Environmental Management
Basic Approach
Environmental Philosophy
Established in 2001, our Environmental Philosophy guides our efforts to deliver products with consistent quality through safe and reliable production while reducing our environmental impacts.
- 1Environmental protection is a mission of a socially responsible organization
- 2Our basic belief is that environmental protection can be achieved with innovative technology
- 3Environmental protection will be achieved when all employees work together with a sense of mission to overcome challenges
Responsible Care Policy
- 1Prioritize the environment and safety
Protecting the environment and ensuring safety are preconditions for all business activities and are the most important priorities. We will work continuously to enact full accident prevention countermeasures, and provide education and training for all employees to prevent safety and environmental accidents.
- 2Collect and distribute the latest information on chemical products
We will collect, store and manage the latest information required for the appropriate handling, use and disposal of chemical products, and distribute this information to employees and users.
- 3Minimize the discharge of toxic chemicals and waste We will work to reduce the discharge of hazardous chemical substances, minimize waste, and develop technology for recycling and reusing materials.
- 4Promote activities for conserving resources and energy We will aim to dramatically reduce the amount of energy we use and help alleviate global warming by developing innovative technology and actively promoting resource and energy conservation activities that involve all employees.
- 5Take the environment and safety into account when developing new processes and products and performing quality assurance
We will perform thorough environmental and safety evaluations from the initial stages of research, develop technology and products that take the environment and safety into account, and work to maintain and improve the quality of technology and products.
- 6Live together with society
We will strictly observe regulations related to the environment and safety, whether the regulations come from the local community, the national government, overseas, or organizations to which we belong. While cooperating in these activities, we will work to enhance our communication with the local community and society in order to convey a better understanding of Zeon’s activities and further strengthen the trust that society has in our company.
- 7Perform continuous improvements
We will continuously improve our environment safety management and technology by operating a Responsible Care Audit, the Safety Management System, an Environment Management System based on ISO 14001, and an Occupational Health and Safety Management System.
Structure and System
We have built environmental and safety management systems based on the Responsible Care philosophy, and are working toward the goal of ensuring the safety of all persons at our worksites and plants. In the environmental field, we have also obtained ISO 14001 external certification and are working on continuous improvement.
Overview of environmental and safety management systems
- President’s Annual Policy and Safety Management Improvement Master Plan
- These documents are created by top management.
- Annual Environment and Safety Policy
- The General Manager of the Environmental and Safety Affairs Department creates this policy after the President’s Annual Policy and the Safety Management Improvement Master Plan set by top management are released. The Annual Environment and Safety Policy is reviewed by the CSR Conference and finalized by the President.
- Annual Worksite Manager’s Policy and Annual Worksite Safety Management Improvement Master Plan
- Worksite managers create these documents after the President’s Annual Policy and the Safety Management Improvement Master Plan are released. The Annual Worksite Manager’s Policy is intended for all workers at the worksite, including our employees and partner company staff.
- Annual Worksite Environmental and Safety (Responsible Care) Activities Plans
- Worksite managers create the Activities Plans after the Group-wide Annual Environment and Safety Policy is released.
Progress management
The CSR Conference, chaired by the Representative Director, together with the Environment and Safety Committee under its supervision, deliberates on company-wide planning and progress management related to environmental management and occupational health and safety. The executive officer in charge of environmental safety serves as chair of the Committee.
- Safety Management Improvement Master Plan: Progress verified by the CSR Conference
- Annual Worksite Safety Management Improvement Master Plan: Progress verified by the worksite manager during worksite inspections
- Annual Worksite Environmental and Safety Activities Plans: Progress verified by the worksite manager during worksite inspections
Key Initiatives
Audits (assessments of existing lines)
Audits assess whether our management systems are functioning normally.
In particular, worksite Responsible Care audits cover environmental and safety initiatives and are headed by the General Manager of the Environmental and Safety Affairs Department. These audits have two parts: the Responsible Care Audit and the Responsible Care Dialogue.
Responsible Care Audits
- Audits using specialized indicators to monitor the progress of Responsible Care activities
- These audits also cover worksites that have Certified Completion and Process Safety Inspectors for High-Pressure Gas
- The progress of improvements in areas where audits uncovered such needs is verified using the Audit Findings Improvement Plan and Progress Report
Responsible Care Dialogues
- A venue for dialogue among worksite members and management to jointly consider, discuss, and find solutions to worksite environmental and safety issues that are difficult to identify through audits
Responsible Care Audits at Group companies
Group Company Responsible Care Audits cover Group company Responsible Care activities and are headed by General Manager of the Environmental and Safety Affairs Department. The progress of improvements in areas where audits uncovered such needs is verified using the Audit Findings Improvement Plan and Progress Report.
Internal plant audits
Internal plant audits are conducted at plants as outlined below.
- Plant manager inspections: Inspections of the progress of Responsible Care implementation conducted by the plant manager (at least once/year)
- Environmental Management System (EMS) internal audits, and Safety Management System internal audits
Overview of environmental impacts
We procure raw materials for chemical substances, and consume energy and water resources in the production and sales of our materials and chemical products. In manufacturing products, at the input (resources introduced) stage, we evaluate resource and energy efficiency while also ensuring quality.
Regarding outputs (emissions), while emitting substances that have environmental impacts on water and the atmosphere may be unavoidable, we are implementing ongoing improvements to minimize these emissions.
