Environment Initiatives to Reduce Environmental Impacts Policies and Guidelines The Fujikura group is participating in reduction of CO2 emissions from factories as part of the "2050 Zero Challenge". In reducing energy use and using green and renewable energy with low CO2 emissions and ZEB (zero energy buildings), we are working on two fronts to achieve our goals in the long term. And as a 2020 MT goal, domestic group companies are set to reduce CO2 emissions, contributing to the government's 2030 reduction plans. Also, overseas group companies have set renewed proceeds to reduction of CO2 emission outputs. 2016 Activities Objects of Environmental Activity Data Gathering Data of 59 affiliated companies implementing ECO-PASS management (20 domestic, 38 overseas) will be gathered. *Details here. Concept of the Base Year and Output Levels The Fujikura group's CO2 emissions are calculated every year, covered under the yearly consumption according to energy type. For the environmental activity management principles for fiscal year 2016 through 2020, we used a method to make reduction achievements easier to understand by solidifying those calculations as reduction goals for base years and compiling each year's CO2 emissions. Domestically, 2013 was set as the base year in line with the Japanese government, and overseas companies set reduction goals with 2014 as the base year. Also, for overseas CO2 emissions, regardless of the fact that bases are set in different countries and locations, the entire group set CO2 emission reduction as a goal based on unit sales. The entire Fujikura group is working as one to achieve these new goals. FY2016 Activity Results Fujikura's energy-origin CO2 emissions saw a ▲3.7% reduction compared to FY2013. This is result of the tireless energy-saving efforts of our workers. These included changing air conditioners in offices and clean rooms, changing factory utility equipment to energy-saving types, changing factory mercury lamps to LED lights using government grants for energy-saving investments and their vigorous promotion; and improving factory equipment operation. On the other hand, the domestic group's locations increased due to work restructuring, and total domestic emissions increased by 1.7%. However, since fiscal year 2014, the overseas group's CO2 emissions were nearly unchanged, while CO2 emission outputs per 100 million yen in sales of the entire group were affected by the weak yen. Even though they increased slightly, they still saw a ▲13.3% reduction compared to 2012. For our energy-saving activities for our CO2 reduction plan, the Fujikura group holds regular meetings of the people in charge of energy-saving at each domestic location. They see examples of energy-saving in action and put information exchange into action, and the people in charge always carry energy-saving measuring instruments with them to go around to all domestic and overseas locations, implementing diffusion of information and diagnostics. The result of these efforts like this is that this year and last, 4 companies were named Excellent Energy-Saving Companies (S class) by the Agency of Natural Resources and Energy's "Class Ranking Based on Energy-Saving in Factories and Workplaces Law Bulletin (FY 2016 edition)". Activities Pertaining to Shipping and Transportation For energy per unit improvements in distribution, the goal was a 1% reduction (40.0KL/kiloton) from the previous year, but the actual number of 43.5KL/kiloton was a slight increase. Because there was a large decrease in electric cable shipments in fiscal year 2016, in many cases appropriate freight assignments were difficult and per unit consumption worsened due to loading rate drops. Also, effective use of resources continues and we promote the re-use of packing materials and wooden drums. Additionally, 2-story jigs (proper name: electric wire drum palette) were jointly developed to increase load factors. Electric Wire Drum Palette Effect on Finances Due to Climate Variations There were no effects recognized on finances in fiscal year 2016 due to climate variation causes. However, with the experience gained from the floods in Thailand, we should expect effects from things like the recent cloudbursts in Japan. Total GHG Emissions and Used Energy The total domestic GHG emissions for fiscal year 2016 was 168,000 tons, all carbon dioxide. Used energy was 84% electric, with 16% used as fuel. Calculation of CO2 Emissions from the Supply Chain (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) Following the setting of the GHG Protocol Scope 3 standard in 2011, there are stringent requirements under the CDP and GRI-G4 for companies to disclose information about CO2 emissions from their entire