E :Environment
Environment Management
Our position
Our society today faces various issues such as the depletion of natural resources, climate change, and the destruction of ecosystems, and all business activities have an impact on the environment. It is also true that environment changes can pose a risk of preventing business continuation. For this reason, Yokohama Rubber works to minimize its environmental burdens in all of its business processes. As part of these efforts, the company conducts assessments with respect to the items of the "prevention of global warming," the "recycling and circulation of resources," "resource conservation," and "safety and comfort" in the design review process for new products, to provide customers with environment-friendly products.
To clearly express this way of thinking and these activities, we have formulated the "Yokohama Rubber Environmental Policy" to declare ourselves as a world-leading environment-friendly enterprise both inside and outside the company. In addition, specific actions that should be taken by employees are stipulated in the "Yokohama Rubber Group Action Guidelines".
Policy
Yokohama Rubber Basic Environmental Policy
Following the principle of dealing fairly with society and valuing harmony with the environment, we shall stand for “Leave a sound environment to future generations” for the Earth.
Ⅰ. Sustainable improvement of environmental management
Environmental management will be integrated with “economic” activities.
Ⅱ. Contribution to a decarbonized society and a recycling-oriented economy
All members of all departments will work to achieve carbon neutrality in all areas of activity.
Resource conservation and recycling will be promoted at all stages, from product planning and development to purchasing, production, sales, and disposal.
Furthermore, the use of renewable and recycled materials will be expanded.
Through these efforts, Yokohama Rubber will work to reduce its environmental impact and achieve a circular economy.
Ⅲ. Coexistence with Nature
Yokohama Rubber will promote initiatives aimed at achieving a nature-positive society and strengthen environmental risk management.
Yokohama Rubber Environmental Policy
Following the principle of dealing fairly with society and valuing harmony with the environment, we shall embody “Caring for the Future” for the global environment and assert our world-class strengths in technologies to protect it.
- Under leadership of top management, Yokohama Rubber will implement environmentally-conscious measures in all areas of its global activities, and will put this into practice across its entire organization.
- Yokohama Rubber will respect international norms, deepen communication with its stakeholders and will strive to make contributions to local communities and to society as a whole by promoting collaboration to working with the value chain.
- Yokohama Rubber will strengthen its environmental management system and will aim to achieve zero environmental risk by continually striving to help improve the environment by using approaches to mitigate its impact with chemical substance management, prevent environmental pollution, and reduce sensory nuisances.
- Yokohama Rubber will comply with all related laws, regulations, and agreements as well as endeavor to continually implement activities that help improve the environment.
- Yokohama Rubber will promote decarbonization measures, such as energy-saving activities and the introduction of renewable energy, and strive to conserve and recycle resources, and the increased use of renewable and recycled materials in order to realize a carbon-neutral and circular economy.
- Yokohama Rubber will strive to conserve biological diversity and use biological resources sustainably in its business activities, with the aim of realizing a world that coexists with nature.
- Yokohama Rubber will promote harmony with local communities as part of its commitment to work with and become a company that is trusted by local communities.
- Yokohama Rubber shall publish this policy and make it known to all.
Yokohama Rubber Group Action Guidelines (Excerpt)
We shall harmonize our activities with the global environment.
<Basic Stance of the Yokohama Rubber Group>
- As members of a corporate group with the highest levels of contribution to the environment, we shall take up the challenge of environment-related issues and help to build a sustainable society.
- We shall construct and operate mechanisms for companywide management in order to observe environmental laws and regulations in each host country and region.
<To practice our basic stance — our action>
- We shall observe all laws and regulations for prevention of air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination, etc.
- In accordance with laws and regulations, we shall control environment-burdening substances, strive to reduce environmental risks deriving from them, and exclude prohibited chemical substances from our product manufacturing processes.
- In all stages of our business activities, we shall eliminate the waste of resources and energy, and reduce emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases.
- In all stages of our business activities, we shall promote the reduction of industrial waste derivation and final disposal volumes.
- In order to preserve biodiversity, we shall engage in various activities in accordance with our Guidelines on Biodiversity.
Message from a manager
The Yokohama Rubber Group has set "realization of a carbon-free society," "realization of a recycling-oriented society," and "coexistence with nature" as the pillars of its environmental management in order to achieve both harmony with the global environment and sustainable business management based on international standards.
Toward “the realization of a carbon-free society”, we provide our customers with new products that are environmentally friendly (environmentally friendly products) through design review. We are working to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions throughout the entire value chain in line with our medium- to long-term goals.
To achieve “the realization of a recycling-oriented society," we aim to expand the use of recycled raw materials such as recycled rubber and renewable raw materials derived from natural materials, as well as reduce industrial waste and achieve zero emissions at all production sites.
In "Coexistence with Nature," we recognize that our business activities depend on the bounty of nature, such as natural rubber and water, and have an impact on biodiversity. We are working to reduce the negative impact on biodiversity and promote the restoration and regeneration of nature, thereby contributing to a nature-positive society.
We will promote these efforts with group companies around the world, and become a top-level company that embodies "caring for the future" for the global environment.
Miyaji Jun
General Manager,
Head of Environmental Protection Promotion Department, Corporate Social Responsibility Division
Vision for FY 2026
- Sell only environment-friendly products.
- Achieve carbon neutrality of our own activities by 2050.
- Reduce GHG emissions from our own activities by 40% by 2030 (compared with FY2019 level).
- Promote the introduction of solar power generation systems and switching to using renewable energy-derived electricity.
- Promote the effective use of water resources in line with the characteristics of water risks.
- Develop biodiversity preservation activities at production sites.
- Achieve the goal of planting 1.5 million trees under the Yokohama Forever Forest Program by 2030.
