Materiality 1
Contributing to a Sustainable Global Environment

Basic Ideas and Visions

Corporate management in harmony with the global environment plays an important role in the sustainable development of society and companies. In addition to reducing resource and energy consumption as well as the environmental impact associated with business activities, the Hitachi High-Tech Group aims to achieve sustainable consumption and production through the provision of environmentally-conscious products and services as well as initiatives throughout the value chain.

Action Targets

1. Realize a decarbonized society

In order to reduce CO₂ emissions arising from energy consumption associated with business activities, we will systematically make environmental investments that have a significant impact on reducing CO₂ emissions and promote the proactive use of renewable energy. In providing products and services, we will also work to contribute through our business, such as selling LiB^*1 production equipment that will help reduce CO₂ emissions.

• ^*1 LiB: Lithium-ion Battery

Specific Actions

Draft and execute CO₂ emissions reduction

1. Environmental investments
2. Use renewable energy
3. Enhance electricity visualization monitoring function

2. Realize a recycling-oriented society

We will make efforts to effectively use water resources, conserve resources, and reduce waste in business activities. Specifically, we will work to reduce the amount of water used by using the equipment cooling water in our factories more efficiently. In addition, we will introduce environmentally conscious design (eco-design) for our products and work to reduce the resources used to manufacture our products, and thereby reduce the amount of waste generated and recycle resources.

Specific Actions

1. Reduce water consumption by using equipment cooling water more efficiently
2. Curb the volume of waste generated by using eco-design for our products

3. Realize a society in harmony with nature

In order to reduce the negative impact of business activities on natural capital, we will work to reduce the negative impact of chemical substance emissions, and aim to realize a future that enriches both people and nature. We will work on biodiversity conservation activities such as forest conservation activities that will increase the positive impact.

Specific Actions

1. Increase the positive impact such as CO² absorption by promoting forest conservation activities
2. Secure new activity bases for biodiversity conservation activities (Japan and overseas)

Action Plan

FY2019 Initiative Results

1. Realize a decarbonized society

Promote the switch to low-carbon electric power (renewable energy, etc.) at sites inside and outside Japan

• We are engaging in continuing investment in environmental equipment to reduce electric power usage at our manufacturing sites and offices inside and outside Japan. We are also promoting the switch to low-carbon electric power (such as power from renewable energy sources, etc.) for the electricity we use. These efforts are giving first priority to manufacturing sites in Japan, in particular, because they account for approximately 70% of the energy consumption involved in our business activities.
  • Switch made at two sites in Japan, and supply of power begun (two out of eight manufacturing sites)
  • Promoting switch at four sites in Japan (prospects are for power supply to a total of six out of the eight manufacturing sites)
  • Renewable energy from hydroelectric power is used at four sites outside Japan
  • At Hitachi High-Tech Kyushu, we are receiving power that is from 100% renewable sources and also promoting a switch of company vehicles from gasoline-fueled to electric-powered. We expect CO² emissions at Hitachi High-Tech Kyushu to reach zero in FY2020.
  • The Hitachi High-Tech head office has begun using renewable energy value (CO² credits)
• As a result of these initiatives, FY2019 emissions were reduced from FY2018 by 3,500 t-CO². The Group's CO² emissions therefore came to 36,222 t-CO².
• We submitted responses to the CDP^*3 climate change questionnaire and received a "B management level^*4" evaluation in FY2019.

• ^*3 CDP： A UK-based independent non-profit organization. It receives requests from investors around the world, and investigates, evaluates, and discloses information relating to companies’ effects on climate change, water security, and forests.
• ^*4 B management level: Indicates that management of environmental risk and its impacts has been achieved.

Promoting widespread adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) by providing total solutions that include lithium-ion battery (LiB) research and development, manufacturing, and quality inspection processes.

• We provide total solutions to manufacturers that develop and produce the LiBs used as storage batteries for EVs. These solutions realize heightened safety and quality, improved yields, and enhanced productivity. By realizing stable production of LiBs and contributing to the promotion and widespread adoption of the EVs that are the main application for these batteries, we will continue making our contributions to the prevention of global warming.

2. Realize a recycling-oriented society

Reduce waste generated in manufacturing, logistics, and so on, and reduce use of water due to changes in manufacturing processes

• We have also reduced the amount of wood waste disposed of by changing the specifications of the reusable shipping cartons used for physical distribution of parts and products with our overseas manufacturing sites.
• We adopted environmentally conscious design (eco-design) in the development of four of our product models, reducing the generation of waste during the manufacture of those products to lower levels than previous models.
• The amount of water used in part of a manufacturing process was reduced by changing from water cooling to air cooling.
• As a result of our activities, our reduction in water use per unit in FY2019 was improved by 49% over the base fiscal year and our waste generation per unit improved 24% over the base fiscal year.
• In FY2019, we submitted responses to the CDP water security questionnaire and received an evaluation of "B (management level)."

3. Realize a society in harmony with nature

Forest conservation and other such activities carried out at each of our sites inside and outside Japan

• We have been continuously implementing biodiversity conservation activities and afforestation activities with the aim of restoring ecosystems to their native state. These activities are underway in the Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science, located in a natural area surrounding the R&D facility at the Hitachi High-Tech Science Fuji Oyama Works (Sunto-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture), and in the Hitachi High-Tech Yasato Forest, located on national forest lands that we have on loan in Ishioka City, Ibaraki Prefecture.
• As a new activity to be pursued in Japan, we are studying the implementation of activities within the programs of municipalities and other local governmental bodies and of general incorporated foundations.
• Having studied the areas of implementation at sites in other countries, we are promoting implementation plans in China and Germany.

Scene of tree planting in the Woodlands of Hitachi High-Tech Science

Link

• Climate Change
• Recycling of Resources
• Providing Environmentally Conscious Products
• Biodiversity Conservation Activities

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