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Environmental Management / Eco Indicator and Environmental Accounting |
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| Eco Indicator (EI) |
| The DENSO Environment Committee began investigating environmental indicators in fiscal 2002, defining the concept that our business growth must be in harmony with society's sustainability. The indicators should be a tool to measure our activities. The committee developed and trialed the Eco Indicator (EI) to analyze our environmental-preservation activities. |
Eco Indicator Stages |
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| Developing the Eco Indicator |
| Key points in developing the Eco Indicator were 1) to develop a method which was unaffected by fluctuations in production volume, and 2) to increase the accuracy of data used. For the first point, we defined the EI as environmental impact divided by revenues. To ensure accuracy we defined 34 factors affecting the environment, such as recyclability ratio, lead content, and CO2 emissions, and categorized them into three ranks by degree of effect. These factors are averaged to produce indexes. |
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Eco Indicator Computation |
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| Environmental Efficiency Boosted by 10% in Two Years |
| The EI was calculated on a trial basis in fiscal 2002, indicating
a 10% improvement in environmental efficiency in the two years since the
base year of fiscal 2000, and an 18% improvement for the three-year period
starting in fiscal 1999. Results confirmed that the major contributors were
a reduction in PRTR-controlled substances, "paperless" operations,
and waste reduction (zero emissions). We are continuing to improve environmental efficiency, aiming to achieve an EI of 80, set as the final goal for fiscal 2005 in EcoVision 2005. |
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Eco Indicator Trends and Major Contributing Factors |
| Note: Indexed to 2000 levels as 100 |
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Environmental Management /Our Environmental Perspective |
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| Environmental Team |
| The Environment Committee, established in 1992 with the company
president as chairperson, evaluates and adopts company-wide policies, objectives
and strategies related to environmental protection. Five subcommittees were
established in 2000 for specific areas such as product technology and energy,
and specialized working and study groups such as the Energy Conservation
Process Research Council were formed to respond to the changing environmental
situation. To support for environmental management that is compatible with
consolidated management, the DENSO Group (Domestic) Environment and Safety
Committee and DENSO Group Overseas Regional Environment Committee were created
in 1999. In March 2003 the committee was restructured to strengthen strategic planning functions, and the five subcommittees were grouped into three sectors organized by function-products, manufacturing, and environmental communication. A new "substances of environmental concern" (SOC) project was launched to further reduce the use of chemical substances and heavy metals. |
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Environmental Management /Consolidated Environmental Management |
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| Implementing a Support System Using Information Technology |
| As part of consolidated management, a survey of group companies
was conducted in fiscal 2001. Results showed that there was strong demand
for shared environmental information, including group-company activities,
introductions of specific improvement projects, and information on legal
and regulatory issues. DENSO addressed these concerns by launching the shared environmental information system in August 2002 for Japan-based companies, along with trials by overseas companies. Users can access the database to retrieve a variety of environmental information. |
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DENSO Group Eco and Safety Communication System |
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Development and Design /Helping Prevent Global Warming from Car Air Conditioners |
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| The World's First CO2 Car Air Conditioner | ||
| In December 2002, the wolrd's first car air-conditioning
system which does not use HFC refrigerant was installed into the world's
first fuel-cell automobile. The CFC-substitute refrigerant
In response, DENSO turned to CO2 (carbon dioxide), which has a low global-warming coefficient, and began research into a new type of air conditioner using compressed CO2 for cooling and heating. We finished developing the system in June 2001, and the system was installed in a fuel-cell hybrid vehicle (FCHV). The system will be widely available after a variety of improvements including basic performance enhancements, weight and cost reductions, developing |
CO2 Car Air Conditione |
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Development and Design /Cleaning up Exhaust Emissions |
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| New Common-rail System Overseas Manufacturing Begins | ||
Compared to the old system at 1,450 bar, the new design reduced PM generation by 80% to 90%, clearing the next-generation European exhaust-gas regulations scheduled to take effect in 2005. The system was recognized in 2002 by the receipt from the Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun (Japan's leading industrial publication) of the 45th Ten Major New Products Award in 2002. * 1 SDM: SIAM DENSO Manufacturing * 2 DMHU: DENSO Manufacturing Hungary |
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Development and Design /Cleaning up Exhaust Emissions |
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| UC Injector Developed for Gasoline-fueled Engines |
| Injectors are crucial engine parts which inject micro-droplets
of fuel into the engine port, creating a fuel mist. The smaller the droplets,
the better they mix with the air, and the more complete the combustion becomes.
