Environmental and Social Report
Environmental Protection Activities
AIDA's Environmental Policy
We formulated the AIDA Environmental Policy in order to advance our environmental protection activities. In our Medium-Term Management Plan, the vision statement "As a leading company, we will contribute to society by supporting efforts to protect the environment, reduce energy consumption, and develop new technologies" expresses our commitment to achieving further growth while reducing our environmental impact and developing products with superior environmental and energy-saving performance.
Environmental Policy
Recognizing that protecting the earth's environment is one of the most important goals shared by all mankind, as AIDA ENGINEERING, LTD., rises to the challenge of attaining "a harmony between people and technology" that creates a people-friendly environment as it pursues original technologies in the metalforming field, it will establish and implement a workplace environment where environmental protections will be incorporated into the engineering, manufacturing, and sales activities for its presses, automation equipment, and auxiliary equipment.
- 1. AIDA will work to reduce its environmental footprint by continuously improving its environmental management systems, and AIDA will also promote environmental management activities by revising its environmental-related targets and goals.
- 2. AIDA will strive to protect the environment and strictly adhere to any other requirements stipulated by laws, regulations, and accepted practices.
- 3. In order to proactively prevent the destruction and pollution of the natural environment to the extent that it is technologically and economically feasible, AIDA will promote the following and will strive to reduce the burden being placed on the earth's environment.
- (1) Promote resource and energy conservation and the reduction of greenhouse gases.
- (2) Eliminate waste products and promote recycling.
- (3) Minimize the release of harmful substances. Additionally, move towards the use of substances that present minimal harm.
- (4) Painstakingly manage buildings, equipment, and processes, etc., that could possibly have an adverse effect on the environment.
- (5) Implement oil leakage countermeasures (even in drop-size increments) to prevent water and soil contamination.
- (6) Promote the development and sale of products that will contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gases, the effective utilization of resources, and the reduction of hazardous substances, etc.
- 4. AIDA will strive to ensure that all employees understand this Environmental Policy and have a heightened environmental awareness, and work towards the practical implementation of environmental improvements and protections. Moreover, AIDA will also inform participating business partners and suppliers of this Environmental Policy and ask for their understanding and cooperation in implementing environmental improvements and protections.
Based on the above environmental policy, AIDA has established the following medium-term environmental targets and is actively engaged in environmental management activities.
Environmental Targets
1. Maintain compliance with laws and ordinances (air, water, noise, etc.)
2. Promote the recycling of waste materials and stay within current levels.
3. Promote energy conservation.
4. Improve environmental protection initiatives.
5. Develop environmentally friendly products.
We include our annual environmental performance in our Integrated Reports.
The Carbon-Neutral Initiative Policy
The Carbon-Neutral Initiative Policy
We regard environmental measures such as decarbonization, energy conservation, and resource conservation as major business opportunities, and we aim to be carbon-neutral by 2050 and we will strive to solve ESG issues and improve corporate value.
Our detailed environmental activities are explained below.
Application of Carbon-Neutral LNG*(CNL)
The annual amount of CO2 emitted from our domestic facilities (Scope1, Scope2) is 7,700 tons, most of which comes from power consumption at our plants and offices. In order to reduce our environmental impact, we have been using a high-efficiency CGS system (a cogeneration system that provides heat and electricity (refer to the graph below: Initiative ①)) that can supply 30% of our power requirements. However, approximately 2,000 tons of CO2 is still emitted during the power-generation process. In October 2021, we signed a contract with Tokyo Gas to switch the gas we use for in-house power generation to carbon-neutral LNG. As a result, of the approximately 7,700 tons of annual CO2 emissions from our facilities in Japan, we are contributing to a reduction in CO2 emissions that is the same (approximately 2,000 tons of CO2) emissions from our in-house power generation. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale, the usage of carbon-neutral LNG contributes to the achievement of a sustainable society.
(refer to the graph below:Initiative ②).
* Carbon-neutral LNG (CNL) is a type of LNG where the greenhouse gases generated throughout the entire value chain can be offset by carbon credits (carbon offsets) derived from forest conservation projects, etc. As a result, this gas is considered to be carbon-neutral on a global scale even if it is consumed.
Participation in the CNL Buyers Alliance
Along with the conversion to CNL, we joined the CNL Buyers Alliance in October 2021. The Alliance was established through the concerted efforts of Tokyo Gas, which procures and supplies CNL, and all other companies that purchase CNL, with the aim of spreading the use of CNL and increasing its utility value as it strives to achieve a sustainable society. We will continue to make every endeavor to reduce our environmental impact and contribute to the achievement of a "carbon-neutral society" by 2050.
