Environmental Management
Because our Group handles chemical substances in our manufacturing business, we must take proper measures at each stage, up to and including waste disposal. Any failure in waste management poses risks of environmental pollution. In addition, we must beware of the release of hazardous substances as a result of the aging of our facilities or from natural or other disasters. Given our global business operations, compliance with environmental regulations in every country is essential.
To address such situations, our Group has established a cross-business environmental management system. We identify potential risks and strive to prevent them. Beyond risk reduction, we also aim to enhance environmental performance to create value. Following our business restructuring in April 2020, we accelerated environmental management as a Group, and in November 2021 we revised our environmental policy.
Environmental Policy
(Revised in November 2021/Established in April 1999)
The Seiko Group recognizes that the preservation of the global environment is one of the most important issues in the world today. We will constantly strive to help realize a sustainable society that will benefit everyone.
- We are committed to a wide range of environmentally responsible activities, and we will continue to make unceasing efforts to improve our environmental performance, thereby providing increased value for all our stakeholders.
- We not only comply with all relevant laws and regulations, but also go far beyond legal compliance in our efforts to reduce environmental risks and prevent pollution.
- Being acutely aware of the part we have to play in mitigating climate change, we are working hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Because we recognize the limits of our precious natural resources, we are increasing our efforts to reuse and recycle every resource possible.
- We are also working to preserve biodiversity, recognizing that our business activities inevitably affect surrounding ecosystems, and that we also benefit from the health and diversity of those systems.
- We rigorously ensure proper management of all chemical substances used in production as well as any that are contained in our finished products.
- We consider the environment throughout the entire life cycle of our products. We are proud that our products and services actively contribute to environmental conservation.
- Environmental responsibility starts as a management imperative, but to effectively carry out that mission requires the understanding and cooperation of every employee throughout our Group. With that in mind, we are working to raise everyone’s environmental awareness so that all of us can work together to protect and nurture our natural environment.
- Transparency is another part of our social responsibility. We are therefore promoting active disclosure of material information about our environmental activities and promoting increased communication with local, regional, and global stakeholders.
- In order to derive maximum benefits from these policies, we establish clear environmental targets and strategies to attain them. Then we steadily improve our efforts by constantly re-examining both our targets and our progress towards achieving them.
Promotion Structure
To facilitate the formulation and implementation of policies related to materiality, including climate change, we have established a Sustainability Committee chaired by the President and CEO. The Board of Directors oversees this committee, and all its decisions must be reported to the Board.
Under the Sustainability Committee, we have established the Environmental Liaison Committee, chaired by the director in charge of ESG/SDGs and composed of environmental representatives from eight Group companies. This meeting is held twice a year to exchange information on environmental activities at different Group companies and thereby enhance the level of activities across the Group. Additionally, the Manufacturing Subcommittee, composed of representatives from seven manufacturing companies in the Group, shares the latest information on domestic and international regulations to ensure compliance. This subcommittee meets quarterly, and was held as scheduled in 2023.
Environmental Management Promotion Structure
Environmental Education
Promotional Activities
In order to effectively promote environmental activities, it is essential to encourage each employee to improve and practice environmental awareness. Each year, we develop an annual environmental education program to provide environmental education to Group employees. The program is divided into three categories: general education, specialized education, and in-house qualification training. It is reviewed annually based on social trends and internal needs. After each course, we conduct surveys to assess the program’s usefulness, our employees’ understanding, and their overall satisfaction, and we use this feedback to improve future programs. In 2023, a total of 342 employees participated at our domestic sites. In addition to this education program, we regularly invite outside lecturers to hold environmental seminars at our Group companies. Each site, both domestic and international, also conducts specific environmental education and awareness activities tailored to their specific needs.
Emergency Response Training
Each business unit that has obtained ISO 14001:2015 certification has developed procedures for responding to a variety of environmental emergencies. Each company conducts regular emergency response training to confirm the effectiveness of these procedures and ensure that employees are familiar with effective ways to prevent the spread of contamination.
The audit system
Internal Environmental Audits
Internal audits are crucial for operating an effective management system. Each ISO 14001-certified business unit conducts objective, independent internal audits with a focus on the continuous improvement of environmental management systems and environmental performance.
Seiko Instruments Inc. introduced reciprocal audits at its domestic sites to enhance the effectiveness of environmental audits. Including auditors from other sites and headquarters boosts the effectiveness of audits, and simultaneous information exchange among sites can create synergistic effects. Internal auditor training courses are provided to systematically develop auditors, and refresher courses are also offered to ensure that auditors can continuously improve their skills.
Audit of Waste Disposal Outsourcing Partners
Because our Group subsidiaries outsource some waste disposal, they regularly conduct on-site inspections of these outsourcing partners to ensure proper waste management. In addition to confirming compliance with our contractual agreements, we also assess their intake and storage conditions. The audit results are then shared among sites to enhance Group awareness of progress and challenges.
Facility Maintenance
At each of our Group's bases, we ensure legal compliance by voluntarily setting standards that are much stricter than legal regulations, particularly for emissions into water and the atmosphere. In addition, we conduct regular inspections and cleaning of environment-related facilities and equipment, such as wastewater treatment facilities, boilers, air conditioning equipment, and chemical tanks. This helps to prevent breakdowns, leaks, and other problems.
Environmental Compliance
In fiscal 2023, our Group recorded no major environmental violations or fines.
