Our Response to Environmental Issues

Environment and Safety Division

Since the establishment of Nishimatsu’s Comprehensive Environmental Committee in 1992, the Company has implemented a wide range of environmental protection measures, and by November 2000 we had acquired ISO 14001 environmental management systems certification for all of our 11 branch offices in Japan, as well as our Technical Research Institute and the Hiratsuka Machinery Works. Then, in November 2002 we obtained blanket ISO 14001 certification for the entire Company. We chose to mark this by reorganizing our environmental protection management structure, and setting up the Comprehensive Management Committee with the aim of involving the whole company in the operation of the environmental management system.
    We place a high priority on sharing information relating to environmental preservation on an equal basis across the whole Company. Management makes certain that full support is provided to all branch offices and staff at construction sites to help them make maximum use of our environmental management system. With regard to communication between the Company and the outside world, we are doing our best to respond as soon as possible to issues raised by our stakeholders.
    With the enforcement of the provisions of the Kyoto Protocol in February 2005, Japanese companies have been required to lower carbon dioxide emissions, plant more greenery, and find ways to save resources and energy.
    In response, we have taken various measures to reduce CO₂ emissions. One way of reducing CO₂ emissions is to use a conveyor belt rather than a dump truck to remove excavated soil from inside a tunnel during its construction. The use of a conveyor belt enables a 40-50% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared with use of a dump truck. In addition, conveyor belts also help improve the work environment, as there is minimal exhaust gas, ash and noise, and the local environmental burden is much lower.
    In line with Nishimatsu’s policy of placing top priority on legal compliance, we conduct risk management to prepare for the possibility that a waste disposal subcontractor handling waste from one of our facilities may have disposed of the waste in an illegal manner. Additionally, insofar as we can, we put into practice the so-called “3 Rs” concept — Reduce (the volume of waste), Reuse (waste material wherever possible), and Recycle (used products or equipment as much as is feasible). Our ultimate goal is to reduce our emissions of industrial waste to zero. We also take a strongly proactive stance on green procurement.
    In addition, we are involved in a wide range of other environmental preservation-related businesses, including soil purification, removal of pollutants from gases before their release into the atmosphere, the design and installation of environmentally-friendly facilities, and the greening of rooftops. We have already achieved considerable success in these areas.
    One of Nishimatsu’s basic management policies is to take a proactive approach to the preservation of the environment. As part of this, we intend to fulfill our corporate social responsibilities in addition to making valuable contributions toward building the infrastructure needed to support a recycling-based society in the future.

Removing dirt from a tunnel by conveyor belt