Basic stance
The Kyorin Group’s Charter of Corporate Conduct details the Group’s understanding that “the tackling of environmental issues is a mission for all humankind and an imperative component of the very existence of corporations to which it remains voluntarily committed,” and that as a company dedicated to life, it will always use its EHS activity to conduct business operations with due regard for their impact on the global environment and local communities. In all business operations, the Group promotes the effective use of our limited resources through energy and resource saving, waste reduction, and less use of substances that place a burden on the environment. It has established objectives and targets for these initiatives, reviews them as needed, and remains voluntarily and proactively committed to environmental protection and pollution prevention.
Environmental Conservation Initiatives
We are committed to environmental conservation, focusing on the following major themes: preventing global warming, protecting resources, and living in harmony with the natural environment. We are working to reduce the environmental burden and promote effective use of limited resources by conserving energy and resources, reducing waste and strengthening our management of chemical substances. KYORIN Pharmaceutical Group Facilities Co., Ltd. has obtained ISO 14001 certification, an international standard for environmental management systems, at all its plants.
In our efforts to combat global warming, we set a target of cutting CO2 emissions from our head office, branches, research centers, and plants by a yearly average of 1.5% from the level of fiscal 2019 (27,477 tons) by fiscal 2023. In fiscal 2020, our CO2 emissions were 27,041 tons, and we are steadily approaching our target.
KYORIN Group material flow (fiscal 2020)
* Emissions from the head office, branches, research centers, and plants, plus emission from fuel used by sales vehicles, etc.
Climate change measures
Introducing Hybrid Cars to Reduce CO2 Emissions
The Kyorin Group is proactively introducing low-emission cars, hybrid cars, and other environmentally friendly vehicles for its sales force as a way of preventing global warming. As of March 2021, all 916 vehicles used by the sales force met the standard for having low emission, and of these, 497 (approximately 54%) are hybrid vehicles, which were introduced in 2004. In addition, these vehicles adhere to the Ministry of the Environment’s “Eco-Driving” guidelines, regarding their impact on the environment and traffic safety.
Environmentally Friendly R&D Center
In May 2017, the ReHP* technology installed at KYORIN Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.’s WATARASE Research Center was awarded an honorable mention in the Kanto chapter of the Japanese Association of Building Mechanical and Electrical Engineers’ carbon neutral category for construction equipment that contributes to achieving a low-carbon society. In addition, the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry conducted a document-based, on-site study of center’s s energy conservation activities related to this system as well as its energy-saving promotion system, human resources development and education, and initiatives, and awarded it the Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry Director’s Award in the 2020 Awards for Excellence in Energy management. During fiscal 2020, this system reduced electric power consumption by 46,446 kWh and CO2 emissions by roughly 21 tons compared with conventional heat pumps for air conditioning and heating, for approximately 23% in energy savings.
* A Renewable Energy Heat Pump (ReHP) is a highly efficient heat pump that uses renewable energy, and the ReHP installed at two adjacent buildings (CS and LAB1) at the WATARASE Research Center uses geothermal heat and unused waste heat from a water chiller as a heat source, and circulates heated water in a single loop, which is used by air conditioning and water heating equipment, to increase energy efficiency.
Reducing the environmental burden through solar power generation
In a move to lessen its environmental burden through the use of company-owned land, in fiscal 2013, KYORIN Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. Installed facilities for generating solar power, one form of renewable energy, in the town of Nogi in Tochigi Prefecture, and installed the second facility in fiscal 2017.
Biodiversity
KYORIN Pharmaceutical Group Facilities Co., Ltd.’s Noshiro Plant participates in a citizen’s volunteer activity to protect the Kaze-no-Matsubara pine forest near the plant, to provide local residents with a place to relax.
In addition, KYORIN Pharmaceutical’s WATARASE Research Center has installed birdhouses in trees adjacent to the WATARASE Yusuichi wetland and confirmed the location of nests as a way to enhance the environment for wild animals in the Center’s grounds.
