Realizing the World Envisioned by NSK and the SDGs
Our Mission Statement states that “NSK contributes to a safer, smoother society and helps protect the global environment through its innovative technology integrating Motion & Control™. As a truly international enterprise, we are working across national boundaries to improve relationships between people throughout the world.” The world today faces various social issues. To resolve these issues, they must be addressed not only by international organizations and governments, but also by companies and individuals. At NSK, we believe that helping to solve social issues through our business activities will help us to deliver on our Mission Statement. That is why NSK supports the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
NSK’s SDGs Declaration and Declaration of NSK’s Initiatives
NSK respects all 17 of the Sustainable Development Goals. We examined the SDGs closely to find the ones that are particularly relevant to NSK’s business, and gradually narrowed down our list until we arrived at seven key goals. We did this while keeping in mind the company’s roles and responsibilities as a member of society, as stipulated in our Mission Statement. We also considered contributions that we can make through our main businesses, the industrial machinery and automotive businesses. In deciding these seven goals, we declared our intention to work actively to help achieve the SDGs.
Launch of “Team SDGs”: Documenting SDG Stories
In order to take more concrete steps to deliver on our SDGs Declaration and the Declaration of NSK’s Initiatives, we decided to look at the SDG stories of our businesses and products helping to achieve the SDGs. In August 2019, we launched a task force called “Team SDGs” in order to promote SDG activities company-wide. To help identify the stories about SDG contributions made across business and product activities, Team SDGs is composed of a cross-section of NSK team members, including representatives from the core Automotive Business Division HQ and Industrial Machinery Business Division HQ, as well as various departments in charge of technology development, environment, and corporate planning, and CSR. The team members have been taking the lead in considering the stories to highlight from each department.
Process for Documenting Stories
NSK Products Making SDG Contributions (SDG Stories)
Team SDGs has organized NSK business areas and products where SDG contributions can be made. It did this based on global issues such as climate change and the main ways NSK solutions help to solve these issues.
We share some of these products here as examples that are expected to make SDG contributions.
Industrial Machinery Business
Helping to Create Convenient Cities by Promoting Seamless Use of Public Transport
Through the development and supply of bearings for railway vehicles, we are contributing to the creation of cities where everyone can get around easily.
In recent years, NSK has been providing railway vehicle bearings to China, Europe and other locations, reflecting customer confidence in our considerable technological capabilities. We will continue to support the development of railway infrastructure worldwide by supplying bearings for railway vehicles. Our aim is to help reduce traffic congestion and CO2 emissions.
Automotive Business
Helping to Create a Safe, Clean Automotive Society
By developing and supplying automotive parts that support autonomous driving and electrification, we are helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote motoring societies with fewer traffic accidents.
We aim to promote more efficient use of energy, limit global warming through traffic congestion reduction, and help realize safer roads with minimal accidents by supplying parts that support the development of autonomous driving and vehicle electrification technologies.
Technology Development
Making Daily Life Safer and More Convenient Through NSK’s Robotics/Actuator Business
NSK has entered robotics as a new field. Our aim is to help create caring societies where robots can provide personal support and assistance to people.
NSK mechatronics technology uses computer-control to further promote the advantages of mechanical component technologies such as bearings and ball screws. Utilizing the knowledge we have amassed in the field of industrial machinery, we aim to help solve the challenges faced by super-aged societies. We are doing this by developing our robotics/actuator business, which promotes safe and comfortable living. This includes care robots to assist people in the healthcare field.
Technology Development
NSK innovation is contributing to the effective use of food oil and the conservation of rivers and oceans
Utilizing our material technology, we are slowing the deterioration of oil used for frying foods, while helping to protect river and ocean environments.
NSK has developed a food oil deterioration suppression filter by combining paper with additives used to prevent the oxidative deterioration of oil. Since this filter helps prevent food oil deterioration, it allows oil to be used more times before disposal (saving resources). This, in turn, is expected to reduce the amount of used food oil that ends up polluting rivers and oceans. The product is currently being readied for mass production.
In-House Activities to Raise Awareness
Since issuing the SDGs Declaration, our seven key goals, and the Declaration of NSK’s Initiatives, we have been working to promote understanding of the SDGs among all NSK employees. We have also created a permanent SDG site on the company intranet with the aim of further promoting SDG initiatives across our business activities. The site strives to raise SDG awareness among NSK employees by providing useful information, such as current trends in SDG activities and actions that individuals can take to help the world achieve the SDGs.
In order to raise SDG awareness among employees at subsidiaries outside Japan and encourage their efforts, we have created an English version of our intranet site to share SDG materials in that language.