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Full Staff Participation

We provide all Kobe Steel Group employees with ongoing environmental education and training so as to raise environmental awareness and ensure that they act in an environmentally friendly manner at all times. We also promote initiatives such as environmental household accounting and Eco-Office activities.

Environmental Household Accounting
(KOBELCO Eco-Life Notes)

We have been running our KOBELCO Eco-Life Notes environmental accounting scheme since 1998. The aim is to make employees more aware of their individual household CO2 emissions, thereby raising awareness of the need to save energy and encouraging employees to voluntarily change the way they live their lives.

We are always working to make the scheme more accessible. In April 2010 we made it possible for employees to take part online, as well as via the existing paper-based system. A total of 4,743 households took part in the scheme in fiscal 2010, an increase of 1,370 compared to fiscal 2009.

  • Households participating in the Eco-Life Notes scheme

Households Participating in the Eco-Life Notebook Scheme

Office Energy-Saving Activities

We implement a range of energy saving initiatives at the Kobe Steel Group, including adjusting temperature settings on office air conditioning systems and replacing lighting and computers with energy-saving alternatives.

We focused even more on saving energy in fiscal 2011, due in part to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake. We undertook initiatives such as extending our Summer Eco Style (Cool Biz) campaign from May 1 to the end of October, as opposed to the usual period from June 1 to the end of September.

As nationwide power shortages are expected to continue into fiscal 2012, we will take an active role in saving power.

Power-Saving Measures
(Reducing Maximum Power Consumption)

In fiscal 2011, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry asked all companies in areas served by Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc., Tohoku Electric Power Co., Inc., Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc. and Kyushu Electric Power Co.,Inc. to impose power restrictions and reduce maximum power consumption in accordance with the Electricity Business Act.

At Kobe Steel, we implemented measures at all of our business divisions, including manufacturing locations, in the relevant areas. Measures included controlling air conditioning temperatures more precisely and intermittently operating lighting, elevators and vending machines, insofar as possible without interfering with operations. In production divisions meanwhile, we adjusted production to avoid any overlapping operations and switched to operating at night and on weekends. At some facilities, we also reduced maximum power consumption by adopting a rotating system for days off, reviewed start times, and used emergency generators. Groupwide measures such as these enabled us to exceed specified power saving targets.

We reduced the amount of power purchased at our Kakogawa Works and Kobe Works. At the same time, we increased output from our own in-house generation facilities.

Raising Employee Awareness of the Environment

Environmental Education and Training

Kobe Steel has been providing environmental education and training as part of training for staff at all levels (depending on the organizational structure at each site) on an ongoing basis since fiscal 2006. We also organize regular e-learning programs via the intranet in an effort to raise environmental awareness and ensure that employees are familiar with environmental legislation.

Group Environmental Conference

A presentation on environmental activities

A presentation on environmental activities

To effectively implement environmental management, we need all of our employees to be more aware and do their bit on an ongoing basis. That is why we organize a Kobe Steel Group Environmental Conference every year to share details of outstanding environmental activities. The aim is to promote group activities on the environment and encourage other sites to follow suit.

We will keep on working to reinforce environmental initiatives and raise the level of environmental awareness throughout the group in the future.

Promotion of Environmental Certification

Kobe Steel is increasing the number of qualified pollution control managers and energy managers to bolster environmental management and raise awareness.

  • Number of staff with environment-related qualifications (parent only)
Qualification Number of qualified staff Qualification Number of qualified staff
Pollution control manager (air) 188 Pollution control manager (dioxins) 43
Pollution control manager (water) 140
Pollution control manager (noise/vibration) 188 Senior pollution control manager 7
Energy manager 158
Pollution control manager (dust) 46 Certified environmental measurer 8