Sustainability／SDGs Initiatives
- ARE Holdings SDG Approach
- Sustainability Promotion System
- Process for Determining Priority SDG-Related Goals Determination
- Priority SDG-related Goals
Approach to Sustainability
With "Totally Committed to Protecting the Natural Environment and Preserving Resources" as our Group's common shared purpose, we are committed to making effective use of resources and engaging in a wide range of environmental preservation activities. Based on the conviction that our business activities contribute to sustainability itself and that our business growth will directly help us to address social issues, we have established priority issues, themes, and targets, and are working hard to achieve them.
Sustainability Promotion System
We established the Sustainability Committee, which is overseen by the Representative Director and President (CEO) and includes corporate officers in charge of Business, Technology, and Administration units as members. Every quarter, the Sustainability Committee discusses sustainability-related strategies, plans, measures, risk management, and monitoring. Important matters are also to be reported to the Group Executive Committee.
In addition to reporting matters discussed by the Sustainability Committee to the Board of Directors, effective governance is ensured by having the Board of Directors pass resolutions on matters of import.
Materiality Identification Process
- Step 1. Begin investigating SDGs
- We formed a cross-functional SDGs Promotion Team (at the time) and began to look into and gain an understanding of SDGs.
- Step 2.Confirm the relevance of the SDGs to our business
- Based on the idea that our business activities such as the Precious Metals and Environmental Preservation Businesses themselves help to achieve a sustainable society (sustainability), we have identified the relationships between our businesses and the 17 goals and 169 themes of the SDGs in detail, as well as organizing them in terms of both risks and opportunities.
- Step 3.Consider priority goals and KPIs
- We held discussions with corporate officers of business units on matters of high importance and formulated priority themes and KPI proposals for the period through 2030.
- Step 4.Decide priority SDG-related goals
- All directors discussed the key goals and KPIs and determined the issues to be addressed by the Group.
Priority SDG-related Goals
| theme1 Expand precious metals recycling |
theme4 Reduce CO2 emissions |
| theme2 Supplying precious metals in ways that are friendly to people, society, and the environment |
theme5 Enhancement of work-life balance and diversity promotion |
| theme3 Expansion of proper industrial waste disposal |
theme6 Encourage and support SDG activities |
theme1
Expand precious metals recycling
Contributing to
the SDGs
About one-fourth* of the world's gold supply comes from recycling. Recycled precious metals have minimal impact on the environment because they are not mined. They also help promote sustainability because they can be repeatedly reused. Recycling is an important way to ensure the stable supply of precious metals needed in many fields.
* GOLD FOCUS 2022
| Goals | FY2022 Result |
|---|---|
| To achieve total annunal recycling of 410 tons*1 of precious metals by FY2030 | 207 tons |
| To achieve effective reduction 1,465,000 tons*2-CO2 | 538,000 tons-CO2 |
*1 Total amount of gold, silver, platinum, palladium and Rhodium
*2 Total amount of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, Rhodium and copper
Reference
theme2
Supplying precious metals in ways that are friendly to people, society, and the environment
Contributing to
the SDGs
While precious metals are indispensable to many industries, various social issues have also arisen relating to mining, production, and distribution. Businesses that procure and supply precious metals must ensure they are not making these issues worse. The gold and silver produced by the ARE Holdings Group are delivered in ways that are friendly to people, society, and the environment. We meet the responsible sourcing guidelines of the LBMA*1 and the strict standards for RJC certification. Going forward, we will continue to promote business activities and initiatives that consider ethical, social, and environmental concerns, while fulfilling our responsibilities by supplying precious metals.
*1 LBMA: London Bullion Market Association
theme3
Expansion of proper industrial waste disposal
Contributing to
the SDGs
Due to the increased economic activities of mass production, mass consumption and mass disposal, a shortage of final waste disposal sites has become a social issue in Japan.
In recent years, the problem of microplastics polluting the oceans and harming marine life has also become an international concern. This is often a result of the improper disposal of plastic materials, which end up in rivers and flow out to sea.
The ARE Holdings Group disposes all wastes properly and aims to increase its total volume of properly handled industrial waste to 500,000 tons per year by fiscal 2030. We also plan to expand the detoxification and recycling of industrial waste, while helping to solve various social problems and promote a sustainable society.
| Goals | FY2022 Result |
|---|---|
| Proper disposal of 500,000 tons of industrial waste by 2030 | 344,000 tons |
theme4
Reduce CO2 emissions
Contributing to
the SDGs
Climate change is a serious issue. At ARE Holdings, we are working to reduce CO2 emissions across the Group through energy conservation activities and switching to next-generation vehicles at Group sites. We aim to reduce emissions from use of such energy sources as electricity and gasoline by 50% by 2030.
| Goals | FY2022 Result |
|---|---|
|
50% reduction from FY2015 level of CO2 emissions from electricity, gasoline, and other energy sources by 2030 |
Compared to FY2015 27% reduction |
Reference
theme5
Enhancement of work-life balance and diversity promotion
Contributing to
the SDGs
While welcoming workplace diversity, the members of the ARE Holdings Group respect each other's individuality. We are engaged in various initiatives with the aim of creating inclusive workplaces where all employees can demonstrate their abilities.
| Goals | FY2022 Result |
|---|---|
| Percentage of employees on staggered shifts: 100％ by the end of FY 2021 | 99.99% |
| Percentage of women in managerial positions to all woman employees: Equal to men by the end of FY2030 | 6.2% (Percentage of men in managerial positions: 21.1%) |
|
Percentage of employees with disabilities: Meet or exceed the legally mandated employment rate by the end of FY2030 (legally required rate is 2.3%) |
2.2% |
theme6
Encourage and support SDG activities
Contributing to
the SDGs
Employees, as upstanding citizens, are encouraged to help achieve the SDGs as in various ways, including support for individual and group volunteer activities.
Activity Results/Examples (since 2018)
Total of 277 cases/activities reported
- Examples
-
- Disaster volunteer
(hiroshima,okayama,
kumamoto,fukuoka,oita,saga) - Donations of kids' clothing, backpacks, etc.
- CO2 reduction activities (no driving days, forest management), etc.
- Manage local events
- Participation in cleanup campaigns
- Disaster volunteer
