| (1) |
Priority
order of aspects that responding companies consider to be
their social responsibility (top five replies) |
| |
| (i)
|
Compliance
with laws and regulations (261 points) |
| (ii)
|
Securing
of profits and dividends (239) |
| (iii)
|
Product
and service safety (186) |
| (vi)
|
Environmental
protection and reduction of waste materials (108) |
| (v)
|
Sustainable
growth (87) |
|
| |
|
| (2) |
80.3%
of companies have an accurate grasp of their energy consumption
volume. |
| |
|
| (3) |
70.5%
of companies have an accurate grasp of their total CO2 emission. |
| |
|
| (4) |
32.6%
of companies have established indicators for “environmental
productivity” and regularly examine them. |
| |
|
| (5) |
Environmental
productivity indicators utilized by companies (top five replies) |
| |
| (i)
|
Rate
of change in reduction of industrial waste (67.8%) |
| (ii)
|
Ratio
of quarterly sales to total CO2 emission (55.1%) |
| (iii)
|
Rate
of change in total purchase volume of paper resources
(47.5%) |
| (vi)
|
Ratio
of quarterly sales to total energy consumption (44.1%) |
| (v)
|
Rate
of change in green procurement (37.3%) |
|
| |
|
| (6) |
Environmental
productivity indicators are disclosed in an environmental
report (79.7%) or through the company’s Web site (78.0%). |
| |
|
| (7) |
60.7%
of companies have experience in eco-conscious product planning
and developing, and 94.6% of those companies have actually
produced eco-conscious products that are commercially viable. |
| |
|
| (8) |
89.6%
of companies have established an “environmental vision
or policy” aside from their management vision or basic
management principles. |
| |
|
| (9) |
97.6%
of environmental visions were established after 1991. |
| |
|
| (10) |
77.4%
of companies have established an environment vision as “a
manifestation of their social responsibility,” 64.0%
to “define their corporate values also in the realm of
the environment,” and 57.3% to “raise environmental
awareness in their employees.” |
| |
|
| (11) |
In
addition to disclosing their environmental visions on their
Web site in Japanese, 49% of companies publicize their environmental
visions in one other language, 47% in two other languages,
and 4% in three or more other languages. |
| |
|
| (12) |
As
external effects of having established an environmental vision,
45.1% gave “better corporate image” and 38.4% answered
that “it became easier to fulfill their accountability.”
Internally, they saw “increased concern about environmental
issues (89.0%),” “increased awareness of segregated
garbage disposal (65.2%),” “increased awareness
in the conservation of resources and energy when developing
products and services (64.6%),” “increased awareness
of green procurement (56.7%),” and “increased awareness
of simplifying and recycling packaging materials (51.8%).” |
| |
|
| (13) |
80.5%
of companies that have established an environmental vision
took the opportunity of its establishment to acquire ISO14001
certification. |
| |
|
| (14) |
More
than 57% of companies have promoted departments that carry
out environmental efforts. |
| |
|
| (15) |
60.2%
of companies began to consider environmental issues as an
area deeply related to management strategies instead of as
an area requiring the formulation of countermeasures. |
| |
|
| (16) |
In
more than 44.1% of companies, dedicated executives above the
level of managing director are assigned to supervise departments
specializing in the environment. |
| |
|
| (17) |
Specific
environmental promotion efforts are mainly undertaken as company-wide
activities (top five and bottom five replies). |
| |
| <Top
five efforts> |
(i)
|
Energy conservation
efforts (91.3%) |
| |
(ii)
|
Resource
conservation and paper re-use (90.2%) |
| |
(iii)
|
Segregated
disposal and reduction of general refuse (88.5%) |
| |
(vi)
|
Reduction
of conference handouts (83.1%) |
| |
(v)
|
Recycling
and reduction of industrial waste (75.4%) |
| <Least-made
efforts> |
(i)
|
Regional
contribution projects related to the environment (41.5%) |
| |
(ii)
|
Joint distribution
or other efforts to reduce distribution energy (42.6%) |
| |
(iii)
|
Recovery
of unusable products (43.2%) |
| |
(vi)
|
Efforts
to reduce mobility cost (introduction of e-conferences)
(47%) |
| |
(v)
|
Introduction
of environmental productivity indicators (47%) |
|
| |
|
| (18) |
29.7%
of companies actively disclose environmental technology they
themselves discovered or developed. 20.3%, in principle, do
not. |
| |
|
| (19) |
55.7%
of companies are “currently considering” emissions
trading, 40.4% are “not particularly interested,”
and 3.8% are already participating in emissions trading. |
| |
|
| (20) |
What
are expected of the central government or local governments
regarding environmental creation and other environmental issues
(top three replies) |
| |
| (i)
|
Consideration
of environmental tax based on an accurate understanding
of industrial characteristics (65.0%) |
| (ii)
|
Assistance
and aid for environment-related efforts (59.6%) |
| (iii)
|
Preferential
taxation for companies showing improved environmental
productivity (53.6%) |
|
| |
|
| (21) |
What
are expected of industrial organizations (top three replies) |
| |
| (i)
|
Positive
viewpoints toward environmental regulations (55.7%) |
| (ii)
|
Collection
and disclosure of environment-related information from
the administration (54.1%) |
| (iii)
|
Active
disclosure of information on environment-related technology
(48.6%) |
|
| |
|
| (22) |
What
are expected of NPOs and NGOs (top three replies) |
