Environmental Protection Activities
Support of Environmental Education for Children
Kyocera Group "Eco-Lessons"
The Kyocera Group has conducted "Eco-Lessons," a locally rooted social contribution activity, since FY2003, to help children, the next generation of leaders, better understand environmental and energy-related issues and receive an environmentally friendly education at school. Around 130,000 children (as of March 31, 2020) have heard our message about protecting the global environment since we first started this social outreach activity.
In FY2020, due to the impact of the COVID-19, an increasing number of schools suspended or postponed classes. A total of 8 classes for 282 students were held, but efforts are being made to implement online classes. In addition, along with the revision of study courses, the content was revised to include programming as a new subject.
Special Science Class to Teach the Mechanism of Electricity
The Osaka Board of Education holds "Special Science Lessons" jointly with corporations in hopes of letting children learn the joy of science through hands-on lessons and enhance their interest in and willingness to learn science. Kyocera Document Solutions Inc. started to participate in this joint educational program in 2009 and so far has held lessons for more than 5,000 students at 69 elementary schools. Children can feel the joy of working on experiments by hand-copying pictures drawn by themselves. They can also operate copying machines and learn about how products use electricity in our daily lives.
Participating in Environmental Awareness Events
KYOCERA Document Solutions Australia Pty. Ltd. participated in the annual Business Clean-Up Day. We have participated every year since 2003 in this annual event where companies in Australia organize volunteer clean-ups. In the future, we intend to continue to participate in this event to pass a beautiful natural environment on to future generations.
Activities Related to the Conservation of Biodiversity
Human society consists of various blessings from nature. On the other hand, forests equivalent to one fifth of Japan's land area are lost from the world every year. It is also said that the effect of human activities over the last several hundreds of years has caused the extinction rate of species to be accelerated by 1,000 times. In these ways, circumstances surrounding biodiversity have become extremely serious.
In regards to the Kyocera Group’s business activities, while we are benefitting from the ecological system in the form of raw materials, its output has no small effect on biodiversity. The Kyocera Group establishes working policies relating to the conservation of biodiversity on activities such as the reduction of destructive effects on the natural environment and on the ecological system, active promotion of greenification at Group facilities, and participation in and support of social contribution activities.
Promoting Kyocera Forestation Activities
The Kyocera Group conducts activities to help factory compounds and local forests regain rich greenery to contribute to various environmental issues, such as preventing climate change and preserving biodiversity, contributing to local community development, and enhancing employees' environmental awareness. These activities mainly include thinning and undergrowth cutting together with residents.
We are implementing a five-year plan at Kyocera’s Kyoto Ayabe Plant to develop and properly manage its green spaces. In FY2021, the first year of the project, we are conducting weeding, carrying out a vegetation survey, and clearing land to construct a new promenade. We are also planning to raise chestnut seedlings under the Ayabe municipal authorities' supervision so that the site can also support Tanba Chestnut production, a local brand.
Activities
| Place of activity | Start of activity | |
|---|---|---|
| Okaya City, Nagano Prefecture | Minatozaisan area (about 80,000 m2) | October 2011 |
| Higashi-Omi City, Shiga Prefecture | Forest owned by the Shiga Gamo Plant (about 20,000 m2) | June 2008 |
| Ayabe City, Kyoto Prefecture | Forest owned by the Kyoto Ayabe Plant (about 1,000 m2) | April 2020 |
| Kyotanabe City, Kyoto Prefecture | Mt. Kannabi (about 880,000 m2) | November 2012 |
| Satsumasendai City, Kagoshima Prefecture | Forest owned by the Kagoshima Sendai Plant (about 3,000 m2) | April 2011 |
Development of Biotope
Nurturing of fireflies
The Kagoshima Kokubu Plant started a biotope in November 2009 to maintain the local ecosystem inside the compound. The Plant also raises fireflies in this biotope. With the help of local firefly specialists, the Plant staff improves the natural environment around a pond in the plant compound to create an environment easier for fireflies to live. Thanks to their effort, adult fireflies fly around the plant compound every year. Plant employees are encouraged to be more conscious of environmental protection through this activity.
