Environmental Management System

As a global company responsible for the environment, we will endeavor to fulfill our social responsibility in all our areas of our activity in order to achieve sustainable development of society wherein human prosperity and the environment co-exist harmoniously.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries was certified in March 2009 as an “Eco-First company” under the “Eco-First Program” established by the Ministry of the Environment, and renewed its “Eco-First Commitments,” which summarize fresh targets for environmental preservation, in October 2022.

In light of the increasing seriousness of global social issues, including climate change and other environmental concerns, we also came to the conclusion that a new policy, one based on long-term perspectives that look to the world of 2050 and beyond, would be essential to our efforts to ensure the sustained growth and development of both our group and society as a whole. The Long-Term Sustainability Policy: “Driving Our Future Challenge 2050” was thus formulated and announced in August 2021. The updated “Eco-First Commitments” include our carbon neutrality targets for 2050 (Scope 1 + 2) and other environmental targets identified by this Long-Term Sustainability Policy.

The Sumitomo Rubber Group is endeavoring to raise environmental awareness among its employees so that each individual can gain deeper understanding of environmental issues and proactively play their part in environmental preservation initiatives. To invigorate these initiatives across the board, in 2022 we opened “Carbon Neutral Plaza” on Sumitomo Rubber Industries’ corporate website to disseminate information regarding the status of carbon neutrality initiatives and other matters associated with the environment. Also, we have continuously encouraged employees to issue a “My Sustainability Declaration” since 2021. They are thus engaged in various sustainability initiatives on an individual basis while developing their awareness.

Each business base is similarly striving to raise sustainability awareness among employees by, for example, disseminating information through its website, hosting study sessions focused on sustainability, holding exhibitions on energy-saving best practices and displaying posters and slogans.

To implement global management in all of its corporate activities, including the creation of a low-carbon society, in December 2010, the Group obtained ISO 14001 Global Multi-Site Certification for its 30 bases in Japan and overseas. This enabled us to carry out unified environmental management at major production and development bases in Japan and overseas.
The number of sites maintaining ISO 14001 certification has since risen, reaching a total of 36 at the end of 2022 (of these, 34 bases are covered by the multi-site certification). As such, the ratio of ISO 14001 certified sites amounted to 94.7%. Moreover, the number of employees working at these sites as a percentage of total employees was 74.3%.
In fiscal 2022, no sites were newly certified. However, we subjected uncertified sites to corporate audits conducted in a manner similar to those conducted at certified sites in order to strengthen our environmental management structure.

Initiatives as a Member of the Japan Hydrogen Association

Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. has been a member of the Japan Hydrogen Association since February 2021. As part of this association, we aim to achieve net zero emissions (carbon neutrality) in terms of CO₂ emissions from our manufacturing process by 2050. To this end, we are striving to utilize hydrogen-fired energy, a CO₂-free energy source for the next generation. Through our membership in the Japan Hydrogen Association, we are involved in the advancement of climate change countermeasures by lobbying for, and delivering proposals regarding, the creation of a government-sponsored framework for the widespread utilization of hydrogen and the enhancement of relevant national budget.

Furthermore, our efforts to utilize hydrogen include verification testing undertaken at the Shirakawa Factory, our mainstay tire production facility based in Fukushima Prefecture, with the aim of switching the fuel used to produce steam, which is essential to the tire manufacturing process, from fossil fuel to hydrogen. This verification testing has been under way since August 2021 and is expected to continue until March 2024.