Environmental Management
The Kubota Group has systematically established its environmental management systems in order to facilitate business operation throughout the entire value chain including business sites and operational divisions based on the Kubota Global Identity and the Environmental Charter. The Group also promotes environmental management that is appropriate for the type of business activities of the site/operational division. Production sites, in particular, are associated with large environmental loads related to energy and waste, as well as the risks of air pollution and water contamination. In order to properly address such risks, the Group has established environmental management systems based on ISO 14001 and EMAS, and is endeavoring to promote business management in accordance with the required rules and the continuous improvement of environmental conservation activities.
- Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations
- The Kubota Group's Environmental Management System
- Supplier Management
- Environmental Education and Enlightenment
- Status of Environmental Management System Certification Acquisition
Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations
To ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations and prevent environmental accidents, the Kubota Group conducts its business in accordance with the rules and regulations it has formulated in relation to environmental conservation.
For exhaust gas, wastewater, noise, vibration and other variables, the Group has set and thoroughly manages its own control values at each production site, which are stricter than the corresponding laws and regulations, and has also established a system to promptly report any instances of non-compliance or complaints relating to environmental laws and regulations to relevant government bodies and the head office.
Each year, the Kubota Group also conducts environmental audits to confirm that the environmental conservation systems and activities are properly implemented at each site, as well as environmental risk assessments to clarify the status of environmental risks and establish
improvements, with the aim of preventing the violation of environmental laws/regulations and environmental accidents.
Despite these efforts, however, in FY2023 we had two cases of inappropriate disposal of waste and two cases of wastewater exceeding regulation levels in Japan. We investigated any impacts on the surrounding environment and are working to prevent a recurrence. We were not subject to any fines or punishments.
The Kubota Group's Environmental Management System
The diagram below shows the structure of the environmental management system of the Kubota Group.
1. Environment-related Rules and Regulations
The Kubota Group has formulated environment-related rules and regulations based on its internal control system, targeting Kubota Corporation, all of its consolidated subsidiaries and a part of its affiliated companies accounted for under the equity method that are highly significant in its environmental management.
The rules and regulations are classified as follows:
These rules and regulations are reviewed every year, according to the business environment and revisions of laws and regulations. The latest version of these rules and regulations are available on the Group portal site, allowing employees around the world to refer to them.
2. Investigation and Management of Environmental Data for Understanding by the Kubota Group
In order to practice environmental conservation activities on a global scale, the Kubota Group utilizes the “KUBOTA Ecology Data E-System” (KEDES) to collect environmental data, which includes information from our business sites on their energy usage, amounts of generated and discharged waste, water usage, and VOC emissions, etc.
“KEDES” is a system that collectively manages environmental data at global business sites. Staffs at each business site register monthly environmental data, which is used for target management of their own site. The Environmental Protection Department aggregates and analyzes the data, and uses it for reporting inside and outside the group. The boundary of the environmental data aggregation covers Kubota Corporation and all (100%) of its consolidated subsidiaries.
3. Environmental Auditing
Each year, the Environmental Protection Department conducts an environmental audit that incorporates a document audit targeting all production sites, service sites, offices, and construction and maintenance management departments in Japan, as well as overseas group production sites.
Moreover, in addition to the environmental audit by the Environmental Protection Department, annual internal environmental audits are conducted at production sites. Through these means, and by taking the initiative to self-check the status of environmental management, every effort is being made to further improve management levels.
All of the audit results are reported to the President and management at the Company-wide Risk Management Committee in accordance with the company-wide internal control system.
Number of sites | 287 (274 sites and 13 agricultural machinery sales companies) |
---|---|
Number of audit items | 29 (for production sites) up to 54 (for service sites)
|
Audit details | Water and air quality management, noise and vibration management, waste discharge and chemical substance management, climate change prevention, response to abnormalities and emergencies, and environmental management system |
Production sites |
Offices | Service sites | Construction departments |
Maintenance management departments*2 |
Total number of sites audited |
|||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Agricultural machinery distributors |
Other | |||||||
Group companies in Japan |
Number of sites audited |
25 | 80 | 13 companies*1 | 85 | 44 | 8 | 255 |
Number of audit items |
45 | 42 | 54 | 54 | 39 | 31 | ||
Overseas group companies |
Number of sites audited |
32 | — | — | — | — | — | 32 |
Number of audit items |
29 |
- *1.For agricultural machinery distributors, the audit was conducted on a company basis instead of on a site basis.
- *2.Departments engaged in the business of operation or maintenance of environmental plants
4. Environmental Risk Assessment
Environmental risks for facilities are evaluated from the function and management methods, etc., of environment-related equipment, and for facilities that are deemed to require countermeasures, risk reduction activities are promoted to strengthen equipment and management countermeasures until environmental risks are at an acceptable level.
