Sustainability Highlights
Environment
Reducing CO₂ Emissions from NSK Business Operations
In June 2021, NSK established the Carbon Neutrality Department directly under the president to reduce CO2 emissions from its business operations in the following three categories: A) technological innovation, B) energy conservation/fuel conversion, and C) renewable energy. This department will further accelerate these initiatives by organically collaborating with related departments from companywide and mid- to long-term perspectives.
In addition to these initiatives, we are considering the implementation of internal carbon pricing*1 to visualize the value of CO2 emission reductions.
*1 Internal carbon pricing: a mechanism for companies to independently assign prices to their CO2 emissions and use it to make investment decisions.
A) Technological Innovation
Development of the World’s First Biomass Plastic Heat-Resistant Resin Cage
NSK has a long history of developing environmentally friendly materials and products, including the development of biodegradable plastics in 2008 and food-derived grease in 2013. In 2021, NSK created the world’s first biomass plastic heat-resistant resin cage for rolling bearings made mainly from plant-based biomass materials. We will continue to accelerate R&D focused on practical applications for biomass plastics by making full use of NSK’s material, analysis, molding, and evaluation technologies.
Features 1
They exhibit the same strength and heat resistance as conventional polyamide 66 (66 nylon) cages made from fossil resources.
Features 2
Plants are biomass resources that grow by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, therefore incinerating biomass plastics does not increase the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. As a result, a 91%*2 reduction in CO2 emissions is expected over the entire cage life cycle by switching from a conventional cage.
*2 Material manufacturer estimates
B) Energy Conservation/Fuel Conversion
Visualization and Reduction of CO₂ Emissions at Production Plants
In fiscal 2020, we introduced a system at NSK’s Saitama Plant that enables us to visualize CO2 emissions at each bearing production process and the operational status of production lines. Using this system, we can detect unnecessary CO2 emissions and pursue efficient improvement activities. Currently, we are working to improve the efficiency of heat treatment furnaces and reduce compressed air consumption in production facilities. We will expand these activities to other plants while continuing to make improvements at the Saitama Plant.
Visualization of CO2 emissions by production process
Reduction of CO₂ Emissions from Bearing Production Grinding Machines
NSK plants consume a large amount of electricity to power facilities during production, and we are working to reduce CO2 emissions under the following two themes: “improving productivity” and “reducing facility power consumption.” First, “improving productivity” is an initiative to reduce the energy required to produce a single product by increasing processing capacity and operating rates. In the second theme, “reducing facility power consumption,” we are lowering the power consumed at the facilities themselves by using power control innovations and new technologies. An example of this is introducing inverter technology to reduce power consumption without lowering the rotation speed of grinding wheel motors for bearing-production grinding machines. While grinders repeatedly grind and replace workpieces, we have been able to reduce the amount of power wasted during the short time it takes to replace the workpiece by instantly reducing the power consumption of grinding wheel motors. We will continue such activities to reduce environmental impact through the focused application of NSK technologies.
C) Renewable Energy
Accelerate Introduction of Renewable Energy
NSK is working to reduce CO2 emissions by actively promoting the installation of solar and wind power generation equipment and switching to purchased renewable energy electricity. In fiscal 2021, the amount of renewable energy used was 177Gwh. This corresponds to an increase of about three times compared with the previous year.
Suzhou NSK Bearings Co., Ltd. (China)
NSK Steering Systems Europe (Polska)
Renewable Energy Use
Strengthening the Safety Management System: Using the Safety and Fire-Prevention Intranet Site Collaborating and Sharing Information Globally in Real Time
The Intranet Site for Safety and Fire-Prevention
Since December 2016, the Safety and Fire-Prevention Enhancement Office has been posting safety and fire-prevention updates on the Company’s intranet home page to keep NSK Group employees informed. We also provide timely information to each NSK Group site globally, including announcements of safety and fire-prevention activities and slogans being rolled out across the Group, as well as awards for outstanding safety posters.
Intranet Information
The Safety and Fire-Prevention Intranet Site provides information in four categories—disaster and accident information and reporting, manuals and rules, subcommittee activities, and audit results—as well as the latest information updates. In addition, we disclose our global policies, priority measures and targets, and also share the number of days free of accidents at each NSK plant worldwide. This has led to a higher awareness of accidents, and has encouraged each plant to keep its string of accident-free days going.
Quality-Dojo Maintain and Support NSK’s High-Quality Manufacturing Expertise
The NSK Group provides a range of education and training programs to maintain and develop the human resources needed to ensure high quality manufacturing. We leverage collaboration across divisions to ensure that we offer high-quality products and services that satisfy our customers. In fiscal 2019, we created an area called a Quality-Dojo in each plant, and began training for all employees in fiscal 2020. Sharing the same structure worldwide, Quality-Dojo help to develop well-rounded human resources who have total familiarity with every aspect of manufacturing.
