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UBE Industries Publishes Responsible Care Report 2002

September 25, 2002

UBE Industries, Ltd. (President: Kazumasa Tsunemi) has released its 2002 Responsible Care report titled "Working for the Environment, Safety and Health,"a 28-page publication that covers related initiatives taken by the UBE Group during the fiscal 2001.

Implementation of environment-oriented management is one of the focus items in New 21.UBE, the Group's three-year management plan that began in April 2001, positioning environmental, safety and health issues as key components of management. Reflecting this stance, the Group,included a consolidated report on environmental, safety and health initiatives including data from UBE Industries and 11 major subsidiaries, in last year's report.

The 2002 publication covers many subjects. Readers can learn about the UBE Group's fundamental philosophy regarding environmental protection and safety, the framework used to conduct the required programs, and the development of environmental and safety activities over the years. Also included is information on the status of ISO and other third-party certifications. Other important subjects are the fundamental medium-term policy for environmental and safety activities, and major programs that the Group implemented during fiscal 2001.

The company adopted environmental accounting in fiscal 1999, providing a quantitative means to gauge the economic effects of environmental and safety programs relative to their cost.The data represent a valuable tool for making continuous improvements in the effectiveness of these programs. In fiscal 2001, as in the previous year, environmental accounting covered UBE Industries and 11 major subsidiaries.Environmental preservation expenses included capital investment of ¥1.99 billion and operating expenses of ¥8.79 billion. Major benefits included ¥2.69 billion in proceeds from sales of waste materials to companies outside the Group, and savings of ¥3.76 billion from energy savings.

In fiscal 2000, a project team overseen directly by the president formulated a medium-and long-term strategy to help prevent global warming. Covering the period to 2010, the strategy includes the goal of cutting total Group CO2 emissions to less than 94% of the fiscal 1990 level within the period. The Group Global Environment Preservation Committee was formed in April 2001 to implement and follow up on the necessary steps to achieve this target. Responsible for overseeing activities at UBE Industries and 11 major subsidiaries, the committee is chaired by Senior Managing Director Masayuki Asano, who serves as managing director of environmental and safety activities.

Regarding water pollution, the 2002 Responsible Care report includes, for the first time, data on nitrogen and phosphorous effluents. Also new to the report is information involving PRTR, under which the UBE Group is required to file reports (registration) with the government beginning this fiscal year.

In the area of industrial waste, the volumes of waste generated, recycled and sent to landfills are presented in graphs. Readers will also find a discussion on how UBE Industries is effectively utilizing waste materials.

Another section of the report explains UBE Industries' approach to occupational health and safety, the prevention of accidents, and product safety. There are examples of environmentally responsible technologies and products, such as a pressurized two-stage gasification system for waste plastics called the Ebara-Ube Process (EUP). Further demonstrating their commitment to the environment and safety, UBE Group companies conduct tours of their facilities and take other steps to maintain close ties with local residents near UBE plants.

Contact

For inquiries please contact
  • Ube Industries, Ltd.
  • General Affairs & Public Relations Group
  • Seavans North Building, 1-2-1 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-8449
  • Phone : +81-3-5419-6110
  • Contact us by Internet.