- Promote ESG initiatives in the procurement of resources including natural rubber.
- Achieve zero environmental risks.
Environmental Grievance Mechanisms
In the event of a caution, guidance, or recommendation received from a governing authority, we immediately take action in accordance with the emergency response standards specified in our corporate-wide guidelines.
Our environmental protection promotion department will provide advice on countermeasures while receiving advice from the legal division, and the entire company will join forces in the response.
In addition, we have a system of receiving environmental complaints from local residents living in the vicinity of our factories.
From external environment-related information received at each of our sites, we select ones involving environmental risks and opportunities, enter that information in the "external information acceptance ledger," and then determine whether the information constitutes an external complaint based on our corporate-wide guidelines.
If such information is identified as an external complaint, it will be handled in accordance with the emergency response standards of our corporate-wide guidelines.
For types of information that are not identified as an external complaint, an environmental management representative of the site will, as he or she deems necessary, contact the relevant department accordingly.
In the event of a caution, guidance, or recommendations received from a governing authority, an "external information receiving form" will be issued and simultaneously sent to our environmental protection promotion department, other Yokohama Rubber sites, and to the committee secretariats of our corporate tire production environmental task force and the MB (industrial products) production environmental task force, respectively.
At the completion of the response, an "external complaint response form" will be sent to our environmental protection promotion department.
The environmental management committee secretariat of the site will submit an answer using an "answer form" to the complainant, after reporting the entire process from the receipt of the information to the proposed answer to the complainant in writing to the site manager and gaining his or her approval.
We also have internal and external monitors to regularly check the effectiveness of the system.
External information and complaint handling flow
Environmental Risk Management
Based on our corporate emergency readiness and response guidelines, the environmental manager of each of our sites compiles accidents and emergencies that may have a significant impact on the environment into a List of Accidents and Emergencies and updates it every year.
In addition, in order to confirm the effectiveness of the response procedure, the environmental management representative of each site verifies the procedures for responding to the accidents and emergencies identified at the site, and provides necessary training in accordance with the relevant guidelines.
Environmental risk assessment is conducted at all of our domestic and overseas production sites. The percentage of production sites that conducted environmental risk assessments in fiscal year 2024 was 100%.
Should a case identified as an environmental accident or emergency have occurred, the responsible site will take preventive and emergency measures in accordance with our emergency readiness and response guidelines, and will report to the local governing authority in the event that environmental standards are exceeded.
Immediately after the occurrence of such environmental accident, the information will be conveyed to the relevant departments by means of a "Zero Report" in accordance with the emergency response management guidelines stipulated by the responsible department, and then, such information will be conveyed to the relevant department by using an Environmental (1) Accident, (2) Trouble, (3) Serious Near Miss, (4) Near Miss Report, as a general rule within 24 hours from the occurrence.
In FY2024, there have been no reports of a pollution or contamination incident.
The environmental manager of the responsible site will follow up the status of corrective measures after the accident or emergency in order to ensure the prevention of a recurrence and the prevention of similar accidents, and the site manager will review the procedures after the accident or emergency.
The environmental protection promotion department will work on countermeasures and the prevention of recurrence from both professional and general corporate perspectives.
The environmental managers of other sites who have received the accident/emergency information will apply the same approach based on the information to prevent the occurrence of similar accidents at their respective sites.
In addition, a corporate-wide environmental management committee will investigate the cause of the accident or emergency to make sure that countermeasures are implemented, and will follow up on the implementation to prevent recurrence, and will make the investigation findings available for reference at the ISO 14001 requirements management review.
Environmental
Management System
Strengthening Global Environmental Management Based on ISO 14001
We are actively pursuing ISO 14001 certification at our production sites. We have achieved certification at 16 locations in Japan (8 Yokohama Rubber sites and 8 group company sites) and 18 group production sites overseas (a total of 38 locations). This brings the total number of certified sites to 54, representing a 100% certification rate for our production facilities.
In Japan, we achieved integrated ISO 14001 certification for Yokohama Rubber's production facilities and headquarters in 2012, and in 2018, we obtained integrated ISO 14001:2015 certification for a total of 16 locations including Yokohama Rubber and group companies. This demonstrates a high level of consistency.
For non-production sites, we are promoting environmental management based on our internal "CSR Environmental Management Guidelines." We have achieved ISO 14001 certification at Yokohama Rubber's headquarters, system company, and group sales companies in Australia and Taiwan, further enhancing our environmental management.
In addition, our tire production site in Thailand has obtained ISO 50001 certification for its energy management system.
Overseas group companies that have achieved ISO 14001 certification
Domestic locations that have achieved ISO 14001 certification
Conducting a Comprehensive Environmental Audit
Additionally, domestic group sales companies conduct self-assessments based on the "CSR Environmental Management Guidelines," which are then verified and validated on-site by the Environmental Protection Promotion Office.
There were no indications of any violation of environmental legislation among all the auditing items in fiscal 2024.
Internal Audit
Integrated Internal Audit
In fiscal year 2024, internal audits were conducted in line with the 2015 edition of the ISO standard. The focus was on production and development departments, aiming to improve chemical management, compliance assessments, and environmental risk response levels. We also conducted a thorough audit of our social contribution activities and communications with stakeholders, including neighboring residents, from a sustainability perspective.
Overseas sites each hold their own individual certifications. We conduct internal audits at all overseas sites annually, implementing corrective actions for any identified areas of improvement.
External Audit
While no non-conformities were identified during the audit, we continue to strive for continuous improvement.
Both domestically and internationally, we undergo annual third-party audits and renewal audits every three years to maintain our certification.
Priority action items to be addressed
Considering the level of impact of business activities and the level of social interest, the following have been established as our priority action items to be addressed by the Yokohama Rubber Group.