The Kubota Group is proactively working to further reduce environmental risks by conducting environmental audits and environmental risk assessments - two activities with differing perspectives in parallel.
5. Environmental Patrols
At each site, environmental patrols are carried out to meticulously assess the entire site and confirm the absence or presence of conditions that may lead to environmental accidents or violations of environmental laws and regulations. The Kubota Group aims to reduce environmental risks by conducting environmental patrols and finding situations that may cause any abnormalities at an early stage.
6. Drills for Responding to Abnormal and Emergency Situations
The Kubota Group is working to identify and minimize environmental risks associated with its business activities through risk-specific response procedures.
We are also conducting drills each year based on response procedures that assume the outbreak of environmental accidents or situations that could arise in environmental accidents, in order to mitigate the impact on the ambient environment.
7. On-site Investigations of Waste Treatment Contractors and Purchasers of Valuable Resources
In order to promote the proper treatment of waste and other materials including valuable resources at its operating sites in Japan, the Kubota Group is increasingly employing the services of top-rated certified operators.
At the same time, the Group has stipulated internal rules for conducting on-site investigations of industrial and other recyclable waste treatment contractors, as well as purchasers of valuable resources. With the use of a system for sharing investigation reports, we are taking steps to spread the load of handling investigation tasks and to make them more efficient.
In FY2023, on-site investigations were conducted only at sites where on-site checking was required due to local government ordinances and so forth. At other sites, we conducted investigations based on published information of treatment contractors and so forth. Looking ahead, we will continue to conduct investigations that increase validity to promote appropriate treatment.
Supplier Management
The Kubota Group promotes measures to protect the environment, working closely with suppliers who support our environmental management.
As a specific example of activities, Kubota Agricultural Machinery (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. (China) conducts “environmental patrols” of existing suppliers to verify compliance with environmental laws and requests suppliers to take recommended steps for addressing any points for improvement found with the goal of minimizing the risk of supply stoppages for procured components. For new suppliers, patrols are carried out prior to their approval, with only those verified as legally compliant selected as new suppliers.
Environmental Education and Enlightenment
1. Results of Environmental Education in 2023
We conduct environmental education and awareness raising for Kubota Group employees through rank-based training, professional training by subject, and e-learning.
Classification | Course title | Frequency | No. of participants | Course description |
---|---|---|---|---|
Education by employee-level | ESG Forum for executive management | 1 | 470 | Lecture titled “Climate Change, Water, Resources, and Biodiversity: Environmental Issues Surrounding Kubota’s Business and Their Countermeasures” by Professor Taikan Oki (PhD), Special Advisor to the President, and Professor at Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo |
Training for new employees in staff positions | 1 | 329 | Global and local environmental issues and the Kubota Group’s environmental conservation activities | |
Training for newly appointed foremen | 1 | 6 | The Kubota Group’s environmental management and efforts as foremen | |
Training for newly appointed supervisors | 2 | 52 | The Kubota Group’s environmental management and efforts as supervisors | |
Professional education by subject | Basics of environmental management | 1 | 18 | Basic knowledge of environmental legal systems, environmental risk, and environmental conservation |
Waste management (Basic) | 2 | 58 | Waste Management and Public Cleansing Law and waste management | |
Waste management (Advanced) | 1 | 11 | Waste management and resource recycling-related laws and waste management and reduction | |
Environment-related facility management | 1 | 9 | Pollution prevention-related laws and pollution prevention technologies | |
ISO 14001 introductory course | 1 | 17 | Overview of ISO 14001 | |
Education to train ISO 14001 environmental auditors | 2 | 53 | The ISO 14001 standard, environment-related laws, audit techniques | |
e-learning | Environmental management of overseas production sites | 1 | 1,016 | Key points of the Kubota Group’s environmental management rules for overseas production sites |
Total | 14 | 2,039 |
2. Environmental Achievement Awards
The Kubota Group presents the Environmental Achievement Awards to commend individuals and groups that have made notable contributions to environmental conservation, as well as to boost the Group's employees' environmental conservation awareness and activate their environmental activities.
In FY2021, environmental conservation activities were evaluated targeting five categories: production, non-production, product, education and awareness raising, and social contribution. Twenty activities were awarded for their achievements in energy saving, waste reduction, VOC reduction, environmental risk reduction, development of environment-friendly products, social contribution activities and so on. Five of these were awarded as the Excellent Prize.
We will continue to award excellent initiatives that contribute to regional or global environmental conservation, and encourage sharing of the details of such initiatives within the Group, with the aim of further activating environmental conservation activities.
