Environmental Management
Basic Approach
Toward corporate management that is at one with the environment
Corporate management in harmony with the global environment plays an important role in the sustainable development of companies and society. The Hitachi High-Tech Group limits resource and energy consumption and minimizes environmental burden associated with business activities across the entire product lifecycle. In addition to reducing environmental burden within our business operations, we contribute to sustainable consumption and production through green procurement and the provision of eco-friendly products and services.
We also aim to achieve the Environmental Vision and shared long-term environmental targets of the Hitachi Group, Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050, and initiatives in Sustainability Focus Areas for the Hitachi High-Tech Group by achieving decarbonization, circular economy, and nature positive. We are promoting various initiatives, in conjunction with the ISO 14001 environmental management system, such as reducing Environmental burdens like GHG emissions and waste generation, strengthening legal compliance and chemical substance management, eco-design and life cycle assessment, and conservation of biodiversity.
The direction the Hitachi High-Tech Group aims for
Our Group recognizes that a sound society and sustainable business can only be realized through the protection of the global environment. We consider addressing environmental issues as a top priority and place importance on developing businesses to solve social issues. Therefore, within our group's Sustainability Focus Areas, we set Contributing to a Sustainable Global Environment as one of the most important themes. Based on Hitachi’s common Environmental Vision and the long-term environmental targets, “Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050", we formulate an Environmental Action Plan every three years that defines environmental activity items and targets. By steadily promoting these initiatives through One Hitachi, we work to accelerate green transformation (“GX”) across the entire Group.
In addition, leveraging the technological capabilities and global network that our group has cultivated over many years to exert the Power of Knowledge, we correctly identify the real issues and, through the provision of cutting-edge technologies, products, and services, contribute to GX of our customers and society.
The Hitachi Group’s common Environmental Vision
To achieve decarbonization, we promote energy conservation through environmental investment, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce GHG emissions across the entire value chain, complemented by the appropriate use of carbon credits. From the provision of products and services to procurement and logistics, we reduce our environmental impact and contribute to creating a sustainable future.
Hitachi High-Tech Group's Initiatives
We are working to promote the circular economy across the entire product lifecycle. We contribute to a sustainable global environment by reducing manufacturing waste, environmentally conscious design, extending product life through maintenance, and developing environmental solutions.
Hitachi High-Tech Group's Initiatives
Toward achieving nature positive, we work to enhance nature resilience by conserving biodiversity and minimizing impacts on natural capital. We assess forest carbon absorption and pursue relevant environmental certifications, aiming for a future in which people and nature both prosper.
Hitachi High-Tech Group's Initiatives
Environmental Policy / Promotion Framework / Response to Risk and Compliance
Policy (Hitachi High-Tech Environmental Action Guidelines)
The "Hitachi High-Tech Environmental Action Guidelines" set forth our approach for environmental conservation initiatives related to Hitachi High-Tech’s business activities. Based on this policy, we will promote initiatives toward achieving the long-term environmental targets in Hitachi Environmental Innovation 2050 that are common across the Hitachi Group.
Environmental Promotion Framework
The Hitachi High-Tech Group has established an Environmental Management Promotion Framework to strengthen environmental management and promote effective environmental activities. Our group’s environmental activities are operated mainly by the Environmental Committee; under it, we have established two committees, the "Eco-Management Factory Committee" for manufacturing sites and the "Eco-Management Office Committee" for sales and service sites. Through this structure, we promote activities in coordination across the organization.
The "Environmental Committee" aims to formulate strategies across the environmental field for our group and to minimize environmental risks from chemical substances contained in products, strengthening governance and sharing information. In addition, under the same committee, we have established the "Eco-Management Factory Committee," whose members include personnel directly promoting environmental activities and environmental officers at domestic manufacturing sites, and the "Eco-Management Office Committee," whose members are appointees at each sales and service site engaged in activities to reduce risks from chemical substances contained in products in business transactions and in environmental activities, thereby building a structure to operate environmental activities in a more meticulous manner.
For environment-related risks that have an impact on business operations, we classify them into priority issues and continuous monitoring based on risk assessments and promote responses. The chair of the Environmental Committee is the CRO and Environmental Strategy Officer, who monitors the progress of overall environmental activities. After reports on diagnostics of dependence on and impacts to natural capital and on evaluations of business risks and opportunities are submitted, matters related to strategies and measures are discussed and deliberated on. Furthermore, for nature-related risks that have an impact on business operations, we classify them into priority issues and continuous monitoring based on risk assessments and promote responses. Among the matters deliberated, we resolve matters that affect the business or that are taken up as issues of internal control, and, when deemed necessary, report them to relevant Corporate Division, etc., to discuss countermeasures.
In addition, regarding "Contributing to a Sustainable Global Environment," which is one of the areas of Sustainability Focus Areas for our group, we are formulating plans for policies and specific initiatives related to (1) decarbonization, (2) the circular economy, and (3) realizing nature positive. We also enhance the effectiveness of these efforts through performance evaluations at each site. Furthermore, important matters regarding environmental strategy are proposed to and deliberated by the "Sustainability Promotion Committee," chaired by the President and comprising Board Directors and Executive Officers, and the results are reflected in our group’s sustainability strategy.
| Decision-making body | Purpose | Content |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Committee |
|
|
| Eco-Management Factory Committee |
|
|
| Eco-Management Office Committee |
|
|
Response to risk and compliance
We also conduct risk assessments and advance appropriate management of chemical substances in products. At domestic and overseas business sites, we set voluntary standards that are stricter than national and regional regulatory limits and strive to comply. Furthermore, through mutual environmental audits, we identify potential risks and confirm legal compliance status, thereby working to prevent environmental accidents.
At manufacturing sites, through the Eco-Management Factory Committee, we provide periodic information and on-site guidance and facilitate improvements to business processes that carry high environmental regulatory risk. For overseas sites as well, we are advancing the dissemination of regulatory trends and monitoring response status, and, through risk assessments in sales transactions, have started building mechanisms aimed at visualizing risks, with full-scale operation to begin in fiscal 2025.
Accompanying business expansion through M&A and other means, the Hitachi High-Tech Group will continue to work to strengthen environmental management and reduce business risks. Furthermore, in fiscal 2024, there were no legal violations that had a significant impact on the natural environment.
Environmental education
Overview of environmental education
At the Hitachi High-Tech Group, we implement general education for all employees, site-specific environmental education, and specialized education for environmental offices.
In particular, to reduce environmental regulatory risks in line with environmental laws and regulations that are becoming more stringent each year, we offer environmental compliance training tailored to participants’ levels of understanding, with advanced and beginner/intermediate tracks. In addition to lectures by external experts on trends in regulatory amendments, participants deepen their understanding through individual and small‑group exercises.
Since fiscal 2020, we have also continuously held environmental seminars for our executives and environmental activities coordinators at each site. By promoting broad education aligned with the roles of each level, from top management to general employees, we aim to improve the efficiency of environmental activities.
Content and system diagram of environmental education
Content of environmental education
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Environmental specialized education | Education aimed at acquiring specialized knowledge about the environment that should be shared across our Group and improving the level of environmental management
|
| Site-specific environmental education | Education aimed at equipping personnel with the competencies needed regarding site-specific environmental impacts and legal compliance
|
| General education | Education aimed at acquiring environmental knowledge appropriate to roles from new employees to management, and improving understanding and awareness of environmental issues among all employees
|
Environmental education system diagram
