Initiatives on Global Warming
Response to Climate Change Policy
We consider climate change as a universal issue. Therefore, the Kewpie Group is thoroughly devoted to reducing CO2 emissions at all stages of our business, including procurement, production, distribution, sales, and in offices.
Our initiatives for the material issue for sustainability: “Reduction of CO2 Emissions (Response to Climate Change)” specifies a clear target for the reduction in CO2 emissions at all domestic locations.
Reduction of CO2 Emissions
In response to the progression of climate change, we reviewed our Sustainability Target “Reduction of CO2 Emissions” and adjusted the targets to 30% by FY2024 and 50% by FY2030.
All companies within the Kewpie Group are working to reform manufacturing and processing operations and discussing the installation of renewable energy sources to achieve a carbon-free society. To this end, in addition to existing initiatives, we are looking to improve efficiency at production plants and install energy-saving equipment to further reduce CO2 emissions.
In terms of distribution, we are actively promoting a modal shift from long-distance truck transportation to rail and ship, while also engaging in joint transportation operations with manufacturers in other industries.
In our offices, we are working to optimize energy usage by utilizing new technologies such as AI.
Furthermore, we calculate and strive to reduce CO2 emissions across our entire supply chain.
Upward revision of CO2 emission reduction targets
Making Use of Renewable Energy
The Kewpie Group is steadily installing renewable energy at our locations in Japan and abroad. Domestically, the Shunsai Deli Co., Ltd. Akishima site (Akishima City, Tokyo) began its on-site solar power generation in FY2020. It is our group’s second site to implement solar power generation after the Kewpie Goka plant (Sashima District, Ibaraki Prefecture). Internationally, we expanded the solar power system at our Thailand production plant. Panels now cover the roof of the building and above the detention basin. Going forward, we will continue to actively engage in transitioning to renewable energy.
On-site solar power generation system at the Shunsai Deli Akishima site
Solar power generation at manufacturing plant in Thailand
TCFD Initiatives
The operations of the Kewpie Group are highly dependent on the blessings of nature. Accordingly, these operations could incur impact from climate change in a variety of ways, including through lower harvest yields and reduced quality of ingredients. Moving forward, we will address and respond to future climate-change related events as management risks, while at the same time identifying new opportunities and incorporating them into our corporate strategies.
The Kewpie Group endorses the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosure (TCFD)*1 and has joined the TCFD Consortium*2, which serves as a forum for collaborations among companies and financial institutions that support TCFD. Internally, the Kewpie Group created the TCFD Project and has engaged in its own initiatives since 2021.
*1Established by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) in 2015 at the behest of the G20. The TCFD recommends that companies assess the financial impacts of climate change risks and opportunities on management and disclose information pertaining to governance, strategies, risk management, metrics and targets.
TCFD website
*2Established in 2019 as a forum for discussing efforts leading to effective corporate information disclosure and the disclosure of information facilitating appropriate investment decisions by financial institutions and other organizations. Companies and financial institutions that support the TCFD recommendations are promoting the initiative.
TCFD Consortium website
CO2 Emissions across the supply chain
As a company backed by the Ministry of the Environment, we calculated Kewpie’s CO2 emissions from our supply chain. The result shows that emissions related to the procurement of raw materials were the highest, followed by transportation and disposal.
We will continue to calculate CO2 emissions from our supply chain, including Group companies, in order to take decisive measures toward reducing CO2 emissions.
Production initiatives
Reducing CO2 Emissions by the Production Division
The Kewpie Group is committed to saving energy by improving the efficiency of production processes and by installing new equipment. We are converting from using Heavy Fuel Oil A to city gas and natural gas, and we are promoting the use of co-generation and solar power. We are also working to reduce CO2 emissions by sharing and developing the outstanding initiatives taken by group plants.
CO2 emission reduction targets of the production division
- 1% or more reduction in total emissions per year
In FY2020, CO2 emissions from the energy used by Kewpie Group production plants totaled 174,500 tonnes, a 2.3% decrease from the previous year. CO2 emissions per tonne of production (emissions per unit) totaled 226.2 kg, a 2.4% increase from the previous year. COVID-19 decreased production and total CO2 emissions, but emissions per unit increased.
Here, we have fixed the coefficients used to calculate CO2 emissions since fiscal 2013 in order to illustrate how the initiatives at our production plants have contributed toward our goals.
CO2Emissions
Targeted plants: Kewpie Group production plants
CO2 emissions coefficients (fixed since FY2013)
Coefficients are from the “Standard Heat Generation by Energy Source and Carbon Emission Coefficients” (Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, 2005); and the “Emission Coefficients by Electric Utility Operator” (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Ministry of the Environment, FY2011 results).
