For the Environment? Becoming a Greener Factory in Cooperation with Taketoyo Town

Matsuo: AGC Group emphasizes the importance of the environment and in particular implements measures against the climate change problem. We manufacture glass using a lot of energy, and as one of our priorities we commit ourselves to developing technologies to help reduce energy use in our glass manufacturing processes. We are also determined to contribute to finding solutions to the problem of climate change by developing environmentally friendly products and fostering their use. We have incorporated these two medium- to long-term targets in our medium-term management plan and are now making specific development plans for such technologies and products.

Ohba: As a part of our integrated environmental management system, we, Aichi Plant, have a system in which employees can make declarations about what they will specifically do as teams and individuals after the plant has decided its annual action plan. We believe it essential for each and every employee to always keep in mind that they should play a role in bettering the environment.

Momiyama: Taketoyo Town obtained ISO 14001 certification in 2001 and has since been reviewing all the operations of the municipal government starting with its use of paper and electricity and treatment of waste. We have transferred the environmental know-how we obtained in the process to local public facilities, including schools and have also implemented measures to support local communities. For example, we have replaced the vehicles used for the delivery of school lunch food items with LNGpowered vehicles, fostered the introduction and use of photovoltaic devices, and encouraged local stores to charge shoppers a fee for throwaway plastic bags. In fact, the town has been historically recycling-oriented: for example, sake barrels made of high-quality Japanese cedar wood have been traditionally reused first as barrels for miso and then as barrels for Japanese pickles.

Funahashi: I have an impression that Taketoyo Town is highly environment-oriented. In this town, the Aichi Plant is committed to reducing its CO₂ emissions through technological innovations as the basic means to help prevent climate change and as an integral part of its business operations. On the other hand, the local government and communities are working to protect the environment through day-to-day measures. At the plant, located in the town that is highly aware of the importance of the environment, environment-conscious employees are manufacturing products. I believe that Aichi Plant will become a green factory which coexists within Taketoyo Town by devising measures and activities and supporting the next generation through this relationship.

Supporting Next Generation? To Develop Children of the Next Generation into Environment-Conscious Citizens

Sugata: Every year we send third-graders from local elementary schools to Aichi Plant, where they can observe the various manufacturing processes. We hope this will help children discover the joy of manufacturing. The plant of Asahi Glass is a representative plant in Taketoyo Town and is quite famous among local children. We therefore dispatch local pupils to the plant with ease of mind.

Masanobu Sakakibara: We try to keep our elementary school pupils learning through actual experience. The plant tour indeed provides them with a good opportunity to learn by observing actual manufacturing processes.

Takeo Sakakibara: We send the students of our junior high school to local business establishments and shopping malls to provide them with opportunities to see people working. There is a saying, “Seeing is believing,” and in fact our students can take pride in their hometown by seeing how Asahi Glass, which is a very large company, operates its manufacturing facilities in their town. The presence of the plant has a positive impact both on the town and our local students.

Mase: Taketoyo Town has a center for cultural creation named “Yumetaro Plaza,” where we are conducting activities to fuse art and science. There are many manufacturing companies in the town and we ask them to dispatch their employees as teachers for special science classes. I am very grateful that corporate employees are participating in such municipal activities to help nurture a scientific mind in children. In the activity, Asahi Glass employees introduced highly energy-efficient glass products and tempered glass to children. In the future, I expect Asahi Glass to introduce new leading-edge technologies as well.

Matsuo: Asahi Glass is engaged in the chemical field as well as in the glass field. This year we dispatched employees for the first time to elementary schools in Chiba Prefecture, where they gave special science classes in which pupils were able to observe chemical reactions through experiments. As a manufacturer, we are worried about the fact that children are now becoming less interested in science. Believing that it would be beneficial not only to manufacturers but also to schools and society at large to encourage elementary school pupils to have a greater interest in science, we are planning to continue such activities into the future.

