Reducing Environmental Loads through Business Activities
Eco Point System in Adachi Ward
Automatic collection machine
The first achievement of our Econet business was a PET bottle collection system that we introduced in Adachi Ward, Tokyo. Our application service provider awards five points to an Econet Point IC Card when a cardholder inserts a PET bottle in an automatic collection machine in Adachi Ward. The person can use the points to purchase goods from supermarkets. This new system has improved the PET bottle collection rate to about 70%. The system requires one-tenth the storage space of conventional setups and improves transportation efficiency 10-fold.
Around 15,000 Adachi Ward residents and 16 local supermarkets were participating in the system at March 31, 2007. They are also using the system for recycling toys and kitchen waste. We will continue to contribute to community recycling.
Biodiversity Initiatives
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Caring for Nature Reserves
As of March 31, 2007, 41 of our 183 wireless relay stations for telecommunications and broadcasting networks were in national parks. We carefully consider biodiversity requirements in building micro-roads to patrol and maintain these facilities, adhering strictly to the law and environmental assessments.
We have no plans to build another wireless relay station, and will minimize ecosystems impact at existing facilities.
First in Communication Services Category of Nikkei Environmental Management Survey
On December 4, 2006, the Nikkei Environmental Management Survey* ranked us first in its communication services category, up from second in 2005. The Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Inc., which publishes Japan’s top business daily, surveyed environmental management at about 4,100 companies. It announced its rankings after evaluating non-manufacturing businesses in terms of management and educational systems, long-term goals, anti-pollution measures and disclosure, resource recycling, and measures to combat global warming. We scored well for our daily efforts in these areas and for our groupwide goal management, asbestos disclosure, and efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions from our telecommunications equipment.
*The Nihon Keizai Shimbun began its annual survey of corporate environmental and economic initiatives in 1997.
Pursuing Environmental Activities
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Supporting Remote Learning Experiments Focused on the Global Environment
In fiscal 2006, we participated in a remote learning experiment that linked a Japanese high school with a high school in Bangkok, Thailand. This test was part of advanced joint IT experiments to form an international information communications hub, which the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications implemented.
Our program harnessed our IPv6 Asian broadband network and used IP cameras and sensors (to measure temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and dust) to help the high school students to better understand each other. The students discussed the weather and climate and presented their cultures. They also participated in a remote lecture on global friendship that featured images and data from the multimedia Tangible Earth platform exhibited at Expo 2005 Aichi Japan.
Our experiment enabled students to share their environmental interests. Such initiatives can greatly improve the quality of education.
Remote lecture at Hiroshima Municipal Technical High School
Remote lecture at Satit Kaset School in Bangkok
Mr. Shinichi Takemura, president of the Earth Literacy Program (sponsored by Earth College at Otemachi Cafe)
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Using e-Learning to Train Employees
An e-learning screenshot
Our CSR training targets Group and partner employees. In February 2007, we held a collective training seminar for Group CSR officials. In March, we conducted e-learning for all Group employees and employees of partner companies. A post-training survey received numerous positive opinions, with many wishing to apply their learning every day, notably by turning off lights, saving power, and conserving paper. We will continue to raise employees’ environmental consciousness through CSR training.
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Supporting Environmental Communications through the Kankyou-goo Grand Prize
Kankyou-goo Grand Prize website
NTT Resonant launched this award to encourage corporations, municipalities, independent administrative institutions, national universities, nongovernment organizations, and individuals to disseminate information.
There is a growing social need to understand, discuss, and share information on environmental issues through the Internet. We will continue to encourage discourses.
See the following Japanese-language website for details:http://eco.goo.ne.jp/business/event/taisyou/
Pursuing Green Purchasing
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Guidelines
We produced the second version of our green purchasing guidelines in January 2006. The goal is to reduce environmental loads throughout the entire supply chain by adding environmental consciousness to the assessment standards for supplies. We have already assessed 308 suppliers on this basis.
Green Purchasing Fiscal 2004 Fiscal 2005 Fiscal 2006 Green procurement(10,000 units) 0 178 284 Green purchasing(10,000 units) 21 29 67 (Coverage: NTT Communications)
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New Guidelines for Buying Office Paper
Over the years, we have headed toward using 100%-recycled office paper to help the environment. We reviewed our product recommendations, however, in response to the changes in the papermaking industry and the revised guidelines from the Green Purchasing Network. We formulated our new procurement policy in October 2006.
Japanese paper makers faces grave shortages of woodchips and surging crude oil prices. Shortages of recycled paper could become chronic. We accordingly compared three environmental paper products (100%, 70% and 50% recycled) in terms of environmental impact and pricing. We thus decided to switch to office paper made of 50% recycled stock and 50% afforested tree pulp.
All our departments have significantly increased purchases of the recommended paper since we introduced the new policy. We will continue to pursue procurements of environmentally responsible products.