-
Environmental Achievement Award Excellent Prize in 2023
Category | Company, department | Theme |
---|---|---|
Production | Siam Kubota Corporation Co., Ltd. (Thailand) | Working towards Net Zero-emission |
Non-production | Kubota Global Institute of Technology (KGIT) (Japan) | Project aimed at realizing “environmentally friendly facilities that make contributions to society” in KGIT construction |
-
Environmental Achievement Awards in 2023 by categories
-
Category Classification, No. of winners Production Excellent Prize: 1,
Encouragement Award: 12Non-production Excellent Prize: 1,
Encouragement Award: 4Product Encouragement Award: 5,
Special Award: 1 -
Category Classification, No. of winners Education and awareness-raising Education and Awareness-Raising Award: 2 Social contributions Social Contributions Award: 1
Status of Environmental Management System Certification Acquisition
The Kubota Group requires all of its production sites to acquire ISO 14001 certification or other equivalent environmental certification (EMAS, etc.).
As of the end of December 2023,48 sites worldwide (coverage rate of 89.6%) have acquired environmental management system certification.
In Japan, all of its 24 production sites (coverage rate* of 100%) have acquired ISO 14001 certification. Of its overseas production sites, 24 sites (acquisition rate* of 76.9%) have acquired ISO 14001 certification or other certification for environmental management systems. The Kubota Group will make continuous efforts to raise the coverage rate of the certification.
- Coverage rate is calculated on a production money amount basis.
1. ISO 14001 Certification
The list includes non-production sites.
No | Name | Other Organizations and Subsidiaries Included | Main Business |
Inspecting/Certifying Organization | Date of Certification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Tsukuba Plant | Eastern Main Parts Center Tsukuba Training Center Kanto Kubota Precision Machinery Co., Ltd. |
Engines, agricultural machinery | LRQA | November 28, 1997 |
2 | Keiyo Plant | Distribution Center | Ductile iron pipe, fittings spiral welded steel pipe | LRQA | July 16, 1998 |
3 | Ichikawa Plant | Spiral welded steel pipe | LRQA | July 16, 1998 |
|
4 | Hanshin Plant | Marushima Factory | Ductile iron pipes, fittings, rolling-mill rolls, TXAX | LRQA | March 5, 1999 |
5 | Kyuhoji Business Center | KUBOTA Environmental Engineering Corporation
KUBOTA Membrane Corp. KUBOTA Keiso Corp. |
Measuring instruments, measuring systems, rice-milling products, waste shredder systems, submerged membranes, and mold temperature controllers, commercial air purifier | DNV | March 19, 1999 |
6 | Hirakata Plant | Valves, cast steel, and construction machinery | LRQA | September 17, 1999 |
|
7 | Okajima Business Center | Industrial cast iron products | JICQA | December 22, 1999 |
|
8 | Sakai Plant, Sakai Rinkai Plant | Agricultural machinery, construction machinery, engines and related equipment | LRQA | March 10, 2000 |
|
9 | Shiga Plant | FRP products | JUSE | May 18, 2000 |
|
10 | Water Circulation Business Unit | Shin-Yodogawa Plant | Sewage and sludge treatment, water purification, wastewater treatment facilities, submerged membrane | ICJ | July 14, 2000 |
11 | Environmental Solutions Division Environmental Machinery Dept. | Sewage and water purification plants, pumps and pump stations | ICJ | July 14, 2000 |
|
12 | Utsunomiya Plant | Utsunomiya Training Center | Rice transplanters and combine harvesters | LRQA | December 8, 2000 |
13 | Kubota Global Institute of Technology | Agricultural machinery, construction machinery and related equipment | LRQA | September 1, 2023 |
No | Name | Other Organizations and Subsidiaries Included | Main Business |
Inspecting/Certifying Organization | Date of Certification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Nippon Plastic Industry Co., Ltd. | Head office and plant, Mino Plant | Plastic pipes, plastic sheets | JSA | October 27, 2000 |
2 | Kubota Construction Co., Ltd. | Design and construction of civil engineering structures and buildings | JQA | December 22, 2000 | |
3 | KUBOTA Environmental Engineering Corporation 【formerly Kubota Environmental Service Co., Ltd.】 |
