Daifuku’s Sustainability initiatives

  • Sustainability

Eiji Kawada
Associate Manager
Sustainability Promotion Dept.
Daifuku Co., Ltd.

In line with the renewal of the corporate website’s sustainability section, we interviewed Eiji Kawada of Daifuku’s Sustainability Promotion Department to get his insights on sustainability at Daifuku. In the interview, Kawada introduces Daifuku’s sustainability history, initiatives, and future focus areas.

Can you tell us about the history of sustainability at Daifuku?

Since early in our history, we have been contributing to society through our business, caring for the global environment, and striving to create a rewarding workplace. For example, our acquisition of ISO14001 certification for our Shiga and Komaki sites in 1999; the establishment of the Environmental Management Enhancement Committee in 2010, which we formed to address environmental issues from a management level; then we have the formulation of the Daifuku Environmental Vision 2020 in 2011; and the introduction of the Daifuku Eco Products Certification System in 2012.

While many of our starting initiatives were more focused on the environment, with the prominence of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and more recently ESG (environmental, social, and governance) and the Sustainability Development Goals (SDGs), our efforts have widened over the years to encompass a number of areas including climate change, human rights, diversity, and compliance, and we have begun to look at our sustainability with an eye toward the future.

On the point of ESG and the SDGs, what is our strategy? What initiatives are we engaged in currently?

We have positioned our three-year business plan Value Transformation 2023 and our Sustainability Action Plan as the two pillars of our management strategy and will contribute to achieving the SDGs through their implementation. The Sustainability Action Plan consists of five themes and 18 materialities (important issues): contribute to a smart society, maintain and improve the quality of products and services, enhance operational framework, respect human dignity, and contribute to the environment through business.

Five themes of the Sustainability Action Plan

Can you introduce specific initiatives that we are involved in?

Well, for the "contribute to a smart society" theme there is the materiality of "cater to customer needs through smart logistics," which is a goal directly related to our business. As the global trend toward automation and complex logistics accelerates, we expect to see more and more investment to solve labor shortages and improve productivity. We are further increasing the value we provide to stakeholders through the development of new, cutting-edge material handling technologies.

In terms of the theme "respect human dignity,” we have the materiality “protect employee health and safety,” through which we strive to eradicate workplace accidents. We are supporting this goal through the implementation of education and safety training centers. Another materiality in this theme is “respect human rights.” We must ensure the rights of all people connected to our business. To that end, we are currently developing a human rights due diligence system.

The Anzen Taikan Dojo is Daifuku’s safety training center in Japan. Daifuku Group members and those from partner companies can take part in a number of safety training simulations using a range of tools, including VR and specialized machines.

Under the "contribute to the environment through our business" theme, we set a CO2 emission reduction rate that we aim to meet by implementing energy-saving initiatives, investing in renewable energy, and by expanding our range of environmentally friendly products and services through our Daifuku Eco-Products Certification Program.

From a sustainability perspective, what are some areas that we want to apply more focus on over the next 1-5 years and how are we approaching those?

The materiality "respect human rights" mentioned just a moment ago requires consideration of human rights not only within the Daifuku Group but for our entire supply chain. A human rights due diligence system is necessary to help us identify and assess negative human rights impacts related to any part of our business, including our supply chain, and to correct, mitigate, and prevent them. If it becomes clear that an aspect of our business has contributed to a negative impact on human rights, we will ensure that appropriate and effective remedial measures are taken.
Human Rights

Another topic is our biodiversity initiatives. There is concern that business activities could damage the natural environment and degrade ecosystems. As a preventative measure for that, we continue to engage with our Yui Project, a biodiversity conservation initiative at our Shiga site in Japan. We are also looking at how we can expand this initiative to the entire Group and further deepen our commitment to biodiversity and natural capital.
Environmental Management

  • Yui no Mori – a forested area within Daifuku’s Shiga Works that is the focus of conservation and preservation activities for native fauna and flora, such as red pine trees and Japanese clouded salamanders. The area also acts as an educational tool for visitors.

  • Breeding of the endangered Japanese clouded salamander is supported through a conservation pond.

  • Over 700 native species, including 50 endangered and rare species, exist within Shiga Works’ grounds.

The initiatives and activities I mentioned earlier are all documented on Daifuku’s corporate website, and we continue to disclose information in a manner that ensures transparency and originality. I hope that visitors to our site will check out the sustainability section to learn more about Daifuku’s approach.

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