Funahashi: In environmental education, we must guide children through the following four steps. First, we must provide them with an opportunity to “become aware” of an environmental problem. For example, they may recognize that climate change is a serious problem, and then they will start worrying about their future. Second, as a result of becoming aware of the problem, they will want to “learn,” for example, what has caused the climate change problem. Third, we must encourage them to “take action,” although it is much more difficult for them to take action than to become aware of the problem and learn something about it. There are indeed so many things that we know we must do but we cannot actually perform. Children, however, might be able to do something if local companies encourage them. By actually taking action, children will recognize how pleasant it is to contribute to the environment, although they first thought it tiresome, and then they will “communicate” the results to their parents and friends and encourage them to act with them. This is the fourth and last step. I believe it important that Taketoyo Town and Asahi Glass continue to cooperate to establish a local model for children to follow the aforementioned four steps, namely to “become aware” of a problem, “learn” something about it, “take action” for the problem, and “communicate” the results. In the course of building such a model, it will be clarified what kind of education is necessary for each of the four steps and in which step the company should hold plant tours for children. I expect that Asahi Glass will greatly assist local children, who will be next-generation leaders, to become highly conscious of the environment.

In Harmony with Local Communities? Becoming a Company That Local Residents Want to Exist Forever

Iwakawa: It has already been 40 years since Asahi Glass opened Aichi Plant in Taketoyo Town, when not a few of my classmates became employees of the plant.

Shigeno: In Taketoyo Town, land reclamation began in the latter half of the 1950s and Aichi Plant was constructed on reclaimed land. I have the impression that the plant has been operating in harmony with local communities since its foundation.

Momiyama: Historically the town has been growing along with local companies, and I think it would be great if Asahi Glass becomes a company that local residents naturally want to exist in the town forever.

Masanobu Sakakibara: We have a council to promote household education in the Taketoyo Elementary School District, which asks local residents to enjoy a range of activities with children and to teach them traditional games. Under such circumstances, we were able to win more votes regarding Asahi Glass's project to donate disaster-resistant laminated glass.

Eventually? Contributing to Making the Town a Place in Which Local Residents Can Take Pride

Mase: Taketoyo Town has a population of about 40,000, which is a size quite suitable for community activities. Considering that many Aichi Plant employees live in this town, more than 1,000 in fact, the plant can achieve more wonderful results in their CSR activities by interacting and sharing the same goals with other local residents.

Funahashi: Along with the 40-year history of the Aichi Plant, the trees and other vegetation within its premises have grown well enough. From the eyes of environmental professionals like us, the factory has a good ecosystem and enough green land where you can implement nature observation programs. I think the plant can publicize this more widely to society while endeavoring to make itself a greener factory. Aichi Prefecture will host the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Convention of Biological Diversity (COP10) in October 2010, but in my opinion there are still few activities conducted through close cooperation of companies and local residents in the prefecture. I think that Taketoyo Town is really unique in that the local government, schools, and companies make very close dialogue with one another. I believe this structure can immediately lead the town to take some approaches toward the conservation of biodiversity in cooperation with one another. By the way, I am afraid that the CSR Report of Asahi Glass does not introduce much about their employees to readers. In the next report, I expect that the company will give greater detail about people working for AGC Group.

Hisada: Reading the CSR Report, I feel it is most important for a company to provide employees with a work environment where they can work with satisfaction. It is essential for employees to be able to work with satisfaction and pride. I hope that Aichi Plant, where a lot of residents of Taketoyo Town are employed, will provide an even better work environment.

Ohba: I would like to thank you all for giving us your precious opinions today. We conduct activities adhering to the basic policy of managing the plant in a safe and secure manner while making contributions to local communities. We will make untiring efforts to build even better relations with local people and make the plant an even better workplace where employees can work with pride. We ask in advance for your continuous support.

Matsuo: I am pleased that Taketoyo Town and Aichi Plant have been having good relations, which provides a good example to other bases of AGC Group. As I said at the beginning of this meeting, AGC Group has been committed to protecting the environment, but we have still a lot of things to do to enlighten and educate employees about how each of them should think and act to help save our environment. In our human resource development efforts, it is essential to ensure individual employees understand the importance of the environment, as Mr. Funahashi pointed out. We must educate employees not only through desktop studies but also through actual experience. By doing so, we will contribute to the environment and to local communities even more. We ask you to continuously support us in our ceaseless efforts to become a company that can make contributions to a sustainable society by incorporating the opinions of our stakeholders.