CSR

[ISO 26000 Core Subject] Environment

CO₂ emissions from Fujikura Group bases in Japan have been declining after reaching a peak in fiscal 2012. This decrease is attributable to higher productivity, replacement with LED lights, introduction of energy conservation systems such as updating air conditioners, and energy conservation efforts made by all employees. Outside Japan, CO₂ emissions from Group bases have increased due to expansion of business operations. As an entire Group, however, emissions per sales of 100 million yen (per-unit CO₂ emissions) began to decrease after reaching a peak in the year following the 2011 flooding in Thailand. In recovering from the disaster, we also increased the entire Group's productivity. In fiscal 2014, to reduce CO₂ emissions through energy conservation, we worked to make more energy conservation investments by reviewing investment conditions for energy-saving equipment, and also mandated the verification of energy conservation effects for all equipment investments made by the Group. In fiscal 2015, as part of the entire Group's efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions, we will set our new medium-term targets based on CO₂ emission reduction targets to be submitted by the Japanese government to the United Nations.

The Fujikura Group is a registered participant in the "Fun to Share" anti-global warming initiative implemented by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment, and is working on various themes to create a low-carbon society through this activity.

The "Fun to Share" initiative is being implemented widely to request local governments, companies, and organizations to propose technologies and activities that help create a low-carbon society, and also to request offices and households to propose work styles/lifestyles with low CO₂ emissions. It is expected that the submitted proposals will be shared through the Fun to Share website and other media to disseminate good examples that foster "lifestyle innovation" in society. It is said that global warming is mostly due to human activities, and companies account for 80% or more of the total CO₂ emissions. For the effective implementation of anti-global warming measures, companies therefore need to implement more advanced plans. Accordingly, the Fujikura Group will foster its own advanced anti-global warming measures.

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. In response, Fujikura Ltd. participated in the project to support the calculation of supply chain CO₂ emissions implemented by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment also in fiscal 2014 and made simplified calculations for all the GHG Protocol Scope 3 categories. The following shows the Scopes 1, 2 and 3 calculation results from fiscal 2012 to 2014.

In fiscal 2014 as well, we had a very hot summer,especially in the Eastern and Northern Japan.The Fujikura Group began to conduct a campaign to grow seedlings into green curtains in around May, and many of our bases had completed their green curtains by July, before the sun became very strong. These curtains contributed to a decrease (by three to five degrees Celsius) in the room temperature. Green curtains help decrease the room temperature and are friendly to the environment. They are also kind to the eyes and mitigate the fatigue caused by work. Green curtains have become an indispensable item for us to get through the hot summer season.

In 2014, The Fujikura Group implemented its fifth "Turning off lights" campaign to mitigate global warming as much as possible and reinforce how important lighting is. In the campaign, employees turned off lights both at their workplaces and homes.

It is estimated that Japan has 4.65 million hectares of forests that pose a risk of landslides and debris flows, and that there are 520,000 debris flow-prone spots in the country. Due to depopulation and aging of people in mountainous villages, forests are being increasingly left unattended without being thinned, which leads to a loss of the water-retaining functions provided by trees and bushes and to an increase in the number of debris flow-prone spots. In response, the NPO "Office Chonai-Kai" launched the Morino Chonai-Kai activity. Companies that wish to support this activity purchase Forest Thinning Support Paper at the relatively expensive price of 15 yen per kg and use it as printing paper for their CSR reports and other documents. The proceeds are used to foster forest thinning. Forests need to be thinned for tree branches and roots to grow continuously, which in turn helps maintain the rainwater storage ability of the forests, one of their primary functions. Trees also absorb CO₂ in their growing process. As many as 449 companies and organizations, including Fujikura, participate in this activity. In fiscal 2014, we used 546.6 kg of Forest Thinning Support Paper. The Fujikura Group will continue to support this endeavor in a proactive manner.

AFL Telecommunications LLC., which is located in South Carolina, USA, is conducting two greening activities to protect the global environment.

The company has long been fostering tree planting for greening. It plans to plant a total of 12,000 trees by 2015, having already planted 11,000 trees by the end of 2014.

The company has been annually conducting the "AFL Take Root" activity for five years, aiming to foster greening around the globe. In fiscal 2014, employees presented seedlings of cherry and other trees to local people, including elementary school students. The company aims to increase the number of trees planted through this activity to 5,000.

The Fujikura Group has been planting trees, preserving forests, and increasing green spaces as a means to decrease its environmental impact and contribute to the protection of the global environment.