Quality-Dojo have been set up inside all of the Group’s major plants: 17 plants in Japan and 40 plants outside Japan (2 in South Korea, 11 in China, 9 in the U.S., 6 in Europe, 7 in the ASEAN region and 5 in India). The program is tasked with training both executives and employees on six key items determined by the Quality Assurance Division Headquarters. To help participants to improve their quality awareness and better connect quality issues to their own jobs, they are asked to study a broad range of knowledge covering products, kakotora (past quality troubles), and inspection methods.
In fiscal 2020, with the leadership of the teachers and assistant instructors at each site, we performed a regular review of the learning content and took steps to revitalize the activities. We enhanced monitoring to boost the participation rate and launched an effort to ensure that attending a Quality-Dojo becomes a regular activity for all employees.
Quality-Dojo Objectives
Promoting Diverse Work Styles and Development of Human Resources
Diversity as a Driving Force of the Organization
NSK was selected as a “Nadeshiko Brand,”*3 an honor that is jointly determined by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
NSK has made women’s career advancement one of its important management objectives. Accordingly, we have been focusing on diversity and inclusion measures, such as providing training for women who are candidates for management positions. The Nadeshiko Brand selection recognizes NSK’s extensive efforts to promote employee diversity and flexible work styles.
*3 The Nadeshiko Brand program is designed to promote investment in listed companies making exceptional efforts to promote inclusion and career advancement for women. The program targets investors interested in companies that are well-positioned to grow in value over the medium to long term. Since fiscal 2012, METI and the Tokyo Stock Exchange have jointly selected Nadeshiko Brand companies in order to promote the equal opportunity efforts of all listed companies.
Initiatives to Promote Wellness in Both Body and Mind
NSK’s outstanding efforts in health management have been widely recognized. The Company was certified as an Outstanding Health and Productivity Management Organization in Japan for the fifth consecutive year.
NSK recognizes that the health of each of our employees and their families is an invaluable asset to the Company and promotes initiatives with the aim of improving their physical and mental health. Based on the results of stress checks conducted on an annual basis, the Company holds organizational analysis feedback briefings for managers at each workplace, and improvement goals for each respective organization are formulated and put in place. In terms of physical health, by September 2020, NSK had eliminated smoking spaces within all NSK business sites, with the goal of preventing exposure to secondhand smoke. Moreover, by using a system to centrally manage the results of health checkups, we will be offering data-backed health support measures.
Safe and Healthy Workplaces and Work-Style Reforms (related site)
Transforming Learning: Expand Educational Opportunities, Location, and Scheduling Options
Work styles are experiencing a tectonic change, as seen with trends toward working from home and remote meetings. Educational activities are also becoming more diverse, shifting from face-to-face to online training, video streaming, and other formats.
There are also advantages to revising the approach we take to education, namely, the changing of programs, formerly implemented in conventional face-to-face training formats, in accordance with objective or attribute. Take, for example, video streaming where a course is available without needing to lock in a time, or online training, where employees who had found it difficult to attend in person because they needed to take care of their children, or other circumstances, have become able to participate. These are formats that enhance convenience and expand opportunities for participants.
As one such educational tool there is a new video program initiative called “Act Active Agent.” Under this program, employees make and present their own video of themes relevant to business efficiency enhancement, the honing of skills, or raising motivation from among the initiatives they worked on at the internal training. Employees will share within the Company what they have learned; moreover, diversifying how they learn it promotes the transformation of work styles throughout the Company.
Human Resource Programs and Career Development (related site)
Governance
Taking "NSK Corporate Philosophy Day" to Reflect on Lessons Learned from the Cartel Incident and Our Corporate Philosophy
To revisit the lessons learned from past incidents, reconfirm the resolve of all NSK Group employees that no anticompetitive incident will ever occur again, and ensure that all employees review the Corporate Philosophy and make it their own code of conduct, July 26, the date of the on-site inspection by the Japan Fair Trade Commission in 2011, has been designated as “NSK Corporate Philosophy Day” since FY2016. Moreover, awareness raising activities are undertaken each year. In FY2021, employees at our domestic and overseas bases watched videos titled “Message from the President,”“Understanding Our Corporate Philosophy,” and “A Look Back at the Cartel Incident.” Thereafter, in Japan, practical examples in animation form for “Look Across Activities” that are consistent with the Corporate Philosophy were introduced. Taking advantage of NSK Corporate Philosophy Day, group discussions were also held at each workplace on matters that are taken for granted to help employees reflect on their own behavior. Overseas, after a message from the management of local bases, each site held its own events that included lectures by outside experts and discussions on compliance.
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