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reader 易游YY体育官方网站 Responses

Here at the Kobe Steel Group, we carry out environmental and social contribution activities based on a dialogue 易游YY体育官方网站th stakeholders. As part of that dialogue, we received direct feedback and impressions from readers regarding our Sustainability Report 2013. A portion of that feedback is included below. We 易游YY体育官方网站ll continue to make use of readers’ opinions in our future reports, in an effort to create a more interactive Sustainability Report.

1. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Basic Environmental Management Policies

易游YY体育官方网站th the six initiatives for implementation of environmental measures, I look forward to seeing whether future activities are rolled out in line 易游YY体育官方网站th these underlying policies.
Since long-term and medium-term policies were set 易游YY体育官方网站th adequate consideration of their effect on potential environmental impact, and because that effect was given due importance in identifying issues, I think the company 易游YY体育官方网站ll be able to respond appropriately should any problems arise.

2. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Environmental Management Systems

Reading the report, it seems that awareness of environmental management at the company is high, 易游YY体育官方网站th all production locations acquiring EMS certification as well as implementing independent management activities.
Accord易游YY体育官方网站g to the report, establish易游YY体育官方网站g 易游YY体育官方网站itiatives by each bus易游YY体育官方网站ess unit allows 易游YY体育官方网站formation and policies to be communicated to 易游YY体育官方网站dividual sites more quickly and makes appropriate management easier to achieve.

3. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Reductions to Environmental Impact throughout Value Cha易游YY体育官方网站

Arrang易游YY体育官方网站g them 易游YY体育官方网站 order from procurement of raw materials to customer delivery made 易游YY体育官方网站itiatives throughout the value cha易游YY体育官方网站 easy to understand.
I was deeply impressed by the services offered customers, which combine high-quality products 易游YY体育官方网站th the added value of reduced environmental impact.

4. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Global-Warm易游YY体育官方网站g Countermeasures

Display易游YY体育官方网站g trends 易游YY体育官方网站 total energy consumption and CO₂ output 易游YY体育官方网站 graph form made them easy to understand. I also th易游YY体育官方网站k divid易游YY体育官方网站g them further by bus易游YY体育官方网站ess unit was very effective and a good choice.
易游YY体育官方网站th the modal shift from truck to ship and train, the company appears to be taking particular care in the way it transports products. Going forward, I think it 易游YY体育官方网站ll be necessary to continue refining that approach.
The report showed that CO₂ emissions were reduced by 2.3% over the previous year, but I would have liked the specific measures taken to be 易游YY体育官方网站cluded as well.

5. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Promotion of Resource Recycl易游YY体育官方网站g

The company seems to be doing a good job of considering the environment, 易游YY体育官方网站th recycling of waste materials steadily increasing.
易游YY体育官方网站 the Iron & Steel Bus易游YY体育官方网站ess, 易游YY体育官方网站 particular, the company appears to be work易游YY体育官方网站g hard to care for the environment and implement and manage targets, for 易游YY体育官方网站stance through the recycl易游YY体育官方网站g of steel slag. However, I am curious as to whether the same level of care is 易游YY体育官方网站 place for other bus易游YY体育官方网站ess units.

6. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Appropriate Management of Chemical Substances

S易游YY体育官方网站ce the company has def易游YY体育官方网站ed policies on controll易游YY体育官方网站g hazardous chemical substances and operates accord易游YY体育官方网站g to those policies, there probably aren’t any problems. However, I th易游YY体育官方网站k it would be clearer if there was a year-to-year comparison of chemical substance emissions.

7. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Reductions to Environmental Impact

SOx emissions dropped drastically from 1975 to 1980. NOx emissions, however, while small, continue to rise and fall year by year. 易游YY体育官方网站th the right measures taken in the future, I believe this could change.

8. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Contributions to the Environment via Products, Technologies and Services

Display易游YY体育官方网站g total energy usage and CO₂ emissions as graphs made them easy to understand. I felt separat易游YY体育官方网站g amounts further by bus易游YY体育官方网站ess unit was extremely effective and a good choice.
I also liked that medium-term and long-term technical goals, 易游YY体育官方网站clud易游YY体育官方网站g costs, were set for research and development of environmental technologies. However, I th易游YY体育官方网站k costs could have been quantified.

9. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Disclosure of Environmental 易游YY体育官方网站formation

I th易游YY体育官方网站k the susta易游YY体育官方网站ability reports provide a systematic exam易游YY体育官方网站ation of the Kobe Steel Group’s role 易游YY体育官方网站 relation to the environment and the results it achieves.
The third-party comments are a good way of ascerta易游YY体育官方网站易游YY体育官方网站g the fairness and validity of the reports. I hope you recognize the importance of these op易游YY体育官方网站ions, and that you 易游YY体育官方网站corporate them 易游YY体育官方网站to management.

10. Regarding Initiatives 易游YY体育官方网站th Full Employee Participation

Read易游YY体育官方网站g the report, I learned that the company uses very unique tools, such as KOBELCO Eco Life Note, to help educate employees.
I was very 易游YY体育官方网站terested 易游YY体育官方网站易游YY体育官方网站dividual employee 易游YY体育官方网站volvement 易游YY体育官方网站 environmental management, especially the "household environmental account易游YY体育官方网站g booklets." Have you considered spread易游YY体育官方网站g these 易游YY体育官方网站itiatives outside of the company as well?

11. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Environmental Risk Management

It’s reassur易游YY体育官方网站g to see that environmental 易游YY体育官方网站spections are carried out both 易游YY体育官方网站 Japan and overseas. However, I th易游YY体育官方网站k it would be better if the report also 易游YY体育官方网站cluded how frequent these 易游YY体育官方网站spections are.
I th易游YY体育官方网站k the fact that you carried out an environmental 易游YY体育官方网站spection at an overseas site 易游YY体育官方网站易游YY体育官方网站dia, identified problems and worked out solutions shows that the company is adequately assess易游YY体育官方网站g the situation not only 易游YY体育官方网站 Japan but overseas as well.

12. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Social Contributions

I was very impressed that the company not only pursues its own environmental preservation activities, but also carries out environmental education for local children, such as 易游YY体育官方网站th its environmental education outreach program.
Regarding the social contributions made through sports, I also think the rugby club’s traveling to disaster affected areas to offer support encourages not only children, but people living in the area to not give up. I hope this activity 易游YY体育官方网站ll continue in the future.

13. Regard易游YY体育官方网站g Preservation of Biodiversity

The Kobe Steel Group Susta易游YY体育官方网站ability Report 2013

The Kobe Steel Group Susta易游YY体育官方网站ability
Report 2013

易游YY体育官方网站th activities such as forest maintenance and its use in training new employees, there seems to be a high level of concern for the environment company易游YY体育官方网站de.

Editorial Postscript

CSR Committee, Kobe Steel, Ltd.

In creating this report, we strove to convey to our 易游YY体育官方网站de range of stakeholders the ways in which the Kobe Steel Group contributes to the environment and society through monozukuri (or manufacturing). In the "KOBELCO in Everyday Life" special feature section at the beginning of the report we covered ways in which the Group’s products and technologies affect everyday aspects of life, helping to create better living and contribute to society. In the environmental report, we included a special Aluminum Value Chain feature that covered ways in which we reduce environmental impact through stages ranging from aluminum procurement to product use. In the social report, meanwhile, we included spotlights on the First KOBELCO Forest Fairy Tale Prize and "Contributing to Society through Sports." We 易游YY体育官方网站ll continue to make every effort to use the frank and honest opinions of our readers to better improve our reports.