Environmental Management System

The NTN Group has acquired third-party certification globally for ISO 14001, the international standard for environmental management systems. Our environmental management organization is structured to promote the compliance with environmental laws and regulations of each country and continually improve environmental performance. For business sites in Japan, multi-site certification is acquired, and all business sites work together to achieve environmental targets under the top management led by directors in charge.

■Environmental management framework chart

The NTN Group conducts rank-based and function-based environmental education of various kinds. For example, our rank-based education programs include basic education at new employee induction training; practical education after workplace assignment; and education for newly appointed managers upon promotion in order to work on environmental issues at each workplace from the perspective of risk-benefit management. Our function-based education programs include education for sales divisions and distributors, who serve as our point of contact with customers for the survey regarding environmentally hazardous substances that may be contained in our products. This program allows participants to learn about how to carry out the survey of customers as well as about relevant laws and regulations. Another such program is a training session to develop internal auditors for the environmental management system. Moreover, during Environment Month every year in June, we rigorously train all employees on important environmental measures of the year, and provide education for raising their environmental awareness. As a social distancing measure during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are also emphasizing online training for environmental education, instead of conventional group training.

In order to raise environmental awareness, NTN Group companies in Japan have distributed an "Environmental Policy Card" for all employees (including those stationed at business sites such as temporary staff, subcontractors, and permanently assigned contractors). Moreover, every year in June, which is set as Environment Month in Japan, we identify and implement the following priority initiatives for each business site: (i) environmental education; (ii) implementation of energy- saving patrol; (iii) publication of environmental news; and (iv) displaying of environmental posters.
In addition, in the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, as littering of disposable masks became a social issue during the COVID-19 pandemic, we published an extra issue of our environmental newsletter in October with the aim of preventing the littering of disposable masks.

The NTN Group conducts emergency response drills at all its business sites every year to minimize damage in the event of hazardous materials or waste leaks. At the NTN Mie Plant, 29 employees were trained to open and close the drainage shut-off gate, which prevents oil from leaking outside the plant in the event of an oil leak. Through this training, a familiarity with the operation method was firmly instilled in the participants. It was also confirmed that there were no problems with the procedures stipulated for emergency response.

■Drainage gate opening and closing drills (Leakage prevention training)

In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, there were no cases of serious penalties and sanctions under environmental laws and regulations.

In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2020, the NTN Group had one major accident involving an oil leak into an irrigation channel at the NTN Akaiwa Works. As an emergency response, we immediately carried out work to remove the leaked oil, and then had the local government conduct a site survey to confirm that there was no impact on the quality of irrigation water, groundwater or on nearby agriculture. The results of the analysis of the cause of the leak and the permanent countermeasures were horizontally deployed to all NTN global bases.

In collaboration with local residents and NPOs, we engage in activities to conserve biodiversity, such as tree planting through corporate forestation activities, protecting endangered species in the surrounding areas of business sites, and developing natural parks. In the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021, activities were restricted due to social distancing measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, we reviewed the nature of our activities and the total number of participants in our activities increased to 1,742 employees/year, up from 1,428 employees/year in the previous fiscal year. We will continue to actively engage in these activities.

■Conserving biodiversity (fiscal year ended March 31, 2021)

Nagano Works (Japan)
Protecting the Reverdin's Blue butterfly, an endangered species

Nagano Works, which has concluded a biodiversity partnership agreement with Nagano Prefecture, is engaged in activities to protect the Reverdin's Blue butterfly, which is designated as a Class IB endangered species in the Red List of the Ministry of the Environment. Reverdin's Blue is a small butterfly that grows to about two to three centimeters as an adult. Its larva feeds on the deciduous shrub indigofera pseudotinctoria. Nagano Works has planted this shrub on site and successfully conducted the first egg-laying test of the Reverdin's Blue butterflies in 2019. In the fiscal year ended March 2021, the Nagano Works worked to expand the planting area of indigofera pseudotinctoria with the aim of further expanding the breeding area for the butterflies.

As a general rule, environmental management system (ISO14001) certification is to be obtained within three years of operation, and all existing business sites globally (that have been in operation for more than three years) have already obtained certification. We will continue to acquire certification for new business sites in accordance with the above principle. In Japan, we have acquired certification using the multi-site method, and have completed on-site audits of all multi-site business sites in the three years up to the fiscal year ending March 31, 2021, and have completed renewal audits to the latest 2015 version. Overseas, each business site has acquired certification, and NTN DRIVESHAFT ANDERSON, INC. (U.S.A.) is scheduled to acquire new certification in the fiscal year ending March 2022.