Sustainability
NGK’s Core Policy on the Environment
In April 2021, the NGK Group established the NGK Group Vision: Road to 2050 along with the NGK Group Environmental Vision. The NGK Group Environmental Vision is centered on making contributions to carbon neutrality, a recycling-oriented society, and harmony with nature. In April of the same year, we revised NGK’s Core Policy on the Environment based on the NGK Group Environmental Vision. On the basis of the revised policy, the NGK Group works to reduce the environmental impact of business activities, and actively strives to help protect the environment by developing products and technologies to that end by following the Guidelines for Environmental Action.
NGK Group Environmental Vision
NGK’s Core Policy on the Environment
Recognizing that protecting the environment is a vital issue that all of humanity must face, the NGK Group formulated its Core Policy on the Environment in April 1996 in order to bring its corporate activities into harmony with the environment. Based on the NGK Group Environmental Vision announced in April 2021, we will promote initiatives to contribute to carbon neutrality, a recycling-oriented society, and harmony with nature. On the basis of this policy, the NGK Group works to reduce the environmental impact of business activities, and actively strives to help protect the environment by developing products and technologies to that end.
Revised in April 2021
Guidelines for Environmental Action
- Strive to develop, design, and manufacture products that contribute to the environment and products with low environmental impact.
- Work to reduce the environmental impact arising from business activities.
Conduct design reviews to scientifically study and evaluate the environmental impact of business activities.- Promote energy conservation measures and expand the use of renewable energy for all processes and facilities, and make efforts to control CO2 emissions.
- Promote resource saving and recycling, and make efforts to control the generation of by-products.
- Manage the risks of water resources and strive to make effective use of water in our business activities.
- Through the appropriate use and control of chemical agents, work to reduce the risks inherent in toxic substances.
- Give precedence to environmentally friendly materials, parts, products, and facilities in procurement and purchasing, strengthening cooperative alliances with our business partners.
- Enhance environmental management systems from a global perspective while continuously reducing our environmental impact.
- Not only abide by environmental laws, regulations, and other requirements, but also institute voluntary standards and work to improve our own environmental conservation.
- Provide environmental information to the public at the appropriate time and pursue dialogue with all stakeholders. Proactively develop social action programs. Also, engage in education and publicity in order to improve employees’ environmental consciousness.
Scope of Application
All NGK Group Sites
- NGK: Head Office, Nagoya Site, Chita Site, Komaki Site, Ishikawa Plant, Tokyo Main Office, Osaka Branch, and six other sales offices
- Group companies: 45 consolidated subsidiaries
Use of Green Bonds*
In December 2021, the NGK Group issued its inaugural green bond (unsecured corporate bond), which aims to achieve its goals of NGK Group Vision: Road to 2050 and NGK Group Environmental Vision. The proceeds of the green bonds will be used to finance carbon-neutral R&D and the Group’s decarbonization projects, all designed to put the vision into practice. NGK’s green bond framework has received the highest rating of Green 1 (F) in the JCR Green Finance Framework Evaluation of Japan Credit Rating Agency, Ltd. (JCR), a third-party agency.
Green bonds: Bonds issued with limits on the use of proceeds, which is specifically for projects that improve the environment