Environmental Management
Promotion of Environment Conservation Efforts Together with the Global Environmental Committee
- Reinforcement of Operations through Cooperation between Global Environmental Committee and Department Environmental Committees
- Environmental Targets and Results
- ISO Certification
- Environmental Audits
- Environmental Accounting and Environmental Efficiency
Reinforcement of Operations through Cooperation between Global Environmental Committee and Department Environmental Committees
Based on our Environmental Declaration and Basic Environmental Policies, Akebono has built an Environmental Management System aiming to reduce risks, such as air pollution. Reduction of CO2 emissions, recycling of industrial waste as well as measures to save resources and energy are taken into consideration to ensure high environmental efficiency of our business activities. Lead by the Global Environmental Committee, each department's committees and subcommittees work together to support biodiversity and engage in global environment preservation efforts.
Environmental Targets and Results
Under the guidance of the Global Environmental Committee, each department establishes mid-term and yearly targets for environmental initiatives. In addition, an education system bas been established to enhance environmental awareness and help each employee realize his or her role in the environment preservation efforts. We provide ongoing education promoting voluntary employee behavior, with results evaluated annually to encourage further improvements in the following year.
ISO Certification
In all of its group companies, Akebono promotes acquisition of the ISO 14001 certificates, which are then periodically renewed. Akebono Corporation in Suzhou, China acquired the certificate in 2008, with Akebono Brake Co. Ltd., in Thailand following suit in Dec. 2009. We plan to continue to acquire and renew ISO 14001 certificates in all our group companies, as well as to expand our activities towards indirect departments and our suppliers.
ISO14001 certificate acquisitions
- December 2009
- Akebono Brake (Thailand) Co., Ltd.
- NOVEMBER 2008
- Akebono Corporation (Suzhou) (China)
- JULY 2007
- Alocs Corporation
- SEPTEMBER 2004
- Akebono Arras S.A.S. (France)
Akebono Europe S.A.S. (France) - MARCH 2003
- Ai-City Headquarters (Headquarters)
Akebono Brake Hanyu Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Akebono Research & Development Centre Ltd.
Akebono Brake Sanyo Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Akebono Brake Iwaki Co., Ltd. - MARCH 2002
- Akebono Brake Iwatsuki Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
- JANUARY 2002
- P.T. Tri Dharma Wisesa (Indonesia)
- JULY 2001
- Akebono Brake, Elizabethtown Plant (formerly Ambrake - North America)
Akebono Brake, Glasgow Plant (formerly Amak Brake - North America) - MARCH 2000
- Akebono Brake Fukushima Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Akebono Brake Yamagata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. - MARCH 1999
- Akebono Brake Miharu Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
Environmental Audits
Environmental Management System is audited annually by internal auditors and a 3rd party auditing organization conducts additional external audits annually as well.
In 2009, after expanding the scope of audits to additional sites and modifying of our business activity model, we determined the most important areas to monitor: identification of significant environmental aspects, re-evaluation of environmental impact, review of items covered by the environmental laws/regulations and visualization/optimization of energy consumed by the equipment being relocated from one facility to another. These areas were inspected to confirm their structure and operation and to see if continuous gradual improvement (kaizen) activities are being carried out properly.
Environmental Accounting and Environmental Efficiency
Akebono calculates the costs and effect of environment conservation activities based on the Environmental Accounting Guidelines (2005 version) issued by the Japanese Ministry of Environment.
When calculating the economic effects of environment preservation initiatives, only the ones backed by solid evidence are taken into account - so-called "deemed effects" are excluded. In our yearly data, the drop in values of "sales/CO2 emission volume" and "sales/waste material volume" that can be seen in 2009 was caused by bringing the Tatebayashi foundry under the scope of environmental efficiency calculations in that year. If the effect of adding Tatebayashi foundry was removed, the figures for 2009 would show a 0.04 point reduction of "sales/CO2 emission volume" to 1.06 and a 0.03 point increase of "sales/waste material" to 1.00.
