Total greenhouse gas emissions (non-consolidated + main consolidated subsidiaries) for the Group in fiscal 2021 was 10,653 thousand tons. Which was a decrease of 391 thousand tons compared to the previous year.
In fiscal 2021, our non-consolidated greenhouse gas emissions from energy sources were 3,157 thousand tons. It decreased by 47 thousand tons compared to the previous year.
* Greenhouse gas emissions derived from non-energy sources comes mainly from limestone, which is used as a raw material. As it is difficult to substitute or reduce volumes of limestone, however, our emissions target covers greenhouse gas emissions derived from energy sources, which can be reduced by energy saving initiatives.
Greenhouse gas emissions on a non-consolidated basis were reduced by 220 thousand tons CO₂ (3% reduction) compared to the previous year, mainly due to a decrease in cement production. Emission intensity remained at a similar level to the previous fiscal year, due to the impact of the reduction in production volume for each business.
As a result of the addition of two locations (Sambo Plant and Wakamatsu Plant) and the decrease in cement production volume, energy consumption increased by 1.1％ in comparison with the previous fiscal year. Despite the increase in the use of thermal energy alternatives such as waste plastic and recycled oil, unit consumption (consumption intensity) also worsened by 0.9% due to the impact of the decrease in production volume for each business Business Operator Classification Evaluation System: A class (A class: failed to achieve S class evaluation, for which improvement of basic unit of 1% or more on average over the past 5 years is required).
* Energy consumption per unit is calculated in accordance with the periodic report guidelines prescribed under Japan’s Act on the Rational Use of Energy (Energy Conservation Act). As the Company’s business is diverse, we identify a “value intimately related to energy use” for each business and use it as the denominator for calculations. We calculate each business’s contribution by multiplying the year-on-year of each business’s energy consumption per unit with that business’s share of the Company’s total energy use. The product is the Company’s total consumption per unit (year-on-year). Greenhouse gas emissions per unit is calculated in the same way.
| Category | Non-consolidated | Domestic group companies | Overseas group companies | Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCOPE1 (direct) |
From energy sources (fuel, etc.) |
2,621 | 511 | 671 | 3,803 | |
| From non-energy sources | From processes | 3,716 | 159 | 701 | 4,575 | |
| From waste | 428 | 291 | 20 | 740 | ||
| Greenhouse gases other than CO2 | 19 | 35 | 4 | 58 | ||
| (Reference) Total from non-energy sources |
4,163 | 485 | 725 | 5,373 | ||
| Subtotal | 6,784 | 996 | 1,397 | 9,176 | ||
| SCOPE2 (indirect)* |
From energy sources (power, etc.) |
536 | 439 | 501 | 1,477 | |
| (Reference) Total from energy sources | 3,157 | 951 | 1,173 | 5,280 | ||
| Total | 7,320 | 1,436 | 1,898 | 10,653 | ||
| Item | Object | Non-consolidated | Group | Total | Approach to determining the amount of activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 |
Purchased products and services | Same as organizations covered by environmental data other than greenhouse gas emissions | 1,290 | 5,071 | 6,361 | The use of raw materials accepted from outside the Group (excluding waste as raw materials and by-products as raw materials) in terms of physical quantity |
| Category 2 |
Capital goods | Same as consolidated financial statements | 114 | 159 | 273 | Capital expenditure in the reportable fiscal year |
| Category 3 |
Fuel and energy-related activities that do not fall under Scopes 1 and 2 | Same as organizations covered by data on greenhouse gas emissions | 505 | 274 | 779 | Fuel consumption by type and volume of electric power and steam purchased from outside the Group |
| Category 4 |
Transportation and distribution (upstream) | Same as organizations covered by environmental data other than greenhouse gas emissions | 572 | 1,414 | 1,987 | 1) Emissions from the physical distribution of products and services, which were purchased in the reportable fiscal year, from suppliers to the company ・A transportation scenario was set for each major raw material (excluding waste as raw materials and by-products as raw materials). ・Distances between countries were set using the IDEA database on distances between countries, and other distances were set using a distance search site (with distance given by an in-house company in a questionnaire adopted in some cases). 2) Emissions from the physical distribution of products that were shipped and transported in the reportable fiscal year at the expense of the company ・A transportation scenario was set for each major shipped product. ・Distances between countries were set using the IDEA database on distances between countries, and other distances were set using a distance search site. |
| Category 5 |
Waste generated from operation | Same as organizations covered by environmental data other than greenhouse gas emissions | 1 | 19 | 20 | The amount of industrial waste (waste recycled into resources and landfilled waste) was included. |
| Category 6 |
