Environmental Initiatives
Environmental Management
Throughout its 400-year history, the Sumitomo Group has pursued industrial development that co-exists with local communities and the natural environment. Using the experience it has built up over this long period, the Sumitomo Corporation Group is committed to contributing to the sustainable development through sound business activities that take into account global environmental issues.
Environmental Policy
All Group companies carry out environmentally sound management under a common environmental policy, including those participating in the Group's environmental management system, in order to reduce our environmental impact and improve environmental conditions through our business activities.
Sumitomo Corporation Group Environmental Policy
The Sumitomo Corporation Group recognizes that environmental issues are global in scale and are long-term matters affecting future generations. As a global organization, the Sumitomo Corporation Group, through sound business activities, will strive to achieve sustainable development aimed at symbiosis between social and economic progress and environmental preservation. With this as its basic policy, the Sumitomo Corporation Group strives to achieve environmental management in its commercial trading, business development, and investment, etc., based on the guidelines stated below.
I. Basic PolicyThe Sumitomo Corporation Group recognizes that environmental issues are global in scale and that they are long-range concerns affecting future generations. As a global organization, the Sumitomo Corporation Group, through sound business activities, will strive to achieve sustainable development aimed at symbiosis between social and economic progress and environmental preservation.
II. Basic GuidelinesIn pursuing its diversified business activities both within Japan and overseas, the Sumitomo Corporation Group shall comply with the following guidelines, and, through cooperation between its Group companies, work to achieve the aims of its basic environmental policy.
- 1. Basic stance with regard to the environment
- To attach great importance to protecting the global environment as a good corporate citizen in keeping with its Activity Guidelines.
- 2. Compliance with environmental legislation
- To strictly observe legislation related to environmental matters not only in Japan but also overseas and abide by any agreements undertaken by the Group companies.
- 3. Caring for the natural environment
- To protect the natural environment and preserve biodiversity.
- 4. Efficient use of resources and energy
- To be mindful of the finite availability of resources and energy and strive to use them both efficiently and effectively.
- 5. Contributing to the building of a recycling-oriented society
- To endeavor to help build a recycling-oriented society by reducing waste and reusing and recycling resources.
- 6. Promotion of businesses that contribute to environmental preservation
- To utilize our integrated corporate strength to promote businesses and projects, which contribute to environmental preservation and reduction of the impact of society on the natural environment.
- 7. Establishment of environmental management
- To use an environmental management system to prevent environmental pollution and set environmental objectives and targets which are regularly reviewed and continuously upgraded.
- 8. Disclosure of the Environmental Policy
- To communicate this Environmental Policy to all people who are working for or on behalf of the Sumitomo Corporation Group, as well as disclosing it externally.
June 22, 2012
President and CEO, Sumitomo Corporation
Kuniharu Nakamura
Environmental Management System
The Group has obtained certification for the ISO 14001 standard and has been working to implement environment management activities.
Led by Sumitomo Corporation's President and CEO, the Group's multi-site system enables unified environmental management of many different offices and organizations in line with the Sumitomo Corporation Group Environmental Policy. As of June 2013, approximately 19,000 employees in total from all domestic locations of Sumitomo Corporation and its 30 Group companies are participating in these environmental management activities.
Environmental Objectives and Targets
Environmental Objectives, Targets and Results for Fiscal 2012 (Sumitomo Corporation)
Environmental Objectives and Targets for Fiscal 2013 (Sumitomo Corporation)
CSR Through Business Activities
The Sumitomo Corporation Group recognizes that environmental issues are global in scale, and are long-term matters that will affect future generations. As a global organization, the Group has established an environmental policy of striving to achieve sustainable development, by way of sound business activities, aimed at symbiosis between social and economic progress and environmental preservation.
Environment-friendly Buildings
The Group owns and manages approximately 1,100,000 m2 of owned and managed buildings (including jointly owned and sub-leased properties) mainly in central Tokyo and Osaka, but also in Sapporo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka as well as overseas. In building development, the Group's buildings come standard with air conditioning systems that achieve both energy efficiency and comfort, and also have greenery features that harmonize with the natural environment. In these and other ways, the Group strives to help preserve the environment while creating refreshing spaces for office workers.
