Addressing Global Warming
With a view to helping realize sustainable, low-carbon societies, the Toray Group is pursuing initiatives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Toward this end, the Group works to save energy by improving manufacturing processes and introducing cogeneration in accordance with its Fifth Medium-Term Environmental Plan, which was launched in fiscal 2016.
Toray Energy Conservation Activities
Toray has set a goal of reducing its per-unit energy consumption by 2% annually. In fiscal 2016, Toray reduced energy consumption by 3.9% year-on-year and improved its per-unit energy consumption by 4.1% year-on-year, bringing it down now to 17.3% below the base year of fiscal 1990. The reduction was achieved due to productivity improvements combined with steady implementation of energy conservation initiatives at plants, as well as energy conservation diagnostics performed by the Company's own energy efficiency specialists.
Energy Consumption and Per-unit Energy Consumption Index (Toray)
Promoting Energy Conservation Diagnostics
The Toray Group organizes energy conservation teams to help carry out annual energy conservation diagnostics at plants in Toray and its group companies around the world. In fiscal 2016, these activities were conducted at five of Toray's plants, along with six group company plants at in Japan and one outside Japan. Thanks to these energy-saving initiatives, the Group reduced greenhouse gas emissions by about 18,000 tons-CO2 equivalent.
Toray's Efforts to Fight Global Warming
Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (%) (Toray)
Reporting scope: Toray
Fiscal 2016 target:
15% reduction compared to fiscal 1990 level
Toray systematically works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, with the goal of maintaining greenhouse gas emissions at least 15% below the 1990 level by 2020. In fiscal 2016, Toray reduced its CO2 emissions by 103,000 tons year-on-year. Greenhouse gas emissions were down 5.2% year-on-year at 2.01million tons, which was 21% below the 1990 level, continuing to meet the reduction target.
Moving forward, Toray will endeavor to meet its reduction targets despite the higher production volumes projected due to business growth.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Toray)
Note:Toray greenhouse gas emissions in fiscal 2016 have obtained a third-party guarantee from Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Limited (LRQA).
Gas Cogeneration and Hydroelectric Power
The Toray Group is systematically switching to natural gas and installing cogeneration systems to conserve energy. In fiscal 2015, Toray's Mishima Plant began operation of a cogeneration system.
Additionally, in fiscal 2016, as an initiative for effective use of renewable energy, Toray's Nagoya Plant installed and started to operate a small hydroelectric system that generates power using the incoming industrial water pressure.
- Gas cogeneration system at Toray's Mishima Plant
- Small hydroelectric power generator at Toray's Nagoya Plant
Solar and Hydroelectric Power Generation
Toray sets up power generation systems that utilize renewable energy on idle land in its plant grounds and rooftops. In fiscal 2016, Toray deployed a small hydroelectric power generator at the Nagoya Plant, and in fiscal 2017, it will install a solar power generation system on idle land in the Seta Plant site.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Toray Group in Japan)
Toray and its group companies in Japan work to curb global warming with the goal of reducing emissions by 15% on a per-unit-of-sales basis by fiscal 2020 compared to the fiscal 1990 level.
Greenhouse gas emissions were down 4.7% in fiscal 2016 compared to the previous fiscal year. Greenhouse gas emissions per unit of sales improved by 4.3 points compared to the previous fiscal year and were 20.3% below the base year.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Per Unit of Sales (Toray Group in Japan)
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Toray Group)
Fiscal 2016greenhouse gas emissions for the Toray Group worldwide were 5.61 million tons-CO2 equivalent, an increase of 2.0% compared to the previous year. All Toray Group manufacturing companies and plants will continue to work to achieve the Group's goal of reducing the per-unit energy consumption rate by 2% each fiscal year.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions (Toray Group)
Initiatives to Protect the Ozone Layer
Toray successfully ceased using chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in all manufacturing processes in 1994. The Company has also stopped purchasing CFCs for use in refrigeration equipment and will finish upgrading refrigeration equipment that uses CFCs by fiscal 2019.