Environmental management
Basic approach
In order to contribute to the development of a sustainable society in which the economy and the environment are in harmony, the Idemitsu Group has established a policy that makes environmental conservation an important and prioritized value judgment standard in all of its business activities and conducts its business activities accordingly.
Specific activities include reducing the environmental impact through the efficient use of energy and other initiatives, proactively promoting advanced efforts to solve environmental problems such as climate change, and raising environmental awareness through appropriate education and awareness-raising activities for all employees.
Policy
Environmental protection policy
1. Make an effort to prevent leaks and contamination and contribute to environmental protection.
2. Actively contribute to preventing global warming and make an effort to reduce greenhouse gases emitted through our business activities.
3. Effectively use resources in all our business activitie ss.
4. Promote green procurement when purchasing material, construction work, services, etc.
5. Be aware of the importance of biodiversity and actively contribute to its maintenance.
6. Work to develop and diffuse technologies and products that create a better environment.
7. Set environmental objectives based on the annual basic policies, and gather power from within and outside the organization to achieve those objectives.
8. Continually improve the Environmental Management System to enhance environmental performance.
9. Actively disclose environmental information and promote communication with parties outside the company to ensure the reliability of our company and improve corporate value.
Governance
Environmental management system (Safety and Environment Headquarters)
The Group positions "safety, health, and the environment" as the foundation of its management, and has established a Safety and Environment Headquarters to promote initiatives related to these.
The Safety and Environment HQ is headed by the Director in Charge of Safety and the Environment (Director) delegated by the President and CEO, and is made up of relevant Manager, presidents of major affiliated companies, and a secretariat.
The Safety and Environment Headquarters has the following roles and carries out the following activities.
1. Deciding on mid-term plans, annual basic policies *1 and priority issues related to safety, health and the environment
2. Understanding and evaluating performance through audits
3. Maintenance, review and improvement of safety, health and environmental management systems *2
4. Securing the management Resources necessary for continuous improvement in each department and major affiliated companies
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The Safety and Environment Headquarters meeting decides on basic policies for the next year, etc.
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A system that establishes policies, objectives, and goals in order to promote safety, health, and environmental management activities, and continuously formulates, implements, evaluates, and improves management plans to achieve them.
●Position of the Safety and Environment Headquarters in the corporate governance system and safety and environment management system
Strategy
In our group, when deciding on medium-term plans, annual basic policies, and priority issues related to safety, health, and the environment, the secretariat prepares drafts based on reviews of the previous year and consideration of social conditions, and a meeting of executives in charge of safety and environment. It is deliberated at the Safety and Environment Headquarters meeting and finally approved at the Safety and Environment Headquarters meeting. The results will be reported to the Management Committee.
The Board of Directors receives reports from the business execution side and supervises environmental issues, including climate change issues.
Risk management
Environmental management system
The Group's environmental management system is centered on the activities of the Safety and Environment HQ, and is made up of the creation of Medium-term Management Plan related to safety, health, and the environment, and the determination, implementation, and review of annual basic policies and priority issues based on the mid-term plans. The Safety and Environment HQ grasps and evaluates the PDCA of each department, which is promoted based on these plans, thereby promoting environmental activities throughout the company.
Each business division carries out its business activities based on its action plan, periodically evaluates and reviews those activities to identify areas for improvement, and uses this in the PDCA cycle to develop action plans for the following year. The Safety and Environment Headquarters Secretariat also evaluates and reviews the operation of the environmental management system for the entire group each year, and shares any areas for improvement that need to be made at the Safety and Environment Headquarters meeting at the same time as the business division reviews, leading to continuous improvement.
In addition, a total of 29 business divisions and affiliated companies within our group have obtained ISO 14001 certification (15 domestically and 14 overseas) (as of the end of June 2024).
●Environmental management PDCA cycle
Safety and environmental audit
In order to check and promote the activities of each department and major affiliated company, the secretariat conducts safety and environment audits at our Refineries/Complexes once a year *. For other bases, the frequency of safety and environment audits is determined taking into consideration the safety and environment risks and safety and environment management status of Complex. If an audit reveals any areas for improvement in terms of safety and environment, the secretariat follows up on each case from deciding on a response plan to its completion. In addition, the General Manager and Deputy General Manager of the Safety and Environment Division visit the site every year to provide safety and environment guidance and conduct safety and environment patrols.
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In fiscal year 2023, 11 audits are being conducted.
Initiatives
Environmental compliance
In 2023, two environmental anomalies* occurred in our group Complex. Even for minor cases that are not classified as environmental anomalies, we are working to track down the causes and prevent recurrence in order to ensure more reliable environmental preservation.
・Issued an improvement instruction sheet in response to an administrative report on the results of odor measurement at a 180m stack.
・Leakage of oil from the cured flange of crude oil piping
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Environmental anomalies
Cases where the following conditions are not met in accordance with the regulatory standards set forth in environmental laws (including ordinances and agreements):
A. Events deemed necessary under environmental laws and regulations to take "measures in the event of an accident"
B. When an administrative action, guidance, or recommendation is received from an administrative agency and a report or other document for correction is submitted to the administrative agency.
C. When damage to the body, life, property, etc. of neighboring residents is caused by an incident attributable to our company, and compensation is paid.
Environmental education and awareness activities
The Safety and Environment Division also provides environmental education to the entire Group.
●Main environmental education and awareness activities
| Fiscal year | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
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| Enlightenment | Let's learn about "Circular Economy" | Let's learn about "biodiversity" | Let's learn about "carbon neutral" | Let's learn about "climate change" |
| Distribution of environmental conservation and global environmental information | Publication of an interview with the Director of Safety and Environment Headquarters in the group newsletter Distribution of environmental awareness materials Implementation of environmental quiz |
Distribution of educational materials Implementation of environmental quiz Publication of an interview with the Director of Safety and Environment Headquarters in the group newsletter |
Distribution of educational materials Implementation of environmental quiz |
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| Activity | Environmental lecture: The future of circular economy |
Environmental lecture (Biodiversity - from global trends to life and work) Environmentally friendly vegetables (Kuruvege) provided at the head office cafeteria (Kuruvege WEEK) *Kuruvege: Abbreviation for cool vegetables, which are agricultural products cultivated on farmland using biochar that contributes to CO₂ reduction. |
Environmental lecture (what is carbon neutral?) | Tokyo Bay environmental survey |
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| Training | Environmental management ability improvement training (held in July 2023: 102 people, November 2023: 65 people) | Environmental management ability improvement training (283 people) | Environmental management ability improvement training (167 people, total 835 hours) | Environmental management ability improvement training (265 people) |