Initiatives to Address Water Risk
Amid increasing public attention for water resources as a global sustainability requirement, the Group’s products and manufacturing processes use water as an essential resource. Therefore, TOK strives to minimize the volume of water consumed in production activities and to maintain and improve the quality of wastewater. The Group will continue to make environmental contributions through its business activities while monitoring water risks for global environmental conservation considering future generations as a material issue.
Water Usage Volume
In 2023, water use volume in Japan was 392,000 m3 with a decrease of 12.3% year-over-year and an increase of 7.1% compared to 2019. Water use at overseas sites also decreased by 20,000 m3 from the previous year to 218,000 m3; however, this was due to a decrease in domestic production and the transfer of overseas subsidiary manufacturing bases, which resulted in a 66-point increase in the base unit index (domestic and overseas total) compared to the previous year. Water use volume changes as manufacturing processes and output change. TOK will continue to reduce water use by monitoring the state of industrial water and city water use and reviewing the use of related equipment.
Water Risk Management
Water risks and other natural resource shortage risks are ranked among the ten greatest risks over the next ten years in the Global Risks Report 2024 published by the World Economic Forum (risk No. 4). To better understand the volume of water use at all sites around the world, the TOK Group clarified the respective risks of water supply, raw materials supply, manufacturing processes, and wastewater emissions from plants. TOK then examined the measures to implement for water risks in the supply chain, including water intake restrictions and flooding risks from natural disasters and the risk of business interruption resulting from water contamination.
Set a Medium- to Long-Term Target
The company implemented proactive measures to reduce water risks in 2018 and worked toward the attainment of company-wide targets since 2019. In 2023, TOK examined its reduction measures for the risk of contamination of piping and equipment at each site, water use operation, and measures to reduce natural disaster risks, and continued to perform the relevant activities based on the plans. As part of this, the company is focused on reducing water use through the full-scale operation of a pure water building (Koriyama), introduc tion of new circulation cooling equipment (Utsunomiya), and improvement in the water circula tion rate of existing cooling equipment (Aso). TOK will continue to implement risk reduction measures to attain the medium- to long-term target of reducing domestic water use by 15% from the 2019 level by 2030.
Future Issues and Initiatives
As part of the forest conservation and water resource conservation activities in areas with production sites, TOK has participated in conservation activities in the Aso region (Kumamoto Prefecture) and Lake Inawashiro (Fukushima Prefecture) since 2022 (➝ see page 109 “Conservation of Biodiversity”). Concerns are rising over the water stress that climate change may impose on water resources. If water intake restrictions, drainage restric tions, or other regulations are strengthened in the future in the regions where the TOK Group operates, water use by TOK Group plants may also be affected. Therefore, the Group will continue to work to reduce water use through water circulation and then reduce pollution risks from the perspectives of both reducing the environmental impact and business continuity.
Related Material Issue
