Gakken Group established the Gakken Group Environmental Charter and obtained ISO 14001 certification, an international environmental standard, in 2004.
Adhering to the principles of the EMS, we are diligently advancing the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Action) cycle. This systematic approach entails the assessment of environmental concerns linked to business operations, the formulation of objectives and targets (Plan), the execution of social and environmental initiatives (Do), the scrutiny of target attainment (Check), and the consequent review of outcomes by management (Action).
ISO 14001-certified entities within our organization have proactively defined diverse objectives and are actively pursuing initiatives to curtail their environmental footprint. Beyond these certified entities, the entire Group has embarked on a comprehensive "Social, Environmental, and SDGs Action Management Program."
In response to the imperative of climate change, we have initiated rigorous monitoring of energy consumption. This strategic measure aims to facilitate a precise assessment of greenhouse gas emissions across the entire Group, allowing us to address this critical issue effectively.
It is noteworthy that the Group's social and environmental initiatives are orchestrated under the guidance of the Chief Executive Officer. The formulation of social and environmental targets for each individual company is a process tailored to their specific realities and challenges.
This approach ensures the translation of top management's commitments into tangible, on-the-ground actions that reflect the unique circumstances of each entity.
- In Group companies, monitor your greenhouse gas emissions, including your supply chains, and begin working toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
- As for SDGs, check the progress of KPIs set by each company and advance toward achieving the goals. In addition, the companies should seek out projects that can contribute to the achievement of the 17 goals based on the priority targets.
Internal audits are conducted by qualified internal auditors at least once a year for the entire Group.
For FY9/2023, internal audits were conducted from April to June, covering 4 organizations. In addition, 3 organizations underwent ISO 14001 audits by the Japan Quality Assurance Organization (JQA) from July 4 to 5 and renewed their certification.
- 拡大
- External periodic audits
Items Requiring Improvement: ２ case
Suggestions for improvement: ０ cases
- "Keep training implementation records" firmly in place.
We would like to request that fundamental and concrete measures be taken to eradicate the problem.
- Systematic increase and training of internal auditors is necessary.
It is necessary to improve both "number of auditors" and "audit quality". Regarding the "number of auditors," it is important to regularly and without fail hire new auditors for each generation. In terms of "audit quality," on-the-job training by senior internal auditors is important in addition to classroom training.
There were no cases of non-compliance with environmental laws and regulations in ISO 14001-certified and non-certified organizations.
Gakken Logistics, a pivotal player in facilitating the Group's logistical operations, consistently prioritizes contributing to the realization of an efficient, environmentally conscious, and sustainable logistics landscape. This commitment is underscored by collaborative efforts with suppliers and subcontractors.
In the supplier selection process, our criteria extend beyond proposal content, technical prowess, and costs. Equally crucial is an evaluation of whether the prospective partner has holistically integrated environmental considerations and endeavors to enhance working conditions.
For the transportation and delivery of nursery picture books, a strategic shift has been made from utilizing trucks for long-distance trunk line transportation to leveraging domestic ferries and railroads.
This transition has resulted in a tangible reduction of approximately 2 tons of CO₂ emissions per month during transportation and delivery to Hokkaido, Kyushu, and Shikoku, as compared to previous truck-based transportation. This positive shift not only reduces emissions but also contributes to the enhanced well-being of truck drivers, manifesting our commitment to both environmental responsibility and workforce welfare.