Comfort and Energy Efficiency Through the DESICA Air-conditioning System
In the field of new building development, the Group, along with Nikken Sekkei Ltd., Daikin Industries, Ltd. and various experts, successfully commercialized the DESICA commercial air-conditioning system after conducting joint performance verification trials. Equipped with a dehumidifying system that can be controlled independently of air conditioning operation, the DESICA system provides far superior dehumidification capacity than conventional air-conditioning units. As a result, even if the thermostat for air conditioning is set at a high room temperature, the temperature people actually feel in the room can be effectively lowered by reducing the humidity. Conversely, in winter, humidity can be increased to achieve a warming effect even at low room temperature settings. In this way, DESICA is a next-generation technology that achieves both energy savings and comfort at the same time. While continuously upgrading the system further by confirming actual operational status and performance, we plan to install this system as a standard feature in all of the buildings to be developed by the Company in the future. 
Developing Greenery in Harmony With the Natural Environment
In Harumi Triton Square, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, which opened in April 2001, we planted over 600 varieties of trees and flowering plants to create a relaxing and comfortable outdoor space where seasonal flowers blooming at different times would provide year-round color and attract birds. The public square of this complex soothes the soul while at the same time reducing the heat island effect.
We are also applying the environmental expertise and technology learned from Harumi Triton Square to building development projects in Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, where we are focusing on urban development. Here, we are creating urban green zones with an emphasis on biodiversity. For example, we are conducting field monitoring of the flight patterns of wild birds, and using this study to change how we approach developing greenery for each building based on the surrounding ecosystem network. A “Green Network” has been planned for the surrounding natural environment, including the Imperial Palace, Ueno and Yushima in central Tokyo, to contribute to environmental conservation in those areas.
The Sumitomo Corporation Yaesu Building (rooftop garden)
The Sumitomo Corporation Takebashi Building
The Sumitomo Building
Sumitomo Building Received the 22nd BELCA Award in the Long-life Category
The Sumitomo Building in Osaka, which is managed and operated by the Group, received the 22nd BELCA Award in the Long-life category. Now in its 22nd year, this award was established in 1991 by the Building and Equipment Long-life Cycle Association (BELCA) to promote longer building lifecycles. Completed in 1962, the Sumitomo Building celebrated its 50th anniversary last year. It received an award in the Long-life category based on high marks for proper building maintenance and management carried out over many years. In 2011, the Sumitomo Corporation Takebashi Building earned accolades for a greenery development project, winning the BELCA Award in the Best Renovation category. The most recent BELCA award is the Group's second such award.
Initiatives to Enhance Employee Awareness
The Sumitomo Corporation Group actively conducts awareness-raising seminars related to environmental preservation for the purpose of enhancing the environmental awareness of employees.
Seminars on Environmental Laws and Regulations
A seminar on environmental laws and regulations
From April to May 2013, Sumitomo Corporation jointly held five seminars (Tokyo: four seminars; Osaka: one seminar) on environmental laws and regulations with another company, which were attended by around 300 people in total.
Companies must identify and comply with the specific legal requirements of the laws and regulations that apply to each of them. Trends in laws and regulations must be closely monitored at all times, because the regulatory content is constantly revised according to the times. These seminars were held in order to promote an understanding of the latest major environmental laws along with key environmental issues and trends, while reaffirming the importance of ensuring compliance at companies.
Industrial Waste Treatment Procedure Seminar and On-site Treatment Facility Inspection Seminar
The waste treatment facility where on-site inspection training took place
In November 2012, Sumitomo Corporation held a seminar aimed at providing the necessary knowledge and skills required to fulfill the Company's obligations to ensure proper waste disposal as a waste emitter. Led by an external guest lecturer, the seminar was intended for employees including those of Group companies. The classroom instruction held in the morning hours was attended by 260 people, including those taking part through televised broadcasts. The on-site inspection seminar held in the afternoon was attended by 65 people. The lecturer spoke clearly about such topics as basic knowledge of waste disposal operations, the relationships between various recycling laws and the Waste Disposal and Public Cleaning Act, the main points of on-site inspections of industrial waste intermediate treatment sites and specific methodologies, and industrial waste disposal issues that arise in the course of daily operations.
