Sustainability
Sustainability
Sustainable Society
Helping to create a sustainable society
We strive as a member of the Sumitomo Heavy Industries Group (SHI Group) to help build a sustainable future.
Toward the goal of realizing a sustainable society, we are engaging in efforts as a member of the SHI Group with pertinent issues in hand. Based on clear guidelines established for the entire group, we pursue sustainability on a variety of fronts, including environmental protection, increasing energy efficiency, recycling resources, and improving work environments. Through these efforts, we aim to encourage our growth as a company and to have a positive influence on local communities and the environment.
Sustainability Policy
Basic Sustainability Policy
The SHI Group established its Basic Sustainability Policy in September 2021 with the objective of integrating sustainability with its business activities to elevate its previous CSR efforts to initiatives aimed at realizing a sustainable society and promoting sustainable growth of its own.
The SHI Group conducts corporate management in accordance with the Sumitomo Business Spirit and Corporate Philosophy, maintaining focuses on enhancing both social value and corporate value to help realize a sustainable society. We have established this vision as our Basic Sustainability Policy.
Providing products and services that contribute to economic and technological development
The SHI Group aims to realize sustainable growth by providing products and services that contribute to economic and technological development.
Working to reduce all environmental burdens in our business activities
The SHI Group works to reduce all environmental burdens in its business activities, including the entirety of product life cycles. We are also committed to protecting the safety, security, and health of all people involved in the Group’s corporate activities and creating workplaces where each and every employee is motivated to approach their work with enthusiasm.
Maintaining thorough adherence to corporate ethics and enhancing managerial soundness and transparency
The SHI Group is committed to maintaining thorough adherence to corporate ethics and enhancing managerial soundness and transparency.
Activity Examples
Examples of Activities
Sumitomo Heavy Industries Himatex engages in a range of activities in accordance with the Basic Sustainability Policy of the SHI Group.
Environmental
Ex. 1 Switching to LNG in roll heat treatment furnaces
Between 2017 and 2021, we updated our heat treatment furnaces to energy-efficient models and, in addition, switched from heavy fuel oil to LNG (liquefied natural gas) with low CO₂ emissions, thereby reducing CO₂ emissions in our heat treatment processes approximately 60%.
Ex. 2Improving our work environment
In August 2024, we introduced dust collection equipment with 540 m2/min performance in order to improve the work environment in work areas where particulate matter is generated, an example of an improvement we made based on employee attitude surveys.
Ex. 3Introducing swarf compression equipment
In September 2024, we introduced swarf compression equipment that contributes to our goal of helping realize a recycling-oriented society by enabling the reuse of swarf generated in our production processes.
Governance
Ex. 1Education on Compliance
We are working to increase awareness of compliance among employees through efforts including reading through the Compliance Manual set forth by the SHI Group at workplaces on a monthly basis and providing education on compliance at employee assemblies.
Ex. 2Ethics Hotline
We have established an external consultation service to enable the reporting and discussion of ethical issues within the company and to counter various forms of harassment.
Employees
Ex. 1Safety & Health Management
We conduct a full range of safety and health management activities on a monthly basis with workplace leaders taking a central role. In addition, we have established monthly Safety & Health Days providing a focus on creating work environments conducive to employees’ safety and health.
Ex. 2Stress checks
We supplement the employee attitude surveys conducted twice annually throughout the SHI Group with annual stress checks of our own. Based on the results, we take measures to improve our work environments through coordination with the SHI Group.
Ex. 3Employee assemblies
We hold monthly assemblies to be attended by all employees at which executives including the company president deliver messages directly. The assemblies provide important opportunities for the president to convey evaluations from customers to site staff, along with touching on topics such as safety and compliance. They also provide opportunities for employees to share how their own work is connected to the company’s current direction.
Social
Ex. 1Supply chain management
We are making the following efforts to fulfill our responsibility in supplying Himatex products:
① Implementing multiple sourcing of raw materials and secondary materials
② Coordinating with subcontracted processors to shorten lead times
③ Building stronger relationships with customers through periodic visits
Ex. 2Green procurement
We are working to reduce CO₂ emissions from physical distribution systems such as transportation by optimizing transport routes and arranging shipment dates so that more products can be shipped together at the same time.