supply chains in addition to CO2 emissions from their own business activities. Fujikura Ltd. made simplified calculations for all the GHG Protocol Scope 3 categories. The following shows the Scopes 1, 2 and 3 calculation results from fiscal 2013 to 2016. ※Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol: Greenhouse gas calculation criteria set under the leadership of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and the World Resources Institute (WRI). Activities in Conjunction with the Department of Environment "Cool Choice" with the Department of Environment. As a business group that is kind to the Earth's environment, the Fujikura group participated in, held registrations for, and vigorously promoted the new national movement for global warming prevention for 2030, "COOL CHOICE", supported by the government and the Department of Environment. We think that making many small choices can lead to big changes, so by making "COOL CHOICE = The Smart Choice" decisions, each of us can work to prevent global warming. In fiscal year 2016, we promoted the Cool Choice campaign by doing things like displaying posters. Promotion of Installation of LED Lights The Fujikura group promotes the installation of LED lights. In 2016, Sakura, Suzuka, and Numazu plants used government grants to accelerate changing factory mercury lamps for LED lights. We promote CO2 emission reduction and energy-saving by replacing mercury lamps with LED for the 2020 limits in accordance with the conclusion of the "Minamata Convention on Mercury" and focusing on LED lights for over-head lighting. Cool-Biz in Summer, Warm-Biz in Winter As a business group that is kind to the Earth's environment, the Fujikura group vigorously promotes participation in the energy-saving activities of Cool-Biz in summer, and also Warm-biz in winter. As we review how we use all energy, our goal is to promote environmentally friendly activities where each of us can work toward a low-carbon society using improvements in business style and home lifestyle to make the workplace and the home friendly to the environment via these campaigns. These energy-saving campaigns were also promoted in FY2016. Energy-Saving Efforts Fujikura Workplace Energy-Saving Efforts The Fujikura group used government grants from fiscal year 2016 for acceleration of energy-saving investments like replacing the ceiling lighting at 6 domestic production bases with LED lights, replacing transformers and air conditioners, etc. Also, we continue to promote things like increase in energy efficiency and manufacturing conditions by replacing the ageing large chillers in factory clean rooms and changing equipment motors to inverter control. Alternative Freon/HFC Reduction Efforts In accordance with revised Fluorocarbons Recovery and Destruction Act of 2015, we are implementing simple and routine inspections of the concerned facilities. Also accepting the abolition of HCFC by 2020, we are considering changing to low-GWP refrigerants when replacing equipment. Developing Wires with Magneto-caloric Effect Fujikura was successful in making wires out of Magneto-Caloric Materials (abbreviated: MCM) applicable for use in next-generation environmentally-friendly refrigeration units. With the wire-lengthening techniques that are Fujikura's core strength of our company we made the world's thinnest MCMs, and by using these hair-thin wires we demonstrated that they had refrigeration potential much higher than normally used, granular MCMs. Magnetic refrigeration units use the magneto-caloric effect displayed by MCMs in heating and cooling with the superimposition and ablation of magnetic fields (Figure 1). Compared to normal refrigeration units, the units using MCMs have the main features of 1. Use of refrigeration with zero global warming potential (abbreviated: GWP), and 2. Extremely high efficiency. These features are expected to have a large effect on environmental problems. MCMs are mainly granular because of ease of manufacturing, but had problems with difficult refrigeration flow (Figure 2). This made higher frequency refrigeration cycles difficult, seriously impeding the increase of refrigeration potential. So our company attempted to make magneto-caloric wires, which were said to make refrigeration flow easier than the granular form (Figure 3). By using the developed wires we were able to create high-frequency refrigeration cycles above 10Hz, and the refrigeration potential increased astronomically compared to our in-company granular tests. These results were also recognized at Thermag VII, the overseas meeting held in Turin in September of 2016. We aim to use these techniques in refrigerators, coolers, and air conditioners in the future. Next>>
