Eco Process : Minimizing the Environmental Impacts Generated in Business and production Activities

Environmental Vision 2050 【Two Approaches and Two Supporting Actions】 Eco Process

Actual Results as Compared with Targets for FY2007

Improvement in the Eco-efficiency of Business Processes

: Whereas the target was 1.19, the result was 1.27. (Target achieved)

Mitigation of Climate Change

  1. Energy-originated CO2 emissions rate relative to net production output : Whereas the target was a 30% reduction, the result was a 42% reduction. (Target achieved)
  2. Greenhouse gas emissions (non-CO2) : Whereas the target was a 33% reduction, the result was a 35% reduction. (Target achieved)
  3. CO2 emissions rate associated with product logistics in Japan rate relative to net production output : Whereas the target was a 35% reduction, the result was a 36% reduction. (Target achieved)

Management of chemicals

  1. Reduction in the total emissions of chemical substances : Whereas the target was a 23% reduction, the result was a 14% reduction. (Target not achieved)

Efficient use of resources

  1. Total amount of waste generated rate relative to net production output : Whereas the target was a 24% reduction, the result was a 28% reduction. (Target achieved)
  2. Sites achieving zero waste emissions : Whereas the target was a 46% reduction, the result was a 48% reduction. (Target achieved)
  3. Amount of recycling of end-of-use products : Whereas the target was a 154% increase, the result was a 155% increase. (Target achieved)
Note )
With the new addition of the effective use of water resources to targets for FY2008 onward, more rigorous management will be exercised to reduce CO2 emissions.

The Toshiba Group has been striving to reduce the environmental impacts that its business activities may have on the global environment. In this section, the report covers the efforts made to reduce environmental impacts generated in its business activities from three perspectives: the mitigation of climate change, management of chemicals and efficient use of resources. To exert these efforts furthermore, the Group has set seven goals in the Fourth Voluntary Environmental Plan to reduce environmental impacts, whereas it has been striving additionally to extend its term until FY2012 from this fiscal year onward to add more target values to the Plan, and to add more reduction targets for the water intake amount to the Plan. Also, the Group plans to set the Factor T process, which comprehensively evaluates the environmental impacts of business activities, to 1.3 in FY2012.

Environmental impacts resulting from business activities

figure of Environmental impacts resulting from business activities

Factor T process

The Factor T process is the ratio of eco-efficiency of the benchmark year relative to the eco-efficiency of a reference year subject to assessment, while the eco-efficiency is the ratio of sales to the total amount of money of the environmental impacts converted based on LIMENote. The smaller the environmental impacts and the higher the sales, the greater the eco-efficiency.

Note )
LIME (Life-cycle Impact Assessment Method based on Endpoint Modeling) : This is the LCIA methodology developed by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology in Japan.
figure of Factor T process

Concept of Reduction in Environmental Impacts

figure of Concept of Reduction in Environmental Impacts. Mitigation of Climate Change [Energy saving]

Toshiba Group is contributing to solve the environmental issues by joining hands in the global mandatory cut of the global greenhouse gas emissions by over 50% and moreover by 60-80% in case of developed nations (as compared to 1990 levels) by 2050.

Greenhouse gases emitted in the course of business activities include not only energy-originated CO2 emitted as a result of the use of electricity and fuels, but also CO2 emissions associated with product logistics and gases other than CO2 used in manufacturing processes. Having set reduction targets for all these greenhouse gas emissions attributable to business activities, we are implementing measures to achieve the targets.Note1,Note2

The overall green house gases expressed in terms of CO2 emissions have been reduced to 3.51 million tons in fiscal 2007 as compared to the 6.54 million ton levels in fiscal 1990.

Note1 )
For calculation of greenhouse gas emissions, the coefficient (average of all power sources at generating end) announced each year by the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan is applied for electricity in Japan until fiscal 2005. For fiscal 2006, the coefficient for fiscal 2005 is used.
Note2 )
The amount of greenhouse gas emission is calculated in accordance with ISO14064(part1), we have scheduled to undergo evaluations by third parties and to improve reliability in the future.
figure of Concept of Reduction in Environmental Impacts. Management of Chemicals [Cleanness]

Toshiba's use of chemical substances is based on three policies: avoid use of hazardous substances to the maximum extent possible, promote reduction and substitution to the maximum extent possible, and subject use to appropriate controls.

Some 2,000 substances covered by the PRTR LawNote3 of Japan and other environment-related laws and regulations are classified into three ranks based on the control level set by laws and regulations and the hazard. Control classifications (prohibition of use, reduction in use, control of release) for substances are determined based on the risk associated with the substance. For determining the risk, a risk assessment approach is adopted in which the risk posed by a substance is expressed as the product of the hazard and the level of exposure.

Note3 )
PRTR Law...Law Concerning Reporting, etc. of Releases to the Environment of Specific Chemical Substances and Promoting Improvements in Their Management. PRTR is the abbreviation of Pollutant Release and Transfer Register.
figure of Concept of Reduction in Environmental Impacts. Effective Use of Resource [3R]

In accordance with the Fourth Voluntary Environmental Plan, in order to use resources efficiently, we are implementing measures to 1) reduce the total quantity of waste generated, 2) reduce the quantity of waste for final disposal and 3) expand reuse and recycling of end-of-use products. With the new addition of the effective use of water resources to targets for FY2008 onward, more rigorous management will be exercised to reduce CO2 emissions.