Basic Idea
Aiming to expand our business activities and corporate value through the resolution of environmental issues, we are working on the following five items.
Shimadzu Group's Five Initiatives for Environmental Management
1. Responding to Climate Change
We will work to reduce the environmental impact throughout the entire supply chain, while aggressively introducing solar power and other renewable energy, and enhancing energy-saving measures by visualizing electricity consumption through smart meters.
2. Initiatives to Create a Circular Society
We will steadily promote the 3Rs (Reduce, reuse, recycle) and maintain a 99% waste recycling rate at our domestic production sites and laboratories. We will also work with suppliers to effectively collect waste plastics using IoT technology and to strengthen environmental monitoring systems for wastewater and other activities.
3. Development and Provision of Environmentally Friendly Products and Services
In the environmental and new energy fields, we provide products and technologies that solve development issues toward carbon neutrality. Throughout the life cycle of our products, we always strive to save energy, reduce size, and reduce environmental impact.
4. Initiatives to Conserve Biodiversity
We will develop a wide range of activities in collaboration with local communities, educational institutions and organizations, including tree planting activities to preserve biodiversity and environmental education classes at schools.
5. Proactive Environmental Protection Activities of Each Employee
All employees actively participate in various environmental activities as members of Shimadzu Corporation, an environmentally contributing company.
Shimadzu Group CO2 Reduction Targets
Achieve net-zero CO2 emissions from business activities by 2050
Shimadzu Corporation has changed its 2018 goal of reducing CO2 emissions from the group's business activities to a new goal of achieving net 0 emissions by 2050. The interim targets are to reduce emissions by 85% in FY 2030 and by more than 90% in FY 2040 compared with FY 2017 levels.
- Net zero CO2 emissions from our overall business activities by 2050.
- Medium-term targets are 85% emissions cut by 2030 and 90% by 2040 against our 2017 baseline.
- Reduce CO2 emissions from the use of our products by more than 30% by 2030 against our 2020 baseline.
In our group, as in the past, we will strive to reduce energy consumption by installing solar power generation facilities and using electricity derived from renewable energy, in addition to thorough energy conservation. With regard to the energy conservation of our products, in addition to our previous efforts, we have set ambitious energy conservation targets, such as using our newly acquired knowledge and know-how throughout the company, to help reduce CO2 emissions at customer sites.
Responding to Climate Change
- Acceptance of TCFD recommendations, SBT certification, declaration of RE100 -
Our group regards environmental issues as one of its most important management issues. In particular, we address climate change issues by curbing CO2 emissions in our value chain and other business activities, and by providing products and solutions that contribute to innovation in the environmental and energy fields. In May 2019, we agreed with the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), obtained Science Based Targets (SBT) certification* to show that our business activities' CO2 emission reduction targets are based on scientific evidence, and joined RE100, which declares that 100% of the electricity used in our business activities will come from renewable energy by 2050. At the same time, we will strive to fulfill our responsibilities to the global community and disclose information in an effort to resolve environmental issues.
*In October 2022, SBT certified the Shimadzu Group's target for reducing CO2 emissions in FY 2030 to 1.5℃
Certified as Eco-First Company
On October 21, 2020, the Minister of the Environment designated Shimadzu as an 'Eco-First Company'.
The purpose of “Eco-First program” is to promote environmental initiatives in various industries. Under this program, a company promises the Minister of the Environment its specific environmental initiatives to respond to climate change and build a recycling-based society, and the Minister certifies that the company engages in "advanced, unique and industry-leading business activities" in the environmental field.
We as an "Eco-First Company", contributes to achieving harmony between the earth, society and people and realizing a sustainable society through initiatives for the conservation of biodiversity.
Key Accomplishments During FY 2021
Further Reducing CO2 Emissions from Overall Business Processes
In FY 2021, CO2 emissions from the Shimadzu Group in Japan and abroad decreased by 47.8% from the previous fiscal year to 18,321 t-CO2, due to energy-saving measures such as the installation of smart meters and energy-saving diagnoses, and the switch to renewable energy for electricity use. CO2 emissions per unit of sales also improved by 52.0% to 4.3 t- CO2/100 million yen.
One of our key measures is to increase our contribution to curbing CO2 emissions through environmentally friendly products. In FY 2021, we achieved 55,166 t-CO2, far exceeding the CO2 emissions from the Shimadzu Group's business activities. Products with particularly excellent environmental performance are certified as Eco-Products Plus. In October 2019, the company added the requirement that all new products have a lower environmental impact than conventional models to its screening criteria for new product development, in an effort to reduce the environmental impact of all products throughout their lifecycles.
Newly Released Eco-Products Plus Products
Eco-Products Plus Certified Environmentally-Friendly Products