Protecting the Global Environment
and Utilizing Resources

—Contributing to the realization of
a sustainable global environment

With the number of natural disasters caused by climate change on the rise, addressing the issue of climate change has become a major social issue for companies. The AGC Group is no exception, having committed itself to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. There is also a growing need to reduce the environmental impact of products throughout their lifecycle, so we are working to make effective use of limited resources.

Addressing climate change

To curb climate change that causes natural disasters

Natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, and droughts occur frequently around the world. Seen as the cause of these disasters, climate change has become an issue threatening the safety of people in both developed and emerging countries. It is said that reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is the key to curbing climate change, and " zero," reducing overall GHG emissions to zero, is the desire of people around the world and a goal that must be realized for the future of our planet.

The AGC Group aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in its own production processes to realize a sustainable society. At the same time, we are working with our customers, the world's leading companies, to reduce GHG emissions in society as a whole by utilizing environmentally friendly products and technologies. With respect to building glass, for example, we develop and supply Low-E insulating glass with high thermal insulation and heat shielding properties as well as photovoltaic modules that incorporate the functionality of solar cells into the glass. Refrigerants used in air conditioners and other products have a large environmental impact, but AMOLEA®, a next-generation green refrigerant developed by the AGC Group, has a global warming potential (GWP*1) of less than one thousandth that of conventional products. It is garnering worldwide attention as an essential element in the prevention of global warming and is being applied to a wide range of fields from automobiles to housing.

*1 A coefficient showing the impact on global warming; a number indicating how much other greenhouse gases are capable of warming the Earth in comparison with CO2, which serves as a type of natural refrigerant

Aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050

In February 2021, the AGC Group declared its goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. As interim targets, we have set a 30% reduction in GHG emissions and a 50% reduction in GHG emissions per unit of sales by 2030 (total of Scope 1 and 2; reductions from 2019 levels). We are also seeking to help reduce GHG emissions through our products.

Addressing climate change
Thoughts from AGC Group employees facing up to the challenges

The use of renewable energy is essential to achieving net-zero carbon emissions. Here we introduce the challenges faced by employees involved in marketing Sunjoule®, a photovoltaic glass integrated with building materials that was developed based on the idea of turning urban structures into photovoltaic power plants.

Using resources effectively

Challenge to create a circular loop for all limited resources

Resources are a gift from the Earth, and all are finite. We need to move away from a "linear economy" based on mass production, mass consumption, and mass disposal, and shift to a "circular economy" that minimizes waste generation in order to maintain the value of resources for as long as possible.

To use limited resources effectively, the AGC Group is taking on the challenge of establishing a total resource recycling loop from raw materials to energy and water used in the product manufacturing process. The most effective way to make effective use of resources is to reduce the amount of virgin raw materials (raw materials made from natural resources) used in products and increase the proportion of recycled raw materials. The AGC Group is developing recycling technologies for glass and other materials. The AGC Group has also developed a super-insulating ceramic furnace wall called ThermotectWall®, which saves energy in the glass production process. We are promoting its application in various high energy-consuming industrial sectors such as steel, cement, and environmental fields.

Aiming for resource recycling in all phases of our business

The AGC Group promotes reduced use of new resources by effectively using limited resources and energy and encouraging the utilization of renewable resources. In one such initiative, we are striving to improve resource productivity (*2) for products including packaging and other materials and to maximize the recycling of resources. We will more thoroughly undertake the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) of waste that we have been pursuing as a basic environmental activity, and increase the proportion of recycled materials used with the aim of integrating resource recycling into all phases of our business. We will also seek to cut the amount of water used, prevent water pollution, and disclose the amount of water used throughout product life cycles.

*2 An overall indicator of how effectively resources are used, calculated as the ratio of the amount of natural resources and energy used to the production volume and economic value thereby created

Using resources effectively
Thoughts from AGC Group employees facing up to the challenges

ThermotectWall®, a super-insulated ceramic furnace wall for industrial furnaces, won the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Commissioner's Award (in the Business Model Category) at the 2015 Energy Conservation Awards. Hereinafter we introduce challenges that have been faced by employees working to expand sales channels for this product, which contributes to environmental protection.