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Environmental Management
Sustainability Report 2006

Promotion of Employee Initiatives
Raising Employee Awareness of the Environment
Sharing information by Intranet
Kobe Steel posts the Ecoway Network on its Intranet. This site contains the latest information on environmental laws and ordinances; examples of environmental and energy-saving initiatives; and an environmental business database. The site posts timely information for effective use.


Group environmental award system
In day-to-day operations, various suggestions for energy savings, waste control, and recycling were made and these suggestions have resulted in reducing the environmental burden as well as development of eco-friendly products and technologies.

The activities implemented are presented at the annual Kobe Steel Group Environmental Conference, held every June to actively spread such activities throughout the entire group. Outstanding activities are given recognition to raise the environmental awareness in the group companies.
2005 Kobe Steel Group Environmental Conference
2005 Kobe Steel Group Environmental Conference


Promotion of employees' environmental certification
Kobe Steel is increasing its number of qualified pollution control managers and energy managers.


Number of environment-related qualified personnel (parent company only)
Qualification Number of qualified personnel
Pollution control manager (Air) 96
Pollution control manager (Water) 107
Pollution control manager (Noise) 123
Pollution control manager (Vibration) 81
Pollution control manager (Dust) 12
Pollution control manager (Dioxins) 31
Senior pollution control manager 8
Energy manager 84
Heat management manager 70
Electricity management manager 33
Certified environmental measurer 9
Total 654



Environmental education
It is the first prerequisite for sustainable business activities that employees, who are the driving force for corporate activity, have a caring outlook toward the environment. Kobe Steel implemented an educational program from fiscal 1998 to raise the environmental awareness of all employees. Since then it has adopted new educational materials, and has been upgrading and expanding the contents. The company is promoting environmental education in such ways as helping employees prepare for certification tests for pollution control and improving the contents of environmental conservation in compliance education. Environmental education for new employees
Environmental education for new employees


Eco-leaders' meeting
Eco-leaders' meeting


Household eco-bookkeeping
Since October 1998, Kobe Steel distributes 50,000 copies of the environmental account books, called the Kobelco Ecolife Notebook, to its employees every six months. Much like a household accounting book, this book is used to keep a record of the amount of utilities used and refuse thrown away every month so that families are able to save energy, improve recycling and increase their awareness of the environment, thus contributing to the prevention of global warming and increasing resource recycling on the personal level. The results are fed back and the ideas received are widely introduced. Kobelco Ecolife Notebook
Kobelco Ecolife Notebook