Installation, maintenance and management of environmental systems for service water, sewage, landfill disposal, raw waste and waste plants. | MSA | November 20, 2002 | |
4 | Kubota ChemiX Co., Ltd. | Tochigi Plant | Plastic pipes and couplings | JUSE | March 27, 2003 (integrated authentication in 2011) |
Sakai Plant | |||||
Odawara Plant | |||||
Hanshin Plant | |||||
Kyushu KUBOTA Chemical Co., Ltd. | |||||
Okinawa Kubota Kasei Co., Ltd. | |||||
5 | KUBOTA Air Conditioner Co., Ltd. | Tochigi Plant | Central air conditioning systems | JQA | August 27, 2004 |
6 | Kansouken Inc. | Package software supporting water business | JCQA | April 14, 2014 |
No | Name | Main Business, Service, etc |
Inspecting/Certifying Organization | Date of Certification |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | SIAM KUBOTA Corporation Co.,Ltd.[Headquarters](Thailand) | Small diesel engines and agricultural machinery | BSI | February 28, 2003 |
2 | P.T. Kubota Indonesia (Indonesia) | Diesel engines and agricultural machinery | LRQA | February 10, 2006 |
3 | Kubota Materials Canada Corporation (Canada) | Cast steel products, TXAX | SGS (U.S.) | June 15, 2006 |
4 | KUBOTA Precision Machinery (Thailand) Co.,Ltd. (Thailand) | Equipment for tractors | LRQA | August 5, 2015 |
5 | Kubota Manufacturing of America Corporation (U.S.) | Small-sized tractors, mowers, utility vehicles and tractor accessories | SGS | September 20, 2012 |
6 | SIAM KUBOTA Corporation Co., Ltd.[Amata Nakorn](Thailand) | Tractors and combine harvesters | LRQA | September 27, 2012 |
7 | KUBOTA SANLIAN PUMP (ANHUI) Co., Ltd. (China) | Pumps | CCSC | May 29, 2013 |
8 | Kubota Agricultural Machinery (SUZHOU) Co., Ltd. (China) | Combine harvesters, rice transplanters and tractors | SGS | November 13, 2013 |
9 | Kubota Construction Machinery (WUXI) Co., Ltd. | Construction machinery | SGS | December 11, 2014 |
10 | SIAM KUBOTA Metal Technology Co., Ltd. (Thailand) | Cast iron products for engines and tractors | MASCI | December 19, 2014 |
11 | Kubota Engine (WUXI) Co ., Ltd. (China) | Diesel engines | SGS | March 22, 2015 |
12 | Escorts Kubota Limited (India) | Farmtrac Series Tractors, Tractor Transmission, Components and Tractors Spare Parts, Earth Moving and Construction Equipment, Railway Equipment | TÜV EGAC |
May 25, 2015 |
13 | KUBOTA Engine(Thailand) Co., Ltd. (Thailand) | Diesel engines | LRQA | July 3, 2015 |
14 | Kubota Farm Machinery Europe S.A.S (France) | Tractors | BV (France) | February 20, 2017 |
15 | KUBOTA KASUI VIETNAM CO., LTD. [Binh Duong] (Vietnam) | Chemical agents for water treatment | Inspect | May 22, 2018 |
16 | Kverneland Group Manufacturing Lipetsk (Russia) | Tractor accessories | Russian Register | June 6, 2018 |
17 | Kubota (U.K.) Ltd. (U.K.) | Sales of Tractor, Construction machinery, Diesel engines | CQS | July 23, 2021 |
LRQA: LRQA Limited(U.K.)
DNV: DNV Certification B.V.(Netherlands)
JUSE: Union of Japanese Scientists and Engineers ISO Center
ICJ: Intertek Certification Japan Limited
JICQA: JIC Quality Assurance Ltd. (Japan)
JSA: Japanese Standards Association
JQA: Japan Quality Assurance Organization
MSA: Management System Assessment Center (Japan)
JCQA: Japan Chemical Quality Assurance Ltd
MASCI: Management System Certification Institute (Thailand)(Thailand)
SGS(U.S.): Systems & Services Certification,a Division of SGS North America Inc.(U.S.)
BSI: BSI Assurance UK Limited(U.K.)
SGS: SGS United Kingdom Limited(U.K.)
BV: Bureau Veritas Certification Holding SAS - UK Branch(U.K.)
Ínspect: Ínspect Uluslarasi Beglgelendirme ve Gözetim Hiz. Tic. Ltd. Şti.
CCSC: China Classification Society Certification Co.,Ltd(China)
TÜV: TÜV SÜD South Asia Private Limmited,Mumbai(India)
EGAC: Egyptian Accreditation Council(India)
BV(France): Bureau Veritas Certification France(France)
CQS: Certified Quality Systems Limited(U.K.)
2. EMAS certification
No | Name | Main Business |
Inspecting/Certifying Organization | Date of Certification |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Kubota Baumaschinen GmbH(Germany) | Construction machinery | IHK | January 3, 2013 |
IHK: Industrie- und Handelskammer fur die Pfalz(Germany)