Environmental Management
Basic approach
Since our business activities depend on the earth's resources, countermeasures against environmental problems such as climate change are an essential issue for manufacturing companies. artience group has been working to reduce its environmental impact by recognizing environmental conservation as an important issue from an early stage, and has established the "Basic Policy on the Environment" (revised in January 2024). In the Group's environmental management system, the basic policy on the environment is positioned as the environmental policy of ISO 14001, and in addition to disseminating and thoroughly disseminating it to all employees, we have set objectives and targets for each of them, and we are promoting initiatives to achieve them.
Since its founding, the artience Group (hereinafter referred to as the “Group”) has strived to comply with the laws and regulations of the countries and regions in which it operates, and to respect international codes of conduct in the development, manufacture, and provision of chemicals. In particular, we have worked to address the preservation of the global environment and local natural environments, the reduction of environmental impact, and the maintenance and improvement of people’s safety and health through appropriate Chemical Substance Control as serious management issues for the Group as a chemical manufacturing company.
Based on this basic approach, we have established this Basic Policy on (the) Environment (hereinafter referred to as this “Basic Policy”), and fulfill our social responsibilities relating to the environment in all of our business activities and strive to contribute to the improvement of social sustainability.
- Scope of application
This Basic Policy applies to all companies and organizations that make up the Group. In addition, all officers, corporate advisors, employees, contract employees, and part-time employees of the Group, as well as temporary dispatch workers and all other persons engaged in the Group’s business operations (hereinafter referred to collectively as “officers and employees”) are obligated to comply with this Basic Policy. We also ask all suppliers, distributors, and other business partners who form the Group’s supply chain to understand and support this Basic Policy. - Establishment and maintenance of an environment management system
The Group has established an international-standard environmental management system based on ISO 14001, and will continuously and progressively operate a Group-wide system to identify and assess various environmental risks, avoid risks and reduce their impact when they occur, and achieve medium- to long-term environmental targets. - Development and provision of products and services that contribute to environmental conservation and restoration
In the development and provision of products and services, the Group aims to reduce environmental impact throughout the entire product / service life cycle, from raw material procurement to production, distribution, use, disposal, and recycling, and works to protect and restore the environment and give consideration to people's health and safety. - Response to Climate Change
The Group will contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society by reducing energy consumption in all business activities throughout the supply chain, reducing greenhouse gas emissions such as CO2, actively switching to renewable energy, and achieving carbon neutrality, with the response to climate change as an important issue. - Waste management and pollution prevention
The Group aims to minimize the amount of waste generated by reforming production processes and promoting resource recycling, and works to thoroughly prevent pollution in soil, wastewater, and exhaust gases. In addition, we will take maximum measures against noise, vibration, and odors that are not pollutants but have a negative impact on the living environment. - Sustainable use of resources
The Group will work to conserve and reduce the use of natural resources such as water, fossil fuels, minerals, and biologically derived materials through product development, formulation design, and production process reforms, and to conserve resources and energy by encouraging the substitution, reuse, and recycling of raw materials. - Management of chemical substances
The Group will appropriately manage chemical substances in accordance with global and regional laws and regulations relating to chemical substances. We will minimize and prevent the occurrence of chemical substance risks by reducing or substituting highly hazardous raw materials, reducing the amount of chemical substances emitted in production activities, etc., and working to reduce worker exposure at production sites and product usage sites. - Water resource management
The Group will minimize the environmental impact and impact on ecosystems caused by irrigation, wastewater, and water quality by thoroughly managing water resources relating to its business activities, and work to identify and evaluate water risks that affect business continuity and the sustainability of local communities, and implement appropriate management and countermeasures. - Biodiversity conservation
The Group will actively engage in the sustainable use of biological resources, the reduction of burdens on soil, water, forests, air, and ecosystems, and biodiversity conservation activities in cooperation with local communities, with the aim of conserving and restoring biodiversity that may be affected by its business activities. - Information transmission and dialogue
The Group will engage in environmental conservation activities and work to improve people's safety, security, and health by actively distributing information on environmental initiatives in its products, services, and business activities, and communicating with customers, consumers, employees, governments, and local communities. - Enlightenment and education
The Group will continue to conduct appropriate awareness-raising and educational activities to ensure that its officers and employees are strongly aware of the current state of the global environment and the need for environmental conservation and restoration, and so that the Group as a whole can contribute to the improvement of the sustainability of the global environment. - Revision, abolition and management
Decisions regarding the revision or abolition of this Basic Policy shall be made by the Board of Directors of artience Co., Ltd.
The department in charge of the revision and abolition of this Basic Policy shall be the department that oversees the environmental activities of artience Co., Ltd.
