Management of Water Utilization

Utilization of Water Resources

Ascertaining water risks for corporate business activities and taking suitable countermeasures are growing in significance. The JVCKENWOOD Group has set a target to reduce water use as follows.

 

■Reduction of water utilization

  • ・Target: 6% reduction by FY2025 from the FY2019 level (total, global)

 

We reduced water use by 25% from the FY2019 level in FY2021. Our water use decreased during the year as its production activities lowered due to shortages in the supply of semiconductors and other components. Meanwhile, the Group has been steadily implementing measures to reduce water use on a constant basis. As a specific example, we are working to recycle water by recycling wastewater (for details, see Initiatives Pertaining to Wastewater). We also recognize the importance of complying with laws and regulations pertaining to water quality, and no violations were committed in FY2021.


Water usage (FY2019-2021)

Coverage: refer to “Change in Water usage by business location”


Water usage (by type) (FY2018-2021)

Unit: t

Type 2018 2019 2020 2021
Waterworks 185,134 163,858 137,286 147,896
Industrial water 83,837 79,986 56,030 33,250
Fresh groundwater 14,119 12,455 11,134 11,841
Fresh surface water (rainwater) 1,776 0 0 0
Total usage

284,865

256,299 204,450 192,987

Coverage: refer to “Change in water usage by business location”


Change in water usage by business location (FY2018-2021) 

Unit: t

Japan/overseas Company name and location 2018 2019 2020 2021
Japan Head Office & Yokohama Business Center 20,634 19,841 15,365 16,579
Hachioji Business Center 22,877 23,364 16,534 14,304
Hakusan Business Center 9,695 8,766 5,443 5,726
Kurihama Business Center 17,524 13,774 12,361 13,001
Yokosuka Business Center 6,010 4,253 2,947 3,067
JVCKENWOOD Yamagata 7,060 4,147 3,341 3,147
JVCKENWOOD Nagano 4,423 4,554 3,958 3,720
JVCKENWOOD Nagaoka 14,130 11,554 11,791 10,460
JVCKENWOOD Creative Media 9,161 9,235 9,311 9,318
JVCKENWOOD Victor Entertainment 3,310 3,931 3,027 3,115
JVCKENWOOD Video Tech 873 851 567 597
JVCKENWOOD Design 0 0 0 0
Other affiliate companies
Malaysia JVCKENWOOD Electronics Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. 49,489 38,303 33,965 27,300
Thailand JVCKENWOOD Electronics (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 11,263 11,577 8,266 7,267
JVCKENWOOD Optical Electronics (Thailand) Co., Ltd. 29,429 24,278 16,175 15,416
Indonesia PT JVCKENWOOD Electronics Indonesia 54,408 55,708 39,855 33,250
People’s Republic of China Shanghai Kenwood Electronics Co., Ltd. 19,983 18,504 19,697 21,977
Singapore JVCKENWOOD Technologies Singapore Pte. Ltd. 4,597 3,659 1,846 1,743
Total usage 284,865 256,299 204,450 192,987

Initiatives Pertaining to Wastewater

To address the rising water risk in recent years and to use water resources in a sustainable manner, the JVCKENWOOD Group is endeavoring to ensure as far as possible that the water used and the wastewater generated in its business activities are reusable water resources. For example, at our Head Office and Yokohama Business Center, we recycle about 5,000 m3 of water annually by purifying gray water from kitchens and cafeterias as well as wastewater from toilets to recycle it. This helps reduce the amount of drinking water and industrial water that we use (see diagram below). In FY2021, we spent approximately 5.5 million yen of costs for the maintenance of septic tanks and other water-related expenses.

 

With regard to wastewater quality, the actual amount of 28 hazardous substances specified under the Water Pollution Prevention Act contained in our wastewater was 0.09 tons in FY2021, achieving the target to beat our FY2020 result of 0.13 tons. The water management plan is introduced by six business locations including the Head Office and Yokohama Business Center.


Water recycle system


Wastewater volume (by type) (FY2018-2021)

Unit:t

  2018 2019 2020 2021

Sewers

284,865

250,267

182,481

139,585

Rivers

Other

3,562

31,059

Total 284,865 250,267 186,044 170,644

Coverage: refer to “Change in water usage by business location”
Note: For certain regions where we cannot monitor the wastewater volume, the volume of water use was calculated as the wastewater volume. 


Operations in Water-stressed Regions

The Group identified regions where water shortages and flooding are a concern (water-stressed regions) by using the Aqueduct tool provided by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and has confirmed that two of its business locations operate in these regions. The total amount of water used in the two business locations was 37,393 tons in FY2021, which represented 19.4% of the total water use by the Group. We aim to actively work toward reducing water use in the regions, considering that the significance of doing so is particularly high in achieving our global target for water use reduction. In addition to the Group’s measures to reduce water use, we undertake activities to support stakeholders faced with water risks in the regions. In FY2020, we provided support such as donation of care bags to 22 employees of JVCKENWOOD Optical Electronics (Thailand) Co., Ltd. who suffered flood damage.


Participation in Water-related Initiatives