Environmental Seminar on the Topic of “Plants: The Unshakeable Leading Player”
An environmental seminar
An environmental seminar for employees of Sumitomo Corporation and Group companies was held in June 2012, with guest lecturer Toyoki Kozai, Professor Emeritus of Chiba University, speaking on the topic of “Plants: the Unshakeable Leading Player.” The lecture provided an easily understood overview of the idea of recycling plants as a renewable resource, and trends in the development of artificial light horticulture as a new flora production system. The seminar took the viewpoint that global issues concerning the environment, as well as food and resources, had to be resolved simultaneously and in parallel by adopting common perspectives and methodologies. This seminar was attended by approximately 100 group employees at Sumitomo Corporation's Head Office in Tokyo, and televised to approximately 30 Group officers and employees participating from seven other locations in Japan, who were mainly in charge of environmental issues.
Seminar participants said that the seminar offered them a rare glimpse into the technology and the economic and environmental advantages of flora production systems as a one-stop solution to the mutually related issues of conserving the environment, resources and food.
Environmental Performance Data
To increase the reliability of its environmental performance data, Sumitomo Corporation engaged KPMG AZSA Sustainability Co., Ltd. to provide assurance. The procedures and results of this assurance engagement are included in this report.
Please refer to “Independent Assurance Report” for further details about assurance engagement.
- *Data for electricity consumption, CO2 emissions (offices), waste emissions, and water consumption at head office, regional business units, offices and branch offices in fiscal 2010 and 2011 includes data from some Group companies.
- *Previous years' data for electricity consumption, CO2 emissions (offices), waste emissions, water consumption, and office paper consumption have been revised to reflect a revision of the scope for data collection in line with actual management status.
- *Numbers of offices and companies are as of March 31, 2013.
Electricity Consumption
- *Sumitomo Corporation has set a target of reducing electricity consumption by 1% annually for its head office, regional business units, offices and branch offices.
CO2 Emissions (Offices)
- *For the breakdown of CO2 emissions for the head office, regional business units, offices and branch offices, Scope 1 is 225 tons and Scope 2 is 4,421 tons.
- *The above figures indicate total amounts of CO2 emissions stemming from use of electricity, utility gas and district heat (cooling/heating water), which are calculated using the following factors:
CO2 Emissions (Logistics, commuting and overseas business trips)
- *CO2 emissions from logistics are for cargoes in Japan where Sumitomo Corporation is the cargo owner according to the Act Concerning Rational Use of Energy.
- *The emissions coefficients for CO2 emissions from commuting and overseas business trips were taken from the CO2 emissions per person-kilometer for each mode of transport when transporting travelers, as recorded in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism publication “CO2 Emissions in the Transport Sector.”
- *Calculations for the CO2 emissions due to overseas business trips include only flights departing and arriving in Japan. Business trip destinations are classified into six areas and a representative airport for each area is used to estimate the flight distance.
- *Following a revision of the method for data collection, previous years' figures for CO2 emissions due to overseas business trips have been revised.
Waste Emissions (General and industrial waste stemming from operation)
- *Fiscal 2013 targets of Sumitomo Corporation head office, regional business units, offices and branch offices are set at 537 tons for general waste emissions from operations. Assuming a 92% recycling rate, 43 tons of waste would be sent to landfill.
Water Consumption
- *Head office data is for the main building.
Office Paper Consumption
- *Calculated from purchase amounts and unit prices of A4 paper.
- *This item is not subject to assurance engagement.
Environmental Accounting
Environmental Accounting for Fiscal 2012
(Thousands of yen)
Data scope: The nine offices of Sumitomo Corporation and 28 Group companies(Thousands of yen)
Data compilation: April 2012 to March 2013
Environmental Conservation and Economic Benefits
The environmental conservation and economic benefits of the consumption of electricity, paper and water in fiscal 2012 were as follows.
- Environmental conservation and economic benefits are represented by a reduction from the previous year.
- Data scope:
Items marked with * are for the nine offices of Sumitomo Corporation in Japan;
the item marked with ** is for the three offices in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya.
Environmental Liabilities Identified
At the Sumitomo Corporation Group, environmental risks associated with land, buildings and other tangible fixed assets of Sumitomo Corporation and Group companies are identified and monitored using the ISO 14001 multi-site management methods, focusing on asbestos, PCB and soil contamination. The Company endeavors to apply the data obtained as information useful for management in making decisions. Also, the obtained and relevant information is included in related in-house seminars and training programs, in order to facilitate the sharing of relevant information within the Group.