Environmental Preservation and Building Environmentally-Friendly Societies
Basic Philosophy
In addition to strengthening the selection and management of chemical substances to create products and processes that are kind to people and the earth, we are improving environmental management in things such as compliance with laws, regulations and customer standards in every country where we do business, based on ISO 14001.
Based on the concept of Nature Positive, we have set coexistence with local communities as one of the materialities(key issues) in our initiatives to conserve biodiversity, and are working on woodlands creation, building of biotopes, and conservation initiatives for tidal flats.
Control of Substances of Concern
To strengthen the management of chemical substances in our products, we control substances that are legally regulated in each country, substances that are self-regulated by automakers, and substances covered by our own company regulations. We monitor the trends in European REACH*1 regulations and the EU RoHS Directive*2 and have a system in place to respond rapidly when these regulations are revised.
To respond to requests from automakers in each country for information on chemical substances in products, we have devised mechanisms and conducted systems for global collective management of chemical substances that we are currently using in Japan, China, Thailand and Vietnam. We will be steadily expanding this system to places where it is not yet in use.
- *1 Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals
- *2 Restrictions on the use of specific hazardous substances contained in electrical and electronic equipment
■Chemical Substance Regulations in Each Region
- *3 Restrictions on the use of substances of concern contained in automobile parts and materials
- *4 Substances of high concern
Reduced Use of Substances of Concern
In production processes, we are switching to water-based paint and release agents, making painting lines more compact, improving coating efficiency, and making other efforts to reduce Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) substances.
■Volumes and Flow of Emitted PRTR Substances［Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd.］
Activities to Eliminate Compliance and Environmental Violations and Complaints
Regular checks are conducted by expert departments and maintenance and management are carried out to ensure legal compliance and no environmental problems or complaints. Preventive activities such as environmental preservation project team activities are also conducted to combat risks. In addition, we analyze problems that occur at other companies, inspect similar facilities including those at domestic and international Group companies, and take preventive measures. Toyoda Gosei had no environmental problems or fines in FY2023.
Proper Disposal and Storage of PCB-Containing Equipment
The law stipulates that hazardous and persistent PCB (polychlorinated biphenyl) waste must be disposed of by the end of March 2027. We started outsourcing this disposal in FY2006 for the proper treatment of equipment that contains PCBs. By FY2023, 936 units had been treated. We will continue to process untreated low-concentration PCB waste at an early stage. Until that is completed, appropriate management based on the PCB Special Measures Law is done to prevent runoff and soil contamination.
| Category | Type | No. of units treated | Treated weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| High concentration PCB waste material（PCB levels: >5,000 mg/kg） | Ballast, power capacitors, etc. | 802 units | 6.9 tons |
| Low concentration PCB waste material（PCB levels: 0.5–5,000 mg/kg） | Transformers, power capacitors, etc. | 134 units | 84.2 tons |
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Treatment of PCB waste
Protecting Soil and Groundwater
We carefully monitor and treat soil and groundwater contamination from toxic substances such as trichloroethylene, which was formerly used in cleaning agents. We have established observation wells at each plant, and regularly confirm that there is no soil or groundwater pollution from toxic substances and oils.
| Location | Target | Status of corrective measures |
|---|---|---|
| Haruhi Plant | Groundwater | Purification in progress (proactive treatment, as contamination from off-site sources is possible) |
| Inazawa Plant | Groundwater | Because substances we have no history of using have been detected, regular reports to the government contain results of measurements only *Results below reference values since 2010 (government reports concluded in FY2012) |
Risks and Opportunities Related to Biodiversity
We conduct initiatives by identifying risks and opportunities related to biodiversity. Going forward, we aim to enhance our contributions to global environmental conservation while conducting disclosures based on the framework of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).
■Risks and Opportunities
| Issue | Risks | Opportunities | Response |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduction of natural capital |
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Establishment of Medium- to Long-Term Targets
We have set a “No Net Loss of Greenery” goal of restoring 59 hectares of greenery by 2050, which is equivalent to the area of our plants, and are conducting initiatives to achieve this goal. Specifically, under the slogan “Connecting Activities with Water, the Source of Life,” we are conducting initiatives in the areas of mountains, rivers, and oceans. Among these efforts, the biotope* maintained on the Company premises has been recognized as a biodiversity conservation area, designated as a “Nature Coexistence Site” by the Ministry of the Environment.
■Scenario for Attaining Targets
The certified Heiwacho Plant biotope
■Working to Save Our Water, the Source of Life on Earth
Major Activities for Biodiversity
Examples:(8) Building a recycling society_Majoractivities for biodiversity 1
(9) Building a recycling society_Majoractivities for biodiversity 2
See more about our other living-with-nature activities on Instagram as below.
Toyoda GoseiLiving-With-Nature Activity Instagram Terms of Use
- Contributing to Environmental Preservation Through All Our Business Activities
- Environmental Action Plan
- Building Decarbonized Societies
- Building Circular Societies
- Environmental Preservation and Building Environmentally-Friendly Societies
- Environmental Management
- Collaboration with External Organizations
- Environmental Efforts at Affiliated Companies
- Environmental Data
- Third-Party Verification
- TCFD
- Third-Party Assessment