In order to offer products and services stably well into the future, the Tokio Marine Group has been conducting research into risks associated with climate change risks and global warming, as well as promoting the development and provision of products and services that are responsive to these new risks.
The Tokio Marine Group consumes a large volume of paper resources and energy in the course of its business activities. The Group has been making continued efforts to reduce to the maximum extent possible these types of environmental impact.
Promoting Environmental Management Systems
The Tokio Marine Group advances its global environmental protection activities by appointing key personnel for promoting social and environmental activities at major member companies of the Group.
Since FY1999, the Head Office of Tokio Marine & Nichido has adopted an environmental management system based on the ISO14001 environmental management standard. Tokio Marine & Nichido Facilities has adopted the system since FY2006. Tokio Marine & Nichido (excluding the head office) and all domestic member companies of the Tokio Marine Group have introduced a unique environmental management system of their own ("Green Assist"). In addition, steps are being taken to protect the global environment through the implementation of the plan-docheck- act (PDCA) cycle and to reduce the environmental impacts from business activities. The Group will also expand the scope of its understanding of the environmental impact data related to overseas Group member companies. Internal and external audits based on ISO14001 have detected no major problems or violations of environmental laws, and no complaints from customers regarding the environment have been filed with the Tokio Marine Group.
Reducing the Environmental Impacts from Business Activities
Each member company of the Tokio Marine Group has been promoting energy conservation activities, including the introduction of energyefficient buildings and facilities, setting office air conditioners at appropriate temperatures and turning off lights during lunch breaks.
Moreover, the Group has undertaken initiatives to reduce the amount of paper used by promoting paperless and other measures based on the elimination and digitization of various types of books and slips.
In FY2008, the volume of CO2 emissions produced by buildings used by domestic Group member companies totaled 68,637t-CO2, which is attributable to an expansion in the scope of data calculation and a shift in the CO2 emission coefficient related to the use of electric power. The amount of paper used by Tokio Marine & Nichido totaled 10,065 tons, a reduction of 10.4% on the previous fiscal year.
As a medium-term target, Tokio Marine & Nichido has established a 6% reduction in CO2 emissions against the FY2006 level by FY2012.In FY2008, the amount of CO2 emitted was 63,801t-CO2,* which is an increase of 2% on FY2006 but a decrease of 2.4% on FY2007.
* In order to reflect reduction efforts more accurately, the total amount of CO2 emitted by Tokio Marine & Nichido was calculated using the FY2006 coefficient.
| Units | FY2007 | FY2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electric power used | 1000 kWh | 108,886 | 119,958 |
| Gas used | 1,000m3 | 1,614 | 1,447 |
| Other fuel used | GJ | 53,367 | 55,860 |
| Gasoline used | kl | 4,533 | 4,663 |
| Water used | 1,000m3 | 537 | 535 |
| Paper used*2 | t | 11,230 | 10,065 |
- Method of calculating environmental-impact data
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The volumes of paper and gasoline used constitutes performance data. The volumes of electric power, natural gas, other fuel and water used has been calculated as percentages of floor areas used in the Company buildings (not including areas occupied by tenants).
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The CO2 emission volume is calculated based on the amount of electricity, natural gas, other fuel and gasoline used. For natural gas, gasoline and other fuel, the emissions coefficient pursuant to the "Calculation, Reporting and Publication System for Greenhouse Gas Emissions" is used. For electric power and natural energy, emissions coefficients from power suppliers are used.
(Reference value) Estimated values for the total CO2 emission volume of the Tokio Marine Group in FY2008—which have been calculated by multiplying the total floor space by the CO2 emission volume per floor space used—totaled 90,329t-CO2, with 71,741t-CO2 of this amount emitted by Tokio Marine & Nichido (65,401t-CO2 in FY2007).
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The volumes of paper and gasoline used constitutes performance data. The volumes of electric power, natural gas, other fuel and water used has been calculated as percentages of floor areas used in the Company buildings (not including areas occupied by tenants).
■Emissions of carbon dioxide from energy sources (Tokio Marine Group (Japan) )
* 1: 25 Member Companies of the Tokio Marine Group Although 94 company buildings were covered in FY2007, the number has increased to 225 buildings (equivalent to approximately 77% of the floor space used by all member companies) in FY2008.
* 2: Numerical values are for Tokio Marine & Nichido only
Initiatives to Become Carbon Neutral
Making the Transition to Carbon Neutral Business Operations
Tokio Marine & Nichido offsets the CO2 emissions produced by its business activities with the purchase of green electricity, mangrove afforestation that absorbs CO2 emissions and the retirement of emission credits. With the shift of the Company's domestic offices to carbon neutral operations*1 at the end of FY2007, Tokio Marine & Nichido has become the first Japanese financial institution to be independently verified*2 as "carbon neutral.“
The Tokio Marine Group aims to become entirely carbon neutral by the end of FY2011 by further promoting efforts to reduce its environmental impact.