This means that the exhaust has less hydrocarbons (HC) from non-combusted
fuel. DENSO developed a technology for fabricating ultra-small injection holes which produce droplets about 30% smaller. This reduces HC by 5% to 10%, and DENSO also managed to make the new design 25% lighter. Commercialized as the UC* injector, it has been used since September 2002 in the Toyota Caldina and Camry models sold in Japan, and the Prado model for the U.S. market, all of which have been certified as low-emission vehicles. |
| * UC: Universal-design Concept |
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UC Injector |
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Development and Design /Improving Recyclability |
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| Substitute-materials Technologies |
| Lead is commonly added to improve durability of electric-motor brushes. Together with group company ASMO Co., Ltd., a brush manufacturer, DENSO developed a new lead-free material. In advance of European regulations, we eliminated lead from electric motors in 15 million units produced between November 2002 and March 2003. |
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| Hexavalent chrome, used to prevent rust, has been used in many DENSO products as a component of zinc-galvanizing liquid. We began developing substitute technologies in the mid-1990s, gradually introducing them as they became practical. In March 2002 we succeeded in replacing hexavalent chrome with a harmless substance which is now used at our Nishio Plant. |
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Production /Promoting Resource Conservation |
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| Results in Japan |
| We achieved zero emissions* at ten business locations by
September 2002, and were able to achieve zero emissions for all 14 locations
18 months ahead of our goal. DENSO's definition of zero emissions is not limited to industrial waste, but also includes general refuse. It emphasizes recovery of resources (material recycling) rather than recovery of the heat generated by incineration (thermal recycling). For this reason, our plants are developing materials-recycling technologies and new recycling routes not only for industrial wastes, with their large environmental impact, but also general refuse. We have established Eco Plaza recycling centers, where small-volume items are accumulated prior to processing. Wastes generated in fiscal 2002 were 95 tons (a 99% reduction from fiscal 1990 levels), representing a 99% recycling ratio (a 2% improvement over the prior year). Activity was expanded to other group companies in fiscal 2002, and already seven domestic and one overseas group companies have achieved zero emissions. *The DENSO definition of "zero emissions": No landfill wastes, representing 100% recycling Scope: All industrial and general wastes Application range: Direct and indirect landfill Direct and indirect landfill waste was less than 1% of that of fiscal 1999. |
Major Activities in Fiscal 2002 |
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Production /Energy Conservation |
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| Activities Reducing CO2 Emissions |
| To achieve EcoVision 2005's target of reducing CO2 emissions from manufacturing plants to 90% of our 1990 level by fiscal 2010, DENSO is focusing on three major efforts: developing the "Perfect Energy Factory" with the smallest possible energy loss, developing new energy-conservation technologies, and installing cogeneration |
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CO2 Emission Tonnage in Manufacturing
and Emissions Per Unit Revenue |
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| Base unit: CO2 emissions per unit revenue |
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Recycling /Toward a Recycling Society |
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| CFC/HFC Recovery and Destruction |
 To
prevent specified CFCs (ozone-depleting substances) and their substitutes,
HFCs (greenhouse gases) used as refrigerants in automobile air conditioners
from being released to the atmosphere, DENSO developed a refrigerant-recovery
system in 1990 and began supplying it to service stations and automobile
dealers. In 1998 we cooperated with the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association
and the Japan Auto Parts Industries Association to establish a common system
for the recovery and destruction of automobile air-conditioner refrigerant.
This system made it possible to recover and destroy 15,000 one-liter cylinders
of refrigerant in fiscal 2002. The system was transferred to the Japan Automobile Recycling Promotion Center in August 2002. |
Air-conditioner CFC-refrigerant Recovery and Destruction System |
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Relationships with People and the Community /Eco-ranger 21 |
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Relationships with People and the Community /Compliance |
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| Compliance |
| We are complying with the legal regulations
of all countries and regions in which we operate worldwide. We also are committed to ensuring that each of our employees acts appropriately at all times, and to creating a corporate culture that wins the support of the community. |
| Code of Conduct |
 Our
basic philosophy is expressed in our mission statement: "Contributing
to a better world by creating value together." To carry out this mission,
we believe it is essential for everyone involved in our business to comply
with legal as well as in-house regulations, and to act within social mores.
To share and reinforce this philosophy among all DENSO employees, we wrote our Code of Conduct in 1998. This guide was distributed to all employees. In addition, we set up a consultation office in our legal department. In October 2002, we revised the guide so that it can serve as a guide for day-to-day activities, urging each of our employees to maintain strong ethics. Our group companies also wrote guides based on ours, and continue to use them today. |
| Internal Reporting System |
| We are studying the creation of an internal reporting system (the Help Line) as one way to quickly discover and deal with employees who violate legal or in-house regulations, or who do not act within social mores. To ensure that this system functions effectively, we are considering using outside attorneys to handle reports, so that the maximum protection is given to employees who make reports. |
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Evaluations and Awards | |
| In fiscal 2002, we again received evaluations
and awards from a large number of outside institutions. We use these as motivation to improve areas and further promote our environmental management. |
| Outside Evaluations: Environment and the Community |
 When
investors and financial institutions invest in companies, they are giving
increasing weight to socially responsible investment (SRI), which evaluates
social and environmental factors in addition to company's financial performance.
Financial institutions around the world have chosen to invest in DENSO based
on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI) and FTSE4Good Global
Index (FTSE4Good), which they use to set up investment trusts. The DJSI, which is run by Dow Jones and Sustainable Asset Management, evaluates the top 2,500 companies worldwide in terms of aggregate market value from the perspectives of economy, environment, and social responsibility. Selected enterprises are used in eco funds, such as SRI funds. In fiscal 2002, about 380 companies (37 in Japan) were selected. FTSE4Good is a similar corporate evaluation run by a company called EIRIS, which was founded by the Financial Times and the London Stock Exchange. In fiscal 2002, 617companies (60 in Japan) were selected. In Japan as well, the sixth environmental-management survey conducted by the Nikkei Shimbun newspaper ranked DENSO eighth out of 703 manufacturers. |
List of Major Outside Evaluations Relating to Environment/Community |
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Copyright(c) 2004 DENSO CORPORATION. All rights reserved. |
DENSO's
Eco-ranger 21 environmental education program targets local
elementary school children, teaching them about the environment,
so that they can grow into environmentally aware adults. The
theme of the program is "green, water, and air," things
with which the automobile industry is closely involved. This
program teaches the importance of protecting the environment
with a hands-on approach to nature.
Program Details (Kariya Course)
