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
Seiko Group Co., Ltd. has established an environmental management promotion structure within the Group. The Environmental Officer is the senior executive responsible for environmental management, responsible directly to the President and the CEO. There is an Environmental Liaison Meeting consisting of representatives from each business unit that facilitates regular activities, such as reporting and information exchange twice a year to improve environmental initiatives across the Group. Additionally, the Manufacturing Subcommittee, composed of representatives from our manufacturing companies, shares the latest information on domestic and international regulations, ensuring optimum compliance. This subcommittee meets quarterly, even during a pandemic. In fiscal year 2021, meetings were held as planned using a remote conference system.
Environmental Management Promotion Structure
Environmental Education
Promotional Activities
In promoting environmental activities, it is essential to raise awareness and encourage each employee to take action as an individual. Every year our company develops a comprehensive environmental education program for Group employees. This program is divided into three categories: general education, specialized education, and internal qualification training, with annual reviews conducted to better align it with social trends and internal needs. After each course, we use surveys to collect participant feedback, assessing the usefulness, level of understanding, and level of satisfaction to help improve the educational content. We also regularly invite external speakers to hold Environmental Seminars for our employees.
Despite the challenges posed by the recent pandemic, we adapted by incorporating online communications tools and other steps to ensure the continuity of this education program. Moreover, we conduct tailored environmental education and awareness activities at various domestic and international locations, aligning them with the unique characteristics of each site.
Examples of Steps to Promote Environmental Education
At Dalian Seiko Instruments Inc., an external instructor was invited on two successive days last year to conduct training sessions for 20 members of the ISO 14001 System Promotion Committee. The training focused on enhancing skills related to the ISO system and environmental regulations.
Dalian Seiko Instruments Inc. also conducted SDGs training for total of 906 employees from May 2022 to March 2023.
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 2022, our Group recorded no major environmental violations or fines.
