Our Approach

For the development of a sustainable society as well as its own business continuity, the SUBARU Group considers it essential to prevent the pollution of public water resources, soil, and the atmosphere. The Group endeavors to accurately measure its environmental impact and reduce it to a minimum by making the best use of its environmental management system.

Management System

The SUBARU Group has worked through its environmental management system to comply with environmental laws and regulations. However, in view of the status of legal violations in FYE March 2022, we have taken steps to strengthen the system in order to prevent recurrence.
Among the specific measures to be rolled out across the SUBARU Group are enhanced sharing of information on environmental laws and regulations through creation of a network of officers in charge of this area within the SUBARU Group; provision of training in environmental laws and regulations to these officers; and review of the procedures and practice of internal audit relating to compliance with environmental laws and regulations. In implementing these initiatives, we will emulate the PDCA cycle of the environmental management system, identifying issues in each fiscal year as the basis for improvement in the next, thus taking continuous action to ensure comprehensive compliance with environmental laws and regulations.

Achievements and Initiatives

Compliance with Environmental Laws and Regulations and Related Initiatives

In addition to complying with environmental laws and regulations, SUBARU has set its own voluntary environmental standard values, which are 20% stricter than the regulatory values set by law. We are committed to never exceeding the regulatory and voluntary thresholds and striving to achieve the goal of zero environmental complaints and zero environmental accidents. In FYE March 2022, one incident related to noise and two incidents related to water quality exceeded relevant regulations at the Gunma Plant and the Tokyo Office. In response, we identified the causes and took appropriate measures to prevent recurrence.


Name of the Site Number of Cases
Gunma Plant 2
Tokyo Office 1

FYE March 2022 Environmental Performance Data for Plants and Offices

Environmental Accidents

We are committed to achieving the goal of zero accidents, both on-site and off-site. In FYE March 2022, two incidents occurred off-site and 10 incidents occurred on-site. Regarding the two off-site incidents specifically, we have identified the causes and, to prevent recurrence, are considering the implementation of an immediate response system, such as one that issues alert notifications.


Name of the Site Number of Cases
Gunma Plant Off-site incidents 1
On-site incidents 5
Utsunomiya Plant On-site incidents 3
Tokyo Office Off-site incidents 1
On-site incidents 1
Accessory Center On-site incidents 1

Environmental Complaints

We are committed to achieving the goal of zero environmental complaints, but in FYE March 2022 we received three. We intend to prevent recurrence by uncovering the causes of the complaints.


Name of the Site Number of Cases
Gunma Plant 1
Utsunomiya Plant 2

Noise, Vibration, and Offensive Odors

The Gunma Plant conducts daily patrols premised on the fact that people and measuring instruments respond to odors and noise very differently. In addition, we use hotlines, discussion meetings, and factory tours as a means of communicating with local residents and use their valuable feedback to improve production facilities when appropriate.

Soil and Groundwater

We started our voluntary soil and groundwater tests at our locations in 1998 and have since implemented purification measures and groundwater monitoring as required. Since the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act came into effect in 2003, we have also filed reports and conducted tests in accordance with the law.

PCB Waste

SUBARU is auditing and treating polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) waste as planned.
We are currently conducting a final survey of the status of PCB waste treatment at each SUBARU base and at Group companies and dealers in Japan, and the SUBARU Group plans to complete the disposal of high-concentration PCB waste by the end of FYE March 2023.

Hazardous Waste

SUBARU has had no significant spillage, nor has it transported waste deemed hazardous under the terms of Annex Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, and Ⅳ of the Basel Convention*.

*
International treaty on the control of movements of hazardous wastes between nations and their disposal procedures.

VOC

SUBARU manages volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emissions during the automobile painting process using an emissions per unit coating area calculation method. We are reducing the amount of cleaning thinner used in the automobile painting process and increasing recovery to reduce VOC emissions during painting. However, FYE March 2022 emissions increased 3.8% compared with the previous fiscal year to 49.2g/m2.

Chemical Substances Regulated by Japan’s Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) Act

Scope:

SUBARU:
Gunma Plant, Tokyo Office, Utsunomiya Plant, Handa Plant, Handa West Plant
Group companies in Japan:
Yusoki Kogyo K.K., Fuji Machinery Co., Ltd., Ichitan Co., Ltd., Kiryu Industrial Co., Ltd., Subaru Logistics Co., Ltd.

NOx and SOx Emissions

Scope:

SUBARU:
Gunma Plant, Tokyo Office, Utsunomiya Plant, Handa Plant, Handa West Plant
Group companies in Japan:
Yusoki Kogyo K.K., Fuji Machinery Co., Ltd., Ichitan Co., Ltd., Kiryu Industrial Co., Ltd., Subaru Logistics Co., Ltd.
Group companies overseas:
Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Inc.