Conservation and Restoration of Nature

Environmental Management System

Based on our Group’s environmental vision and progress toward it, the Safety & Environment Control Department formulates a proposal for the Group’s environmental targets (policies, objectives, strategies), which are reviewed and approved by the president. At each business site, annual targets and plans are developed based on the Group’s environmental targets, considering the unique risks of each site, and are carried out through the environmental management system (EMS) based on ISO 14001 (JIS Q 14001). As of April 1, 2024, all our production sites have obtained third-party ISO 14001 certification.
Through the EMS, each business site conducts activities on a regular basis to improve the level of environmental management through the PDCA cycle. Such activities include evaluations of the effect on the environment of the business’ activities (environmental risk assessment), formulation of action plans for achieving environmental targets, preventive environmental preservation activities, tracking through internal and third-party audits, management reviews, and emergency response training in case of accidents.
In FY2023, we implemented management improvements using a risk management system (RMS) and an environmental management system (EMS) including inspections by the General Manager of the Safety & Environmental Control Department, training for new site managers, environmental communication, and dissemination of information through REC (Risk Environment Compliance) e-newsletter used to periodically distribute information within the company concerning the environment, quality, and compliance. Each site set a target of enhancing their ability to respond to environmental problems and took measures in accordance with their individual business site plans using management systems. As a result, in FY2023 there were no significant environmental accidents or violations that had a substantial impact on the environment or society.

Environmental Education for Employees

We conduct trainings including education on laws and regulations and environmental management using e-learning and other means, education to develop EMS internal auditors, and rank-specific environmental management education (for newly appointed business site general managers, environmental personnel, new employees, mid-career hires, etc.) to enhance environmental management levels.

■ Environmental Education

Targeted employees	Environmental education activities	Purpose, contents
Business site general managers	Education of newly-appointed business site general managers Periodically send out information	Promote understanding of the importance of the relationship between corporations and the environment and raise self-awareness and environmental awareness as the business site general manager Provide information about revisions of laws and important precedents by a periodical e-mail magazine
Managers and supervisors	Environmental e-learning (Environmental Laws, Basic)	Understand the spirit and idea of Japan’s laws, and understand Japan’s mandatory and notification procedures
Internal auditors	EMS Internal Auditor Training Course, standard update course	Training of internal auditors for EMS with qualifications conforming to ISO 14001 (2015) and updating holders of old qualifications to the 2015 version
Managers	Education about environmental preservation	Provide information about the SMM Group’s environmental preservation initiatives and raise self-awareness
Environment managers	Conference for environment managers Periodic education about the Chemical Substances Control Law	Improve knowledge of Japan’s environmental laws and regulations, enhance environmental management capabilities, raise self-awareness Check the outline of Act on the Regulation of Manufacture and Evaluation of Chemical Substances and information on revisions, prevent omissions of notification, and raise self-awareness
Sales representatives	Explanatory meeting: overseas chemical substance regulations	Impart knowledge to sales representatives about overseas chemical substance regulations and raise their self-awareness
New and midcareer hires	Education about environmental preservation for mid-career hires Education about environmental preservation for new employees	Impart knowledge about the SMM Group’s environmental preservation initiatives and raise self-awareness

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