| |
| (i)
|
Cooperation
in issues that cannot be solved by corporate efforts
alone (52.5%) |
| (ii)
|
Good
understanding of environmental efforts made by companies
(47.5%) |
| (iii)
|
Active
participation in mutual information exchanges with companies
(21.9%) |
|
| |
|
| (23) |
What
are expected of consumers (top three replies) |
| |
| (i)
|
Reflect
corporate environmental efforts in consumer purchasing
activities (55.7%) |
| (ii)
|
Active
cooperation in the collection and recycling of waste
articles (47.0%) |
| (iii)
|
Reflect
corporate environmental efforts in consumer investment
activities (37.2%) |
|
| |
|
| •
Overview of General Discussions and Proposals |
| |
|
| 1. |
General
discussion: Conditions for building corporate environmental
strength derived from the study results
—Environmental strength will determine the true value
and survival of companies in the 21st century— |
| |
|
| (i) |
Environmental
efforts are an integral part of management strategies. Specifically,
an environmental vision, an environmental management vision,
or environmental management policies have been established,
and the code of values that govern corporate behavior are
easily understood and shared by all employees and business
partners. |
| |
|
| (ii) |
The
environmental vision and various other environmental efforts,
including those involving proprietary technology, are widely
publicized not only internally, but also externally to the
society at large. |
| |
|
| (iii) |
All
aspects in the value chain of products and services offered
by the company—from their planning to materials procurement,
production, distribution, marketing, accounting, and financial
matters—reflect a coherent idea based on the environmental
vision. |
| |
|
| (iv) |
In
conjunction with its outlook for business expansion and the
provision of products and services, the company has an accurate
grasp of its total consumption of resources and energy, total
CO2 emission, as well as the emission of toxic substances.
Its specific goals and priority regarding global environmental
conservation are clear, and it makes systematic efforts toward
achieving those goals. |
| |
|
| (v) |
The
president or an authorized management executive is assigned
to supervise environmental efforts made by the company, and
a comprehensive framework for company-wide undertakings is
established. |
| |
|
| (vi) |
Methods
for indexing and evaluating the effectiveness and results
of environmental efforts are established and presented in
an “environmental report,” “environmental accounting,”
or other similar formats. |
| |
|
| (vii) |
In
regard to consumers, NPOs, and other such stakeholders, the
company aggressively works to build a relationship of trust
and cooperation with people outside the company by endeavoring
to promote their understanding of its efforts to protect and
maintain the environment in the context of its business activities
and provision of products and services. |
| |
|
| 2. |
Proposal:
23 Specific Suggestions for Realizing “Strategic Management
and Environmental Strength” in the 21st Century |
| |
|
| (1) |
Use
comprehensive indicators to evaluate corporate growth potential. |
| |
|
| (2) |
Publish
the results of environmental productivity enhancement activities
in business reports or financial reports. |
| |
|
| (3) |
Think
from the perspective of end users: provide functions (effects)
that will satisfy end users (= customers). |
| |
|
| (4) |
Switch
from SCM (supply-chain management) to “resource circulation
management.” |
| |
|
| (5) |
Pursue
“green” recovery in addition to “green”
procurement. |
| |
|
| (6) |
Develop
effective and positive applications of information technology
to improve resource productivity. |
| |
|
| (7) |
Make
active efforts to break away from energy-consuming technologies
and pursue new models of R&D (technology development). |
| |
|
| (8) |
Make
active efforts to introduce a common system of joint utilization
and distribution. |
| |
|
| (9) |
Reduce
mobility costs between “residence,” “workplace,”
“shopping,” and “recreation,” and seek
new energy-saving alternatives. |
| |
|
| (10) |
Explore
the potentials of green procurement (green commute) in the
work force. |
| |
|
| (11) |
Send
out corporate messages that express strong environmental strength. |
| |
|
| (12) |
Consider
consumers as business partners in raising environmental strength. |
| |
|
| (13) |
Actively
develop business that “utilize” rather than “own”
resources. |
| |
|
| (14) |
Create
a leading tourism country from the standpoint of a leading
environmental country. |
| |
|
| (15) |
Aim
for increased labor productivity from a comfortable environment
and an appreciation of the four seasons. |
| |
|
| (16) |
Actively
provide new environmental technologies to developing countries
and newly growing countries. |
| |
|
| (17) |
Create
new brand values. |
| |
|
| (18) |
Reexamine
and redefine the role of each player in the social system
who bears a major role in enhancing environmental productivity. |
| |
|
| (19) |
Solve
the dilemma between investors and beneficiaries. |
| |
|
| (20) |
Aim
to achieve a synchronized synergy between “personal advantages
and disadvantages (ego)” and “environmental efforts
(ecology).” |
| |
|
| (21) |
Utilize
new technologies (IC tags) and expand the market. |
| |
|
| (22) |
Break
away from energy-consuming agriculture, forestry, and fishery
industries. |
| |
|
| (23) |
Make
active efforts to break free from a “throwaway”
economy. |
| |
|