Rearing Lake Biwa Freshwater Fish
We have built a pond roughly 1/5,000 the size of Lake Biwa at our Shiga Yasu Plant that recreates the ecological environment of Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. We are rearing rare Lake Biwa freshwater fish at the lake, such as willow gudgeon, char, and bitterling. We are also making effective use of existing green spaces at the plant, mainly consisting of evergreen woodland, by separating the area into four zones: a space offering various opportunities to enjoy the waterside environment, a place where people from the local community can experience the natural environment, the main pathways of the Yasu Plant's ecological network, and a space where people can learn how easy it is to grow more flowers and indigenous vegetation. In this way, we are boosting our employees' environmental awareness.
Protection of endangered species
The Mie Tamaki Plant of Kyocera Document Solutions Co., Ltd. has concluded an agreement with the "Sugashi Arita Sada-oki Environmental Conservation Society," an environmental conservation group, concerning the conservation and restoration of Satochi-satoyama areas, and is carrying out biotope restoration activities. As a result of activities such as weeding and thinning of rice paddies, planting greenery, and maintaining waterways, the inhabitation of rare animals and plants has been confirmed. In the future, along with the restoration of the biotope, we are promoting the construction of sidewalks with lumber built in the wetlands so that children can learn safely and environmental awareness.
Main Feedback on Sustainable Management
Selected for the Top-ranking A List in the CDP Climate Change Survey
Kyocera was selected by CDP, an international non-profit, for its top-ranking A-List for environmental activities. CDP has global influence in the environmental field, and it recognized Kyocera as a company with excellent transparency and initiatives against climate change. The Kyocera Group has set FY2031 targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adopting renewable energy, and we are currently expanding aggressive action towards their achievement. Based on recommendations from the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), Kyocera is reviewing climate-related risks and opportunities, formulating energy strategies based on analysis of scenarios where global average temperatures have risen by 2~4 degrees Celsius, and moving forward with measures such as the adoption of renewable energy. CDP selected Kyocera for the Climate Change A-List in overall recognition of our activities about climate change.
Selected for the CDP Supplier Engagement Leader Board
For the second year running, Kyocera has been chosen for CDP's Supplier Engagement Leader Board to recognize our activities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout our supply chain. CDP assesses companies based on climate change countermeasures throughout their value chain and selects outstanding companies for its Supplier Engagement Leader Board. The Kyocera Group sets medium to long-term greenhouse gas emissions targets (SBT* certified) and aims to reduce our environmental impact throughout our value chain. CDP selected Kyocera in overall recognition of those initiatives.
SBT: Science Based Targets (greenhouse gas reduction targets based on scientific grounds)
Corporate Motto / Management Rationale
- Environmental Safety Policy / Targets and Promotion System
- Climate Change Scenario
- Measures to Counter Climate Change
- Water Risk Response
- Recycling Activities
- Initiatives to Prevent Environmental Pollution
- Conservation of Biodiversity
- Environmentally Friendly Products / Green Procurement
- Environmental Communication
- A History of Our Environmental Protection Activities
Social Citizenship Initiatives
- Active Promotion of Human Resources with Diverse Skillsets
- Human Rights Initiatives
- Promoting Diversity and Inclusion
- Occupational Safety
- Occupational Health, Safety, and Fitness Initiatives
- Supply Chain Management
- Approaches to Raising Quality and Customer Satisfaction Levels
- Social Contribution Activities
- Academic Advancement and Research
- Support for Culture and the Arts
- International Exchanges and Collaboration
- Environmental Protection Activities
- Local Community Activities
- Contributions to Society through Business Activities
Participation in CSR Related Initiatives
Third Party Verification of Environmental and Social Data