Responses to Environmental Risks
We, Toshiba Group, pursue the highest standard of compliance management in environmental management operations that relate to our business activities, products, and services.
Corporate staff divisions draft and formulate Group-wide policies and regulations related to environmental compliance management. In accordance with such policies and regulations, each Group company sets its compliance management items to be observed by its business divisions and sites, and executes its business.
In addition, corporate staff divisions conduct in-house environmental audits to meticulously check whether environmental policies are in place and how relevant laws and regulations are managed at key Group companies, business divisions, and sites on a regular basis. This helps us identify potential environmental risks and implement measures to prevent environmental incidents and violations of laws.
If a major environmental risk is identified, the Risk Compliance Committee, chaired by the executive officer in charge of the Legal Division, discusses preventive measures to be taken. If any environmental risk should materialize, all the concerned parties, including environmental promotion managers and related persons of relevant Group companies and sites, will work together under the direction of the executive in charge of environment to take preventive measures, check relevant business and production sites as well as consider recurrence prevention measures.
To manage environmental risks and ensure compliance, we make the most of opportunities such as Company-wide environmental education, environmental auditor certification training, and the Corporate Environmental Management Committee meeting to share the latest trends in laws and regulations, incidents occurred within the Group, and audit results for each Group company, business division, and site. This has contributed to raising the awareness of compliance.
Implementation of Environmental Assessments
At the time of establishing a new business; relocating, selling, or withdrawing from a business; investing in equipment; or using a new raw material or chemical, Toshiba Group ascertains whether there are any significant environmental impacts from the perspective of climate change and ecosystems and conducts a preliminary assessment (environmental assessment) with regard to legal and regulatory compliance items in order to avoid or reduce serious environmental impacts.
Compliance Management in Products and Services
We, Toshiba Group, are pursuing the highest standard of compliance with environmental regulations and requirements that relate to our products and services. To this end, we implement control over the entire process, from development and design through to shipment, and ask our customers for their cooperation. For chemical substances in particular, we gather and assess the latest trends in policies and regulations around the world and incorporate the information into Toshiba Group's chemical substance management.
Compliance Management in Business Activities
Toshiba Group manages chemical substances by ranking. At the same time, the Group works on soil and groundwater purification, and manages products using polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and ozone-depleting substances, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations. In particular, we have independently set discharge/emission limits of chemical substances that are stricter than legal requirements in order to manage discharges/emissions into the water/air. Each site observes these limits.
Management of Ozone-depleting Substances
Toshiba Group possesses specified chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which deplete the ozone layer, as coolant for air conditioners installed in sites; we appropriately dispose of such CFCs in compliance with the law. In FY2022, we reduced the amount of specified CFCs to 13.6 tons. Our CFC leaks stipulated in the Fluorocarbons Emissions Control Act were 1,468 t-CO2 in FY2022. We will continue to further enhance our management of chemicals through routine and periodic inspections as well as environmental audits.
Violations of Laws and Regulations
The Seventh Environmental Action Plan states that ensuring of environmental risk management and compliance is a priority task for enhancement of the basis of environmental management, and promotes specific measures to prevent risks in products and services as well as manufacturing. We will further strive for compliance management by building and strengthening the internal compliance management system through the Toshiba Group Environmental Audit System and Performance Evaluation System and the provision of environmental education according to post, occupational role, and specialization.
Example of violations of laws and regulations and accidents in FY2022
Toshiba Trading Incorporated
Failure to report on the amount of annual imports as required by laws related to the examination of chemical substances and regulations on their manufacture, and so on.