Trust Recovery Growth Vitalization - Marubeni

Our Commitment to Sustainable Growth
Environmental issues emerged as a global concern from the late 1980s throughout the 1990s.
As the 21 st century unfolds, conducting eco-conscious business operations is becoming an increasingly
vital task for corporations to attain a society where sustainable growth can be realized.
Marubeni recognizes the responsibility that all people and enterprises on Earth today have to
protect our natural environment. It was this awareness that led it to establish the Committee on
Global Environmental Preservation as well as other initiatives, such as the Marubeni Group’s Environmental
Policy, in an effort to promptly address environmental issues.
Here at the dawn of the 21st century, people are more conscious
than ever that environmental problems are the most recognizable
threat to humanity’s very survival. As a trading company
involved in a range of different business operations, Marubeni
has promoted Group-wide measures that take aim at environmental
concerns. Guiding these efforts were the establishment
of the Committee on Global Environmental Preservation in 1990,
the formulation of an environmental guideline in 1991, and the
creation of the Marubeni Group’s Environmental Policy as an
upgraded version of this guideline in 1998.
Based on the fundamental philosophy underlying its Environmental
Policy, the Marubeni Group recognizes its responsibilities
as a good corporate citizen to do its utmost to preserve
the environmental well-being of the Earth, while striving for the
harmony and prosperity of human society. With this commitment
in mind, all Marubeni employees do their part to address
environmental problems in the hope of ushering in a society
where truly sustainable growth can be realized.
In line with the aforementioned philosophy, Marubeni is
introducing an Environmental Management System based on
the internationally recognized ISO 14001 standard. This system
will ensure that Group employees around the world share a
common awareness of the Marubeni Group’s Environmental
Policy, and will also serve as a tool for dealing with environmental
issues. All divisions at the Marubeni Head Office
acquired ISO 14001 certification in August 1999, followed soon
after by branch companies and offices, overseas subsidiaries,
and operating companies. As of March 31, 2005, 35 organizations
within the Marubeni Group have received certification.
The Marubeni Group’s Environmental Policy is also the driving
force behind Marubeni’s involvement in eco-friendly businesses
in an array of fields. Leveraging its unique traits as a trading
company, the company is involved in operations as diverse as
wind power generation, the recycling of PET bottles, and the
conversion of waste construction materials into ethanol, to
name a few. Most recently, Marubeni formed a new Emissions
Credits Business Team to promote emissions trading, joint
implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM). The adoption of these three “mechanisms” is stipulated
in the “Kyoto Protocol,” the global environmental treaty that
came into effect in February 2005.
Another key action by Marubeni is its cooperation with
different groups working to tackle environmental problems.
Here, Marubeni provides support to TRAFFIC, an NGO
managed jointly by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural
Resources (IUCN) to monitor international trade in wild
animals. In 2003, Marubeni assisted in the publication of
educational leaflets about the Convention on International
Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES),
also known as the “Washington Convention.” In the fiscal year
ended March 31, 2005, this was followed by support for the
creation of a website on the convention.
Details of Marubeni’s environmental programs can be found
in the Marubeni CSR Report and on its
website. Going forward, Marubeni aims to
use these and a host of other tools and
opportunities to provide fair and accurate
disclosure of such information within and
outside of the Group, with a view to gaining
the understanding of the public with regard
to its activities in this area.