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Cooperation with the Local Community

Working with local communities and the international community to preserve biodiversity and protect the natural environment

 

The Kobe Steel Group takes a cooperative approach on environmental issues with the local community. We support environmental activities, maintain communications, add greenery where possible inside and around our plants, and run activities to enhance local neighborhoods and keep them clean. We also accept overseas trainees and work in other ways to promote international cooperation.


Measures to Promote Biodiversity

1. Initiatives at plants and works

In addition to efforts to reduce the volume of environmentally harmful substances being released into the air and water, we try to turn our plants and works into habitats for insects and small animals through initiatives such as creating green-belt areas and biotopes.

We have created a biotope more or less in the center of the site of our Kobe Corporate Research Laboratories. By planting commemorative trees in the area around the biotope and continuing to plant new trees in the future, we intend to make our laboratories as environmentally friendly as possible.
The biotope at the Kobe Corporate Research Laboratories
The biotope at the Kobe Corporate Research Laboratories

2. Initiatives at Nadahama Science Square

The biotope at Nadahama Science Square (Nada Ward, Kobe), a community exchange facility operated by Kobe Steel, provides a rich natural environment that is home to endangered species such as the Golden Venus Chub (freshwater fish) and the Yellow Bladderwort (floating plant). We run the Nadahama Science Square Nature Classroom Program meanwhile in order to provide support for biodiversity, through activities such as observing wildlife in the biotope and soil organisms on Mount Rokko, and to help children learn about the environment. Nature observation at biotope
Nature observation at biotope

3. Initiatives on Mount Rokko

As part of our efforts to protect and nurture the beautiful natural surroundings of Mount Rokko, since March 2010 Kobelco Systems Corporation has been involved in the Forest Caretaker scheme, a green-belt creation project in the Rokko Mountains organized by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's Rokko Sabo Office, with support from the NPO Rokko Nature Learning. Current and former employees and other people with links to Kobelco Systems do their bit for local forest development on Mount Rokko through activities such as forest maintenance (trimming Nezasa bamboo and evergreen trees), felling trees, removing rotten trees and carrying out studies and observational activities. Forest maintenance activities
Forest maintenance activities

Cooperation with the Local Community

Shinko Kobe Power Inc. supplies steam heat from its Shinko Kobe Power Plant to three sake breweries in the Nishigo area. Nishigo is one of the five areas renowned for sake brewing in Kobe and Nishinomiya. Supplying steam from power generation to replace the breweries' individual boilers helps save energy in the local community.

Other key initiatives
Takasago Works Participating in an eco education support project organized by Takasago City
(providing environmental education for local junior high schools)
Fujisawa Industrial Operations Participating in greenery preservation and promotion activities organized by the Fujisawa Council for Greenery Promotion in Industrial Environments
("Fujisawa-shi Kojoto Kankyoryokuka Suishin Kyogikai")
Kobe Works Participating in environmental improvement activities within the local community, including cleanup activities along Toga River and the Cleaning Nada Ward Together Campaign
("Nadakushimin Issei Kurin Sakusen")

International Cooperation

Utilizing its broad experience in the environmental and energy fields, the Kobe Steel Group promotes international cooperation by providing technical training to overseas trainees.

International Cooperation
Company/plant Type of activity Recipient countries Related organizations
Kobe Works,
Shinko Kobe Power Inc.
Training for monitoring acid rain in Southeast Asia, visiting facilities (power stations, etc.), training on coal-powered electricity generation, etc. Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)
Hyogo Environmental Advancement Association
Kobelco Research Institute, Inc. Technology transfer for measuring and analyzing dioxins Thailand New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO)
Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd. Chemical risk management and residue analysis courses to promote environmental safety Cuba, Serbia, Vietnam, Turkey Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)


Supporting Environmental Activities

Kobelco set up the Kobelco Natural Environment Conservation Charitable Trust Fund and the Kobelco Environment Creation Fund in 2001 to support people and groups involved in environmental conservation activities. These funds are directed beyond the Kobe Steel Group of companies, and provide support for a wide range of conservation efforts at community level.

Main Activities Assisted by Kobelco Natural Environment Conservation Charitable Trust Fund in fiscal 2009
Certified and Accredited Meteorologists of Kansai Organizing environmental education and other events aimed at children
Hyogo Prefecture High School Education Society Biology Group (Nishi Harima Branch)
("Hyogo-ken Kotogakko Kyoiku Kenkyukai Seibutsubukai")
Organizing nature surveys (vegetation surveys in virgin woodland, etc.) in the area around Himeji Castle
Stork Wetlands Network Compiling observation notes for areas of marshland inhabited by Oriental Storks, aimed at older elementary school students