* 1: The carbon neutral state means that carbon dioxide emitted in the course of a company's business activities is in volume equivalent to carbon dioxide absorbed and reduced by way of afforestation, use of natural energy and acquisition of carbon credits by such a company.
* 2: Ernst & Young ShinNihon Sustainability Institute Co., Ltd.
| CO2 emissions associated with domestic business activities in FY2007 | 65,401 ｔ-CO2 |
| Green electricity purchased in FY2007 | (555) ｔ-CO2 |
| CO2 removals by mangroves in FY2007 | (30,000) ｔ-CO2 |
| CO2 offset by retirement of Kyoto credits | (35,000) ｔ-CO2 |
| Net Total | (154) ｔ-CO2 |
|---|
Mangrove Afforestation Project
■Afforestation targets and performance
(as of FY2008 year-end)(in hectares)
Taking into account the volume of CO2 emissions produced by the Company‘s business activities that afforestation is able to absorb, Tokio Marine & Nichido began implementing a mangrove afforestation project in 1999 in South East Asia. Between FY1999 and FY2008, 5,901 hectares of forests had been planted in six countries. Tokio Marine & Nichido began the third phase of this project in FY2009 with the objective of planting 2,300 hectares over five years ending in FY2013 in seven countries—among which India has recently been included. This project has been implemented in partnership with the nongovernmental organizations Action for
Mangrove Reforestation (ACTMANG), OISCA and the International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems (ISME).
Mangrove trees help prevent global warming by absorbing a large volume of carbon dioxide and can serve as bulwarks to protect people from tsunamis and other hazards. In the tsunami that occurred in the Indian Ocean as a result of the earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in December 2004, villages situated behind mangrove plantations were protected from the tsunami. In addition, by providing fishery, forestry and other resources essential to local residents' lifestyles, mangrove trees contribute to sustainable development in the areas in which they are planted. This, in turn, stabilizes and improves the lives of these residents.
Tokio Marine & Nichido has declared its intention to continue with this mangrove afforestation project, which protects both the earth and people's lifestyles, for 100 years.
| Project phases(FY) | Afforestation performance(ha) | |
| Phase 1 | 1999-2003 | 3,444 |
| Phase 2 | 2004-2008 | 2,457 |
- Comment from a Participant in the Mangrove Afforestation Project
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Emily Ngan
Accounting Manager, Vietnam International Assurance Company
Ten years ago, in my home town located in southern Vietnam, we were able to swim and go fishing in the river. But now, everything has changed. We cannot swim in the river anymore and we cannot find any fish because they cannot live in the polluted water. The environment for living surrounding us has deteriorated.
In Vietnam, people have not recognized the importance of "Green Forests." However, thanks to this Mangrove tour, people will start thinking about the importance of protecting our environment. Joining the Mangrove tour, I had a chance to meet friends from Japan, experience mangrove planting, and enjoy pure water, and air, and have a good time with children.
The tour was an exciting and valuable experience for me. I hope I will have a chance to join the "Green Volunteers Mangrove Planting" again.
- Comment from a Participant in the Mangrove Afforestation Project
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Nguyen Thuy Van
sVietnam International Assurance Company
I am very happy that I was a member of the mangrove tour. It was my first time to see the mangroves, and to know how they were planted. It was an extremely valuable experience for me. I had never before seen a social activity that contributes to environmental protection and connects people as much as this tour. I hope all of the mangroves we have planted will grow and lead to the protection of our environment.
I hope this program will continue to be given in Vietnam or other countries where they need protection. If I have a chance to participate in the tour again, I would like to do so.
- Comment from a Participant in the Mangrove Afforestation Project
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Kazuko Saito,
Deputy Manager,
Japanese Business Development Department
Vietnam International Assurance Company
The mangrove planting experience in Nha Trang was extremely valuable to me. It is about six and a half years since I began living in Vietnam. As mangrove forest tours depart regularly from Ho Chi Minh City, my image of mangroves was that they are one of those things that we enjoy seeing; so I was very impressed when I was able to plant mangrove saplings myself. While we worked at planting under the scorching sun, I worried whether or not we would pass out. But we made it safely and felt a shared sense of accomplishment, which brought great joy to me. I was glad that I had been involved in an environmental conservation activity. I hope that I will get the chance to see those saplings grown into mangrove trees someday.