Business trip | Consolidated | 0 | 3 | 3 | For Mitsubishi Materials (non-consolidated), the number of employees at each base (plants and offices) was used for the calculation. However, in consideration of the voluntary restraint on business trips for controlling the spread of COVID-19, travel expenses in the reportable fiscal year were compared with those in a normal fiscal year, and the value obtained by multiplying the number of employees by the ratio of travel expenses in the reportable fiscal year to that in a normal fiscal year was regarded as the value for the amount of activity. For consolidated subsidiaries, the number of employees of each in-house company from human resources information given in the securities report was used for the calculation. |
| Category 7 |
Employee commute | Consolidated | 2 | 8 | 10 | For Mitsubishi Materials (non-consolidated), the number of employees at each base (plants and offices) was used for the calculation. For the head office and other offices, however, in consideration of the voluntary restraint on going to workplaces to control the spread of COVID-19, the value obtained by multiplying the number of employees by the rate of employees who commuted to work for the reportable fiscal year was regarded as the value for the amount of activity. For consolidated subsidiaries, the number of employees of each in-house company from human resources information given in the securities report was used for the calculation. |
| Category 8 |
Leased assets (upstream) | ー | ー | ー | ー | While there are leased assets, they were excluded from the calculation because they are included in Scope 1 and Scope 2. |
| Category 9 |
Transportation and distribution (downstream) | Same as organizations covered by environmental data other than greenhouse gas emissions | 120 | 295 | 415 | Emissions from physical distribution of products that were shipped and transported to sales destinations at the expense of other companies Transportation from sales destinations to final consumers was excluded. Distances between countries were set by using the IDEA database on distances between countries, and other distances were set by using a distance search site (with the distance given by an in-house company in a questionnaire adopted in some cases). |
| Category 10 |
Fabrication of sold products | Same as organizations covered by environmental data other than greenhouse gas emissions | 202 | 521 | 724 | For products sold, the value for the amount of products shipped by each in-house company to companies other than group companies was regarded as the value for the amount of activity. Emissions from processing were calculated by setting the primary processing assumed for each product. |
| Category 11 |
Use of sold products | ー | ー | ー | ー | Products sold were excluded from the calculation because they are materials and parts that are used by a wide range of users and it is therefore difficult to follow their paths to final products. |
| Category 12 |
Disposal of sold products | Same as organizations covered by environmental data other than greenhouse gas emissions | 106 | 258 | 364 | For products sold, the value for the amount of products shipped by each in-house company to companies other than group companies was regarded as the value for the amount of activity. Emissions from disposal were calculated by setting a disposal method assumed for each product. |
| Category 13 |
Leased assets (downstream) | ー | ー | ー | ー | Leased assets were excluded because virtually no such asset is owned. |
| Category 14 |
Franchises | ー | ー | ー | ー | Franchising business was excluded because the company does not operate such a business. |
| Category 15 |
Investment | ー | ー | ー | ー | Investments made in the pure pursuit of profit were excluded from the calculation because no such investment is made. |
| Total | 2,913 | 8,022 | 10,934 | |||
We regard it as a top priority to save energy wherever possible at our manufacturing facilities and plants. That is why we are so committed to energy saving activities. Specific activities include switching fuels, making effective use of untapped energy, upgrading processes and equipment, installing high-efficiency equipment, optimizing device specifications, and reviewing equipment controls and operating practices. We are constantly working to save energy at smaller facilities, too, including Head Office, branches, sales offices and research facilities, through measures such as installing LED lighting.
Our CO2 emissions from transportation for fiscal 2021 totaled 41,198 tons for Mitsubishi Materials (down 1,142 tons from the previous fiscal year), and 72,070 tons for the Mitsubishi Materials Group*¹ (down 6,449 tons from the previous fiscal year).
Meanwhile, energy consumption per unit*² came to 17.54 kiloliters per million ton-kilometers for Mitsubishi Materials, which was 9.5% worse than the previous fiscal year. This is attributable primarily to an increased rate of use of road transportation, which resulted from the absorption-type merger of Mitsubishi Shindoh Co., Ltd., a group company which was a Specified Consigner and uses road transportation as the main means of transportation. We conducted this absorption-type merger in April 2020. The figure for the Group as a whole was 21.18 kiloliters per million ton-kilometers (3.4% worse than the previous fiscal year).
