Energy
In order to contribute to preserving the global environment and creating sustainable societies, the JCU Group is committed to make effective use of energy.
Use of renewable energy
The JCU Group is driving forward with the use of renewable energy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. As part of our efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, solar power generation facilities were installed at the Niigata Plant in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, and the R&D Center in Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture, business sites in Japan where electricity consumption was particularly high. The Niigata Plant has been using electricity generated by solar power since FY2011, and the Plant plans to add more solar panels in FY2022 and source approximately 60% of the maximum electricity used at the site from renewable energy sources. With respect to our overseas production sites, operations are underway to make use of renewable energy sources at the Hubei Plant in China—which opened for operations in FY2020—by installing solar panels capable of covering approximately 40% of the Plant’s maximum electricity consumption. In addition, JCU is engaged in projects related to solar power generation facilities, and operates a solar power plant with an installed capacity of 1,000 kW in Takikawa City, Hokkaido. JCU will continue to take various other actions to achieve the goal of offsetting CO2 emissions from the Niigata Plant to zero by FY2030 (“Niigata Plant CO2 Zero”).
◆Changes in electricity consumption and in-house power generation at the Niigata Plant (installed solar power generation capacity: 100 kW)
◆Effect of introducing solar power generation facilities
◆Total CO2 emissions at offices in Japan by fiscal year
Carbon Offsetting Initiatives
From its location in Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture, JCU's Niigata Plant supplies products destined for markets around the world. JCU is an advocate of the “Toki-no-Mori (Crested Ibis Forest) Project” which is run by the Prefecture of Niigata within Sado City limits, and is also an ongoing collaborator in carbon offsetting initiatives. The aim of the Toki-no-Mori Project is to drive global warming countermeasures forward by securing the CO2 absorption capacity of trees, promote forest improvements, and revitalize forestry. The Project also aims to contribute to improving habitats for ibises that have been released into the wild and conserving the forest’s rich ecosystem. In a forest within Sado City limits in Niigata, we see trees that have been culled with their lower branches pruned. Culling and pruning trees in this manner ensures that the forest gets enough light intensity, which in turn improves CO2 absorption efficiency. In addition, these procedures have the effect of suppressing pest insect outbreaks and promoting tree growth. These human interventions are a driver of our global warming countermeasures. Currently, although their numbers are still small, we are able to observe ibises in the wild within Sado City limits. The ibises are gradually returning to their wild habitats thanks not only to the Toki-no-Mori Project but also to various activities by local residents for improving the environment around their habitats.
Carbon offsetting
Although the reduction of CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions is very important in countering global warming, CO2 emissions remain an inevitable part of our daily lives and corporate activities. Carbon offsetting refers to methods for making up for (offsetting) all or part of the CO2 emissions that occur despite our best emissions reduction efforts by funding forest improvement and other greenhouse gas reduction projects.
Initiatives to achieve “Zero CO2 Emissions”
As a measure to counter global warming, JCU makes every effort to identify and reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. According to an aggregate survey of CO2 emissions from the use of electricity and gas at domestic offices, we have succeeded in reducing FY2021 emissions by approximately 19.7% from FY2013. A breakdown of CO2 emissions at our domestic offices shows that emissions at the Niigata Plant account for about half of our total CO2 emissions. Being the first of our offices to install solar power generation facilities and aggressively introduce renewable energy, the Niigata Plant is constantly engaged in environmentally conscious activities. In FY2021, the percentage of on-site power generation from solar power at the Niigata Plant increased by 1.2% to 13.5% year-over-year. In addition, plans are in place to install more solar panels in FY2022, and to continue our efforts to further reduce our CO2 emissions. The R&D Center has introduced solar power generation facilities, and installed energy-saving air conditioners and LED lighting in order to reduce CO2 emissions, In our Medium-Term Corporate Plan, the JCU Group has set the “Niigata Plant CO2 Zero” target which calls for offsetting a considerable amount of CO2 emissions from the Niigata Plant to zero with contributions from all domestic business sites by FY2030 (FY ending March 31, 2031) based on FY2013 (FY ending March 31, 2014) levels.The JCU Group will continue to make efforts to achieve its goals and contribute to society through environmentally conscious corporate activities.
As a company that actively cooperated with the "Niigata Carbon Offset Program" in FY2021, we received a letter of appreciation from Niigata Prefecture in recognition of our outstanding achievements in terms of the quantity and duration of our purchases of Niigata Prefecture J-credits, as well as how we utilized them.