*Please refer to the link below for information about CNL & the participating companies. https://carbon-neutral-lng.jp/ (external link)
Efficient Energy Usage
At our headquarters plant in Sagamihara City, we have installed a CGS system (a cogeneration system that provides heat and electricity) together with a Genelink system (a water heating and cooling system fueled by hot wastewater from the CGS). As electricity is generated, hot water results as a byproduct, and we then use this hot water for heating and air conditioning in the manufacturing plant and administrative offices, and we adjust thermostats and take other steps based on air conditioning loads. Doing this has allowed us to slash our total energy cost and level out our electricity demand.
In addition, we have leveraged the electricity generated by our CGS and solar power systems to develop an emergency power backup system for our headquarters plant. This system allows the plant to function temporarily without external power sources when a power outage occurs during an emergency situation, etc., in order to protect our critical main servers.
In recognition of our efforts, Kanagawa Prefecture awarded us the Kanagawa Global Environment Award in January 2017, and the Advanced Cogeneration and Energy Utilization Center JAPAN presented AIDA with its Co-Gene Special Award in February 2018. In January 2020, in recognition of AIDA's endeavors to achieve independent power generation and consumption, Kanagawa Prefecture's Bureau of Industrial and Labor Affairs certified AIDA as a "Kanagawa Prefecture Business Promoting Local Energy Production for Local Consumption."
Class S (Excellent Business Operator) Evaluation by the Energy Conservation Business Classification Evaluation System
AIDA was evaluated as Class S (Excellent Energy Conservation Business Operator), which is the highest class in the "Business Classification Evaluation System" based on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's (METI) "Act on the Rational Use of Energy (Energy-Saving Act)".
The Business Classification Evaluation System classifies all business entities that submit regular energy conservation reports into 4 classes S, A, B, and C. Those evaluated as Class S are listed on METI's homepage as Excellent Business Operators.
*For details, please refer to the homepage of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy. https://www.enecho.meti.go.jp/category/saving_and_new/saving/enterprise/overview/institution/ (external link)
Development of Environmentally Friendly Products
Our 110-ton and 160-ton DSF-N2 Series servo presses was certified as MF Eco Machines (environmentally friendly products) by the Japan Forming Machinery Association (JFMA).
We are striving to develop "human and environmentally friendly manufacturing processes" via our presses, and we are contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact of our customers' production facilities and of society.
*Overview of the MF Eco Machine Certification System
The MF Eco Machine Certification System is a certification standard established by the JFMA for "Eco Products" (i.e., environmentally friendly products). This certification system was established in April 2009 to promote the development of environmentally friendly products in the forming machinery industry as a means to reduce environmental impact and improve work environments. In the certification council, whose members include outside experts, JFMA uses its exclusive "MF Eco Machine Certification Standard" to evaluate, certify, and register products and then it publicly releases the results.
AIDA's UL Series Precision Forming Presses Achieve Resource and Energy Conservation through Net-Shape Forming
Net-shape forming is a forming method that results in a final "net" shape requiring no post-forming machining or grinding. The closer a forming process gets to the net shape, the lower the requirements become for materials and other resources. This includes electricity, as less is needed if there are fewer processes.
The UL Series not only make it possible to stamp certain parts that were impossible to form using conventional press forming methodologies, it also reduces environmental impacts and improves working environments. In recognition of these achievements, the UL Series was awarded the "Technology Grand Prize" in the "2018-2019 MF Technical Grand Prize" ceremony sponsored by JFMA.
We are constantly improving our resource-saving and energy-saving forming technologies to achieve environmentally friendly forming processes.
Regional & Community Support Activities
AIDA's Motto: "Contributing to People and Community"
The Opening of the AIDA EV Charging Station
As a manufacturer of industrial assets that play a role in the promotion of EVs, AIDA has opened the "AIDA EV Charging Station" to support the proliferation of EVs in the region at our Sagamihara headquarters in September 2023. The facility of the EV Charging Station for TESLA Vehicles: 4 Superchargers and for all EVs: 3 200v High-Speed Chargers will be open to local residents as well as the general public, and is intended to be utilized as part of the community charging infrastructure.
Factory Tours and Hands-On Learning
As part of our continuing efforts to support local education, we conduct factory tours for nearby middle school students and we also provide hands-on learning opportunities at our headquarters plant.
Local Activities
As the administrators of their respective industrial parks, our headquarters plant and our Tsukui Plant are actively involved in local activities, and they contribute locally by working to resolve any problems in the industrial parks while further enhancing relationships with neighboring companies and local governmental bodies.