Established in June 1996
Revised on January 1, 2024 (Resolved at Board of Directors on December 8, 2023)
Environmental management system
President and Representative Director is the chief executive officer of the sustainability promotion system and the chief executive officer of environmental management, including climate change response. Environmental management is supervised by Board of Directors through President and Representative Director, and is promoted by the Director in Charge of Sustainability (Chair of the Sustainability Committee) as the person in charge of operations.
Sustainability Committee and its subsidiary ESG Promotion Subcommittee formulate medium- to long-term environmental plans and targets for the entire Group, check their progress, and carry out thematic activities, which are reported to management at Sustainability Committee meetings and sustainability meetings.
artience Co., Ltd. ESG Promotion Office is a dedicated organization that supervises and manages the entire group and is working toward the sustainability vision ASV2050/2030 with an eye on 2050 in cooperation with related departments.
Sustainability Promotion System (FY2024)
Targets
In January 2022, we formulated our Sustainability Vision ASV2050/2030 as medium- to long-term goals for 2050 in order to respond to the social situation in which demands directed at companies are becoming more active, such as global trends related to climate change, carbon neutrality, and SDGs initiatives.
ASV2050/2030 consists of two parts: ASV2050, which sets out what 2050 should be as the target year, and ASV2030, which backcasts as a milestone. Using the Sustainability Vision ASV2050/2030 as an indicator of its sustainability activities, the Group aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 while strengthening its initiatives.
Sustainability Vision ASV 2050/2030
asv2050/2030 (2030 target) Milestones to 2050 Contribution to achieving SDGs |
asv2050/2030 (2050 target) Achieving carbon neutrality |
|
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1. Realize a sustainable society Providing products and services |
・Sales ratio of products that contribute to sustainability: 80% ・Expansion of products that can contribute to reducing CO2 emissions from a life cycle perspective |
・All products contribute to sustainability ・Contribute to customers' decarbonization |
2. Reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing | ・CO2 emissions: (Domestic) 50,000 tons (35% reduction compared to FY2020) (Overseas) 95,000 tons (35% reduction compared to BAU in FY2030) ・External waste emissions (Japan): 6,450 tons (50% reduction compared to FY2020) ・Emissions of hazardous chemical substances (Japan): 91.9 tons (30% reduction compared to FY2020) |
・Reducing CO2 emissions from production activities to virtually zero and minimizing environmental impact ・Minimize waste generation ・Achieve sustainable water use |
3. Building a trusted corporate foundation | ・Realization of raw material procurement that is in harmony with the environment and society ・Respecting the diversity of employees and coexisting with nature and the local community ・Continuously rebuilding the governance system |
・Continuously reform and transform supply chains, human resources, local activities, and governance from the perspective of environmental and social contribution |
Environmental Targets for New Medium-Term Management Plan artience 2027 (FY2024~FY2026)
Targets & KPIs | |
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1. Realize a sustainable society | Promotion of products that contribute to sustainability |
2. Reduction of environmental impact in manufacturing | ・CO2 emissions (Japan): 59,500 tons (23% reduction compared to FY2020) (Overseas): 104,000 tons (29% reduction compared to BAU in FY2030) ・External waste emissions (Japan): 8,400 tons (35% reduction compared to FY2020) ・Amount of chemical substances emitted (Japan): 105.0 tons (20% reduction compared to FY2020) ・Energy consumption per unit of production (overseas): 165.0 L/t (3% reduction compared to FY2020) |
3. Building a trusted corporate foundation | Promotion of biodiversity: Promote forest conservation through tree planting, etc., and environmental conservation of local rivers and lakes |
Environmental Targets in the Previous Medium-Term Management Plan SIC-II (FY2021~FY2023)
Targets & KPIs | |
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1. Reducing the environmental impact of manufacturing | ・CO2 emissions (Japan): 67,500 tons (12% reduction compared to FY2020) ・External waste emissions (Japan): 10,500 tons (19% reduction compared to FY2020) ・Chemical substance emissions (Japan): 118.2 tons (10% reduction compared to FY2020) ・Energy consumption per unit of production (overseas): 165.0 L/t (3% reduction compared to FY2020) |
2. Realize a sustainable society | environmentally-friendly Ratio of product sales: 70.0% (up 4.0 percentage points from FY2020) |
3. Coexistence with nature and the region | Promotion of biodiversity: Promote forest conservation through tree planting, etc., and environmental conservation of local rivers and lakes |
Legal compliance status
In fiscal 2023, there were no environmental accidents at the Group's domestic and overseas business sites that required emergency response. In addition, there was no administrative guidance related to environmental laws and regulations in Japan. Overseas, when guidance is given, we respond appropriately and correct deficiencies.