Nature conservation activity of:
NIPPON YUSEN KABUSHIKI KAISHA
| URL: | http://www.nyk.com/ |
| Liaison: | Safety & Environment Group |
| Address: | 3-2, MARUNOUCHI 2 CHOME, CHIYODA-KU, TOKYO, Japan |
| Telephone: | +81-3-3284-5214 |
| FAX: | +81-3-3284-3236 |
| Mail: | ENVIRONMENT @ jp.nykline.com |
1. Corporate principles or corporate policies on Biodiversity
The NYK Group's environmental Green Policy
We, the NYK Group, adopt responsible practices with due regard to the environmental impacts of our corporate activities. We set and continually review objectives and targets for achieving our goal to protect our entire global environment.
We seek not only to comply with safety and environmental regulations but also to implement in-house standards to improve our environmental performance and prevent pollution.
We commit ourselves to the safe operation of all our logistics services via sea, land, and air-transport modes, including not only our oceangoing vessels but also our waterfront, inland, and air-transport services, as well as terminal and warehouse operations.
We seek to reduce environmental loads by efficiently using resources, saving energy, reducing waste, encouraging material recycling, and particularly by minimizing emissions of greenhouse gases, ozone-depleting substances, and toxic matter.
We endeavor to minimize environmental loads and adopt environmentally friendly technologies when ordering and purchasing necessary resources, such as vessels and aircraft, for transportation services and cargo operations
We endeavor to use education programs to raise environmental awareness among our employees and to ensure that they recognize the essence of this Green Policy by actively addressing environmental concerns
We make wide-ranging social contributions in close partnership with local communities by disclosing environmental information and supporting environmental conservation initiatives
2. Activities on Biodiversity on the business operations
- Appropriate treatment of ballast water
Ships take on seawater (ballast water) and hold it in ballast tanks to maintain appropriate strength ans stability during voyages. In ballast water, there are shellfish, plankton, and other marine organisms and bacteria that travel great distances along the ship's route. Releasing the ballast water back into the sea near the destination port can harm a local ecosystem. Management of ballast water as therefore becomes a worldwide concern. To address the problem, the IMO adopted an international convention in 2004 that prohibits the discharge of ballast water unless it meets certain water quality standards. When the convention takes effect, ships will be required to install ballast water management systems that satisfy standards. NYK exchanges ballast water in open seas to avoid the introduction of marine organisms into foreign territorial waters. We also conduct research and development on devices and management systems to comply with international requirements to eliminate harmful marine organisms.
- Ballast water management systems
The Monohakobi Technology Institute, a member of the NYK Group, developed a ballast water management system for vessels as a joint project with the JFE Engineering Corporation and began onboard experiments on large cargo ships in November 2008.
The system first uses filters to remove large marine organisms and plankton from water as it is taken into the tank. These organisms then returned to their environment. Next, a chlorine sterilizer is mixed with the tank water, which is then stirred at a very high speed to treat smaller organisms and bacteria. Before water is discharged from the tank, chemicals are added to neutralize the first treatment so as not to harm the ecosystem at the point of discharge.- Environment-friendly coatings
We are actively using silicone coatings on our car carriers, container ships, and LNG ships because this coating prevents organisms from adhering and does not leach into the water.
- Green shipbreaking
NYK ships are in principle dismantled only at designated shipyards in China that have demonstrated a commitment to occupational safety and environmental standards. For proper safety and environmental care, we have begun an effort to create a list of the toxic substances used in ships.
3. Activities on Biodiversity as social responsible activities
- NYK Nature Fellowship
In 2006, NYK began the NYK Nature Fellowship project in collaboration with Earthwatch Institute's(http://www.earthwatch.org/) Japanese office, Earthwatch Institute - Japan, a nonprofit organization (NPO). The project sends 5 university students in Japan and 6 NYK Group staff members to overseas maritime environmental research sites every year and continues for five years. NYK would like the NYK Nature Fellowship participants to work towards achieving a better global society by utilizing the expertise and experience gained from their intercultural exchanges, maritime survey, and research work.
- Beach cleaning @ Shonan
In cooperation with the NPO Japan Seaborn Art Association and the Kanagawa Coastal Environment Foundation, approximately 160 people, including staff members from 21 NYK Group companies, their families, and friends, participated in a voluntary one-day beach cleaning which was dubbed "Beach Cleaning@Shonan" in May 2008 at Yuigahama and Zaimokuza beaches in Kamakura, Kanagawa prefecture.
For NYK, the project is aimed at group staff members who have strong ties to the sea and have received its benefits. Having a sense of gratitude and an understanding of the importance of the environment, these volunteers removed trash from the sandy beach. Waste collected over approximately one hour and weighing 350 kilograms included styrene, broken glass, nails, and cigarette butts. Throughout the day, everyone participating remained engaged in deep thought about the environment.
- Taking Care of the Coastal Forest
In March 2009, NYK held an event to take care of the woods planted near the Shonan coastal area to protect the town from beach sand, in collaboration with an NPO, Green Earth Center.
Staff members of the 7 NYK Group companies and their families gathered to join this event. The participants were separated into four groups and cut the grass of about 3,000 m2 under the trees, and collected some garbage as well.
4. Environmental Education
- Environmental movie
NYK screened, "Arctic Tale" and "An Inconvenient Truth" in 2008 and "The 11th Hour" in 2009. These environmental movies were presented to NYK Group members and their families attended as audience as part of the World Environment Day promotion. These screenings provided good opportunities to participants to easily think about environmental issues.
- Child event carried by university students, at NYK Maritime Museum
In Nov. 2008, the NYK Maritime Museum (http://www.nyk.com/rekishi/e/index.htm) held an event conducted by university students who had just returned from a research visit sponsored by the NYK Nature Fellowship. The students talked with children about the experiences, gave out quizzes, and made chopsticks cases and lunch mats with the children. The children enjoyed learning how important the sea is.
- Handmade chopsticks workshop
In Jul. 2008, we invited NPO, Solar City Japan, for a lecture on forest environmental preservation, and a handmade chopsticks workshop. NYK Group members participated in this event and learned the importance of the environment.
- NYK-Heyerdahl Projects
NYK supports research, study, and human resources education that concern environmental conservation, mostly in marine areas, by inviting public participation in projects that are run by research and educational organizations and that focus on reducing environmental risks or load in the shipping industry. NYK supports these activities financially; provides onboard environments, operational data, and research facilities; dispatches instructors; and carries out joint research and study.
- Cooperation with research organizations' marine environmental research
Based on its experience in operating a worldwide fleet of ships, NYK supports the efforts of international research organizations and also conducts joint research by providing vessels as an environmental research field.
- PR activities via group reports
We have installed an environmental column in our Yusen (Japanese version) and Seascope (English version) group reports. These columns introduce the environmental activities being conducted at our Group companies and urge employees to participate in our environmental campaigns. The result promotes communication between employees at various Group companies and raises employees' environment awareness.
- Execution of our environmental preservation campaign
Every year from June 5, Environment Day, we have been conducting an environmental preservation campaign called The Earth Is Our Home for NYK employees at domestic and foreign companies
- Execution of environmental e-learning
To improve environmental awareness among NYK Group employees, we conduct environmental education by e-learning from 2006.