"Olympus Should Adopt a More Aggressive Strategy and Convey More Actively on Environmental Matters"
I am extremely impressed that Olympus has launched emission reduction initiatives in China, which accounts for 50% of all CO2 emissions by the Olympus Group. I also hope that Olympus will proactively disclose information about its deliberations on the extent to which it can reduce its CO2 emissions, and by when, and on the strategies that it will use to achieve its targets.
That information should ideally relate to total emissions. If Olympus really regards the reduction of CO2 emissions and the prevention of global warming as an urgent priority in relation to its business development plans, I hope that it will base its approach on long-term targets covering the period to around 2050, and that it will set an example for other manufacturers by implementing specific measures in areas that require action now.
While efforts within a business context are important, I hope that Olympus will also make positive use of its capabilities as a global enterprise. For example, Olympus is already using natural energy in Japan, Europe and North America and could explore the feasibility of using this technology in China, too. I see the fact that Olympus is using FSC-certified paper in this booklet as an extremely significant improvement in your basic approach to environmental communication.
Yumiko Kawamura
Director, Fundraising & Marketing Communications
World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Japan
Comments from Japanese staff involved in joint efforts to reduce CO2 emissions
Makio Yamada,
Deputy Section Manager, the QA & Environmental Compliance Department, Business Administration Division, Olympus Imaging Corporation
Efforts in both factories basically compare well with initiatives in Japan, and in some areas they have actually made more progress than in Japan. We've done everything we can with general facilities, and we'll now need to focus on production facilities and processes. However, changes in this area will have implications for quality and costs. Harmony with the environment is a shared priority in both China and Japan. We are determined to move forward by sharing our information and experience.
Fujio Aruga,
Deputy Section Manager, the QA & Environmental Compliance Department, Business Administration Division, Olympus Imaging Corporation
Despite sustained efforts in China, we had reached a dead-end. Our next step, in March, was to check for compressed air leaks. We brought detectors from Japan, which we learned to use while patrolling the factory with our Chinese colleagues. As a manufacturer of precision equipment, Olympus constantly needs to check for air leaks. We left the detectors in China, and they are already making good use of them. I was impressed by their strong commitment to energy conservation in the workplace.
Yukinori Fujii,
Manager, Process Group, Environmental Development Department, Quality and Environmental Administrative Division, Olympus Corporation
Some of the improvements made at the Pan Yu Factory were based on our ideas, but most resulted from local initiatives by Mr. Du and Mr. Chen. These two people have strong engineering backgrounds. They have analyzed and studied electrical data from a variety of perspectives and are quick to select and implement various measures. We have much to learn in Japan from the speed of initiatives at the Pan Yu Factory, and from the aspects on which they have focused.
Comments from Chinese staff participating in joint efforts to reduce CO2 emissions
Kazuya Abe,
General Manager of Human Resource and General Administration, Olympus Hong Kong and China Ltd.
We seemed to have done everything possible based on what we had discovered at the Shenzhen Factory, and we had no idea how to make further progress. We were very happy when energy conservation checks conducted by outside experts confirmed that we had achieved significant energy savings, and that our efforts had been successful. We plan to install electric power monitors so that we can make further improvements through joint efforts.
BaoFeng Di,
Olympus (Shenzhen) Industrial Ltd.
In the past our energy conservation efforts were based on Chinese laws and standards. However, we are now working in cooperation with our Japanese colleagues, and our efforts form part of activities by the entire Olympus Group. Olympus has set tougher standards than the Chinese government, so if we can meet Olympus standards, we will have satisfied requirements in China.
YingZhong Zhang,
Olympus (Shenzhen) Industrial Ltd.
By conducting an energy diagnosis, we were able to ascertain energy consumption levels. We were also told about ways to operate our facilities more efficiently and make other improvements. Air leak checks identified over 50 problems. By rectifying these, we should be able to save 64 tons of CO2 per month. We look forward to learning from our Japanese colleagues about equipment that will allow us to achieve major benefits with minimal investment.
WenCai Lin,
Olympus (Shenzhen) Industrial Ltd.
By working with our Japanese colleagues, we have been able to obtain advice, as well as objective assessments of our environmental improvement efforts at the Shenzhen Factory. Our friends in the QA & Environmental Compliance Department of Olympus Imaging Corp. and the Environmental Development Department of Olympus Corporation have an excellent understanding of the situation here, and I believe that they have also informed senior management. I hope that we can learn more information about new environmental improvement technologies through this relationship.
Ying Luo,
Olympus (Shenzhen) Industrial Ltd.
We expect to achieve zero emission status at the Shenzhen Factory for all waste products except sludge. China does not yet have technology for recycling sludge, and disposal in landfills is the only option at present. Another problem is that while we can make plans, we can't always implement them for cost reasons. We hope to find solutions through cooperation between Japan and China.
Du Fei,
Olympus (Guanzhou) Industry Ltd.(Pan Yu Factory)
Our frequent contacts with our Japanese colleagues gave us the opportunity to learn about their experiences in Japan, and to obtain knowledge and case studies. Now that we have installed electric power monitors, it is easier to identify priority areas for energy conservation efforts. Previously we couldn't achieve major energy savings because we could only ascertain total consumption. Now we know which workplaces are major energy users, and we can also see the results of our efforts.
Chen JianZhong,
Olympus (Guanzhou) Industry Ltd.(Pan Yu Factory)
There are differences in the terminology used to talk about the environment and energy in Japan and China. Sometimes the information we provided in response to requests from Japan was different from their expectations. Sometimes we didn't know what specific figures to use in our energy management data. However, this interaction between Chinese and Japanese workers has allowed us to check even the detailed aspects, and I believe that we have made progress toward mutual understanding.
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