Engagement in the SDGs
“We create value useful to society with technology and integrity to contribute to a prosperous future”—under this corporate philosophy, and with an understanding of the Hitz Value, all employees of the Hitachi Zosen Group practice business activities that contribute to the sustainable development of society and aim for the long-term enhancement of our corporate value.
The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were set by the United Nations with the aim of “leaving no one behind" in the collective efforts of member states to protect the global environment, end poverty in all its forms, reduce inequality, and combat climate change by 2030.
A major challenge faced by the world at large today is degradation of the global environment, particularly climate change triggered by increasing CO2 emissions, air and marine pollution that come with industrial development, and to a lesser extent, conflict over energy resources. Hitachi Zosen Group founder E.H. Hunter traveled from what is now Northern Ireland to Japan and launched a shipbuilding proprietorship. Honoring Hunter’s challenger spirit, we seek to resolve a variety of social issues and carry out activities toward achieving the common ideals of international society represented by the SDGs.
Hitachi Zosen Group activities contributing to the SDGs
Hitachi Zosen Group activities contributing to the SDGs
1 Directly through products and businesses
Supplying renewable energy, reducing CO2 emissions
Our key product of Waste to Energy plants help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by producing electricity from the energy generated during hygienic waste incineration and treatment. We also contribute to the field of energy through a broad range of developments such as methane fermentation systems, onshore and offshore wind farms, fuel cells and solid-state lithium-ion batteries, a hydrogen generation system that uses surplus power, and a methanation system that uses that hydrogen to convert CO2 into methane gas.
Addressing water shortages, preventing environmental degradation from industrial development
Our desalination plants resolve the problem of chronic water shortages and help communities secure safe drinking water. Our wastewater treatment systems prevent the contamination of rivers from industrial water. We contribute to the field of water resources, which support both people’s living and industrial development.
Resolving food safety, food loss, and other food issues
Our food defense and management recording system monitors the flow of food processing. Our foreign substance separation equipment for food detects objects in cut vegetables and other ingredients. We resolve issues such as food safety and food loss, and contribute to the field of food security. We are also applying technology developed in water treatment to land-based aquaculture toward ensuring stable food supplies.
Creating strong communities, protecting lives from natural disasters
Through the bridge business, we have engaged in infrastructure development and supported people’s living for over a century. Using technology developed in tidal floodgates and backflow prevention gates, in recent years we developed the flap gate seawall and seabed-type movable flap gate breakwater designed to prevent and mitigate flood damage caused by localized downpours and long spells of rain brought about by climate change, and tsunami and storm surges triggered by earthquakes and typhoons. Our GPS comprehensive oceanographic monitoring system contributes to the field of disaster prevention by speeding up issuance of evacuation orders in the event of a tsunami. And our shield tunneling machines create underground spaces that are used to prevent flooding.
2 Internally through sustainability efforts
Diversity management
At the Hitachi Zosen Group, we promote diversity management and strive to create a corporate culture that encourages women employees to participate in business, and moreover, helps all employees live up to their full potential. We hope to generate innovations by enabling employees to reach across attributes and respect one another’s different senses of value.
Work style reforms
Work-at-home, satellite office, “super flexible” work hours, company-wide focus time, and designated days for leaving the office on time—we are introducing various schemes toward creating workplace environments that are friendly to all employees. By using the Internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) to improve productivity, we are promoting work style reforms that offer employees a sense of reward both at work and in private.
Environmental education
The Waste to Energy plants and other environment-related facilities we operate throughout Japan organize plant tours and environmental lessons for the community. Outside Japan, in Laos we organize environmental education events for high school and college students, and compile learning materials for elementary school pupils, in efforts to relay the significance of protecting the environment through hygienic waste treatment and recycling. We have a permanent exhibit on environmental education at the Osaka Science & Technology Center (OSTEC) Exhibition Hall.
In 2017 we formulated a long-term Hitz 2030 Vision stating that the Hitachi Zosen Group aims to “Be a solution provider toward realizing a sound material-cycle society.” Defining the environmental fields of energy and water as our core business areas, we are drawing on our technological competences, delivery record, and connections with customers and society to strengthen our profitability and expand our scale of operations. We plan to combine the strengths of the Hitachi Zosen Group and contribute to the achievement of the SDGs, which sets the finishing line at 2030, similarly to the timing set by Hitz 2030 Vision for realizing our future vision.