Purchased electricity：0.491kg-CO2/kWh
Heavy Fuel Oil A：2.710kg-CO2/L
City gas (13A)：2.267kg-CO2/m3
LPG：3.036kg-CO2/kg
Utilizing natural refrigerants
The Kewpie Group is installing energy-saving equipment and working to optimize the operation of our facilities. By incorporating natural refrigerants when upgrading our freezer units, we have reduced CO2 emissions and eliminated fluorocarbon use.
In 2018, we introduced natural refrigerants when we upgraded the freezer units at our Nakagawara Plant (Fuchu, Tokyo). We are continuing to verify their effectiveness in reducing CO2 emissions.
CO2 emission reductions by installing freezer units with natural refrigerants
( 530.3tｰCO2 planned )
- FY2018 940.3t-CO2
- FY2019 947.1t-CO2
- FY2020 977.5t-CO2
* Government fiscal year report that includes CO2 emissions converted by the fluorocarbon refrigerants that were removed
* This initiative receives assistance through the Ministry of the Environment’s “Project to promote energy efficient commercial refrigeration and air conditioning for the creation of a CFC-free society.”
Ammonia freezer units
Logistics initiatives
The Kewpie Group is collaborating with business partners and Group companies to reduce the environmental burden of all transport and delivery operations, from the transportation of raw materials to the delivery of products.
We are working to improve efficiency by shortening transportation and delivery distances and by improving load efficiency. We also implement eco-friendly driving, which consumes less fuel and offers greater safety. Furthermore, we are promoting a modal shift from long-distance truck transportation to rail and ship to reduce CO2 emissions.
CO2 emissions from the transportation and delivery of Kewpie products in FY2020 was 22,000 tonnes and a 2.3% decrease from the previous year.
CO2 emissions from transportation and delivery
| FY2019 | FY2020 | Year-on-year comparison | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kewpie products | Transport volume (1,000 tonne-km) | 142,237 | 138,443 | -2.7% |
| CO2 emissions (tonnes） | 22,539 | 22,010 | -2.3% |
Promoting a modal shift
We acquired ten exclusive-use 31-foot containers (of which four are freezer containers) and are coordinating with transportation professionals to promote modal shifts*1.
In July 2019, Kewpie was certified with the Eco Rail Mark as a company that uses cargo trains for more than a certain percentage of product transportations.
Our modal shift ratio*2 was 33% in FY2020, a decrease from the previous year as a result of increased transportation and delivery.
*1Modal shift: Shifting long-haul trucking of 500 km or more to container transportation via railroads and ships.
*2Modal shift ratio: Ratio of tonnes shipped by railroads and ships to total tonnes shipped 500 km or more.
We acquired six 31-foot containers for rail and ship transport and are promoting modal shifts in coordination with freight carriers.
Change in the modal shift ratio
Joint transportation initiatives with businesses in other industries
Having completed Sengawa Kewport in October 2013, the Kewpie Group is proceeding to consolidate the location of its offices, including the head office and research departments. We have adopted energy-saving designs and equipment, are collaborating between offices to share know-how on achieving the best energy-saving performance, and are making ongoing operational facility improvements and repairs.
Office initiatives
Having completed Sengawa Kewport in October 2013, the Kewpie Group is proceeding to consolidate and transfer its offices centering on the head office and the research division. We have adopted energy saving designs and equipment, are collaborating between offices to share know-how on achieving the best energy saving performance, and are making ongoing operational facility improvements.
Initiatives at the Shibuya office
The Shibuya office (Shibuya Toyu Building) of the Kewpie Group has a double-skin glass facade that achieves a high degree of thermal insulation from natural ventilation between the glass layers. The office has installed highly efficient air conditioners, LED lighting, and other energy saving equipment.
The double-skin glass facade of the Shibuya office.
hrough such environmental designs, the Shibuya office building has been given an overall rating of A by the Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE).
In addition, the building has been designated a project for receiving interest subsidies to promote green financing.*
*Project for receiving interest subsidies to promote green financing: These are projects selected through a public offer by the Ministry of the Environment to receive a subsidy for part of the interest paid on the financing of capital expenditures addressing global warming.
Initiatives at Sengawa Kewport
Natural ventilation system
Energy saving features of Sengawa Kewport include air wells providing natural ventilation, a co-generation system, solar power generation, and LED lighting. To maximize the performance of energy saving design, we are deepening our collaboration with equipment makers and are surveying many employees at Sengawa Kewport to operate energy saving equipment more precisely.
With help from Hitachi, ltd., Kewpie has used cloud-based AI to analyze and implement optimal operational patterns based on weather forecast data and the operating status of air-conditioning systems (coolers, heat pumps, gas boilers and cogeneration power generation systems).
Compared with before the system was introduced, the amount of energy used by air-conditioning systems (crude oil conversion) has been reduced by 11-12% during the summer and winter seasons, and by 37% during the spring. We aim to further optimize the systems further with AI.