and from FY2023, it will be a sustainability-contributing product due to the revision of the standards.
Achievements
Participation in organizations related to biodiversity
- Keidanren Biodiversity Initiative
- CLOMA (Clean Ocean Materials Alliance)
- 30by30 Alliance for Biodiversity
- Demonstration test of simple monitoring
Main biodiversity conservation activities
- Ecosystem surveys of company-owned forests and activities to preserve valuable species
(TOYOCHEM Co., Ltd. Kawagoe Factory) - Environmental beautification activities on Lake Biwa Day
(TOYO VISUAL SOLUTIONS Co., Ltd. Moriyama Factory)