Data about environment
Environmental Accounting
（Unit: million yen）
| Environmental costs | Investment | Costs |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention of pollution cost | 18 | 199 |
| Global environmental conservation cost | 139 | 9 |
| Resource recycling cost | 0 | 34 |
| Upstream/downstream costs | 0 | 15 |
| Administration costs | 0 | 26 |
| R&D costs | 0 | 0 |
| Public relations costs | 0 | 1 |
| Environmental damage restoration costs | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 157 | 284 |
（Unit: million yen）
| Economic benefits | |
|---|---|
| Profit from recycling, such as waste | 1 or less |
| Reduction in energy | 70 |
| Reduction in disposal expenses | 0 |
| Total | 70 |
（Unit: million yen）
| Environmental benefits | Item / unit | YoY change | FY2019 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effects of the resources used for business activities | Electricity thousand kWh |
1,585 | 32,420 | 34,005 |
| Heavy oil kℓ |
-96 | 1,504 | 1,408 | |
| Kerosene kℓ |
-293 | 2,724 | 2,431 | |
| Paper usage t | -9 | 53 | 44 | |
| Effects against environmental impacts and waste resulting from business activities | Waste amount t | -87 | 727 | 676 |
| CO2 emissions t CO2 | -1,284 | 30,135 | 28,851 | |
| Biochemical oxygen demand t BOD |
0.0 | 1 or less | 1 or less | |
| Effects of Resource recycling | Waste amount recycled t | -36 | 432 | 396 |
| Wastewater thousand t | 41 | 136 | 177 |
KYORIN Group environmental targets and progress (fiscal 2020)
| Target initiatives | Method for achieving | Fiscal 2019 actual |
Fiscal 2020 actual |
Selfassessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Preventing global warming (CO2 reduction and energy conservation) |
Reduce fuel consumption (crude oil equivalent) through new capital investment | 14,088kℓ | 13,714kℓ（97.3%） | ★★★ |
| Use eco-cars to improve fuel efficiency and reduce exhaust emissions | 615/963 | 497/916（54.3%） | ★ | |
| Reduce total CO2 emissions | 27,477t | 27,041t（93.8%） | ★★★ | |
| 2. Reducing waste volume | Reduce total waste | 727t | 676t（93.0%） | ★★★ |
| Promote recycling | 59.4% | 58.6% | ★★ | |
| Amount landfilled | 56t | 58t（103.6%） | ★ | |
| Zero-landfill challenge | 7.7% | 8.6% | ★ | |
| 3. Managing chemical substances | Manage substances covered by the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Law and revise management method | 14.2t | 13.3t（93.7%） | ★★★ |
| 4. Preventing atmospheric pollution | Measure and control amounts of soot and smoke, nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur oxide (SOx) emitted by boilers and generators | At or below standards | At or below standards | ★★★ |
| 5. Preventing water pollution | Process wastewater, including by primary processing plants, and management of pH, biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), and suspended solids (SS) levels | At or below standards | At or below standards | ★★★ |
| 6. Preventing deforestation | Recycle paper, use recycled paper, and promote a paperless office environment | 53t | 44t（83.0%） | ★★★ |
| 7. Protecting destruction of ozone layer | Eliminate all devices that use Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) and Hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) | Elimination completed in fiscal 2010 | - | ★★★ |
| 8. Preventing ground subsidence | Reduce groundwater usage and increase drinking water reuse | 65.3% | 53.9% | ★ |
| 9. Noise reduction | Periodic measurement | At or below standards | At or below standards | ★★★ |
| 10. Protecting biodiversity | Communicate with local communities (activities to contribute to local communities) | Achieved targets at all business facilities | Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some activities have been cancelled | ★ |
* Self-assessment scale:★★★achieved; ★★largely achieved; ★more work required
CO2 Emissions from Head office, Branches, Research Centers, and Plants
Waste volume in relation to sales
Volume of Water Used