We will continue to promote a modal shift with a focus on long-distance transport and optimize logistics throughout the Group in our efforts to build a logistics system with low environmental impact.
| FY2020 | FY2021 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mitsubishi Materials | Group companies*1 | Mitsubishi Materials | Group companies*1 | |||
| CO2 emissions from logistics | Total | 43,340 | 35,179 | 42,198 | 29,872 | |
| Breakdown | Road | 8,705 | 28,340 | 13,586 | 22,708 | |
| Rail | 3 | 29 | 23 | 5 | ||
| Ocean | 34,579 | 6,810 | 28,563 | 7,159 | ||
| Air | 53 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||
The Group’s efforts to realize a sustainable society include establishing global warming prevention targets to be met by 2020 and acting on our total commitment to achieving higher energy efficiency through such means as actively pursuing energy saving at our facilities. We are monitoring progress toward achieving our targets at 13 facilities (with five plants counted as one in the Cement Business). Performance in fiscal 2021 (the final fiscal year of the plan) was over 100% achievement of our targets at one facility, but under 50% at the remaining sites. Going forward, in addition to pursuing CO2 reduction initiatives, we will set and continue working to achieve new clearly defined targets, such as effective use of recycled resources, aimed at contributing to a recycling-oriented society.
*We have set out the following scale to indicate progress. Achievement of milestones at the end of fiscal 2021 for achieving the 2020 targets: ☆☆☆☆: 100% or higher, ☆☆☆: between 80% and 100%, ☆☆: between 50% and 80%, ☆: less than 50%.
We are working to reduce power consumption, through measures such as ensuring adequate mill maintenance, reviewing maintenance of exhaust heat power generation systems, increasing electrical equipment efficiency, and switching to LED lighting, while also striving to improve energy efficiency through initiatives such as increasing the amount of alternative thermal energy sources that we use, making energy-saving upgrades to burning equipment, and introducing low-temperature burning technology as an innovative technology.
We are working to increase energy use efficiency through measures such as saving energy from compressors and related equipment, increasing efficiency from transformers and motors, and switching to LED lighting, as well as to improve energy efficiency through initiatives such as reviewing operations for individual furnaces, in order to reduce fuel oil consumption.
We are working to reduce power consumption through measures such as improving water pump controls, saving energy from air conditioning, refrigeration, compressors and related equipment, installing higher efficiency electrical equipment, switching to LED lighting, and upgrading various other processes, as well as to improve energy efficiency through initiatives such as optimizing controls on boilers and heat recovery equipment.
We have been running an award scheme to promote activities at facilities throughout the Mitsubishi Materials Group since fiscal 2011, aimed at preventing global warming, preserving resources, and protecting the environment. The results of our fiscal 2021 contest are outlined as follows.
Theme: Improving pit wastewater processing at Takatori Mine
The Central Research Institute engages in research and development activities that contribute to the Company's recycling operations and environmental conservation activities. On this occasion, researchers explored the pit wastewater processing flow at Takatori Mine, where wastewater treatment is regarded as being particularly difficult (even in comparison with the Group's other abandoned mines). As a result, researchers created a groundbreaking process flow that enables the treatment of wastewater by centralizing the discharge systems for two systems of waste sludge, achieving a reduction in the total amount of wastewater treatment sludge generated, and also a reduction in the amount of effort needed to transport it to collection sites. The award was presented in recognition of this.
Theme: Demonstrative testing of algae cultivation utilizing cement plant exhaust gases
Focusing on the CO2 emitted from cement plants, researchers established a technology for cultivating algae (which convert CO2 into organic constituents via photosynthesis) using cement exhaust gas, and a technology for synthesizing bioplastics from the compounds extracted from the algae. The award was also given in recognition of promoting the Group's initiatives for reducing CO2 emissions through press releases and other media, and also presenting new options that go beyond the framework of existing businesses.
Cultivation Tank
Theme: Improvement of tungsten recycling technologies
We are engaged in efforts to recycle scrap that includes tungsten, in order to distribute the risks of procuring raw materials from overseas, and to contribute to building a recycling-oriented society. Recycling using the oxidizing roasting method uses large amounts of thermal energy. Japan New Metals' Akita Plant was presented this award in recognition of its efficient and energy-saving recycling activities, utilizing waste heat conversion and processing technologies that make use of the properties of tungsten.