Water Use Reduction

Relevance to our business

The Fuji Oil Group’s business requires the use and discharge of water to grow crops (our main raw materials) and manufacture our products. We therefore recognize water stewardship as a material business issue.

Basic approach

Water shortages are intensifying around the world. Because of global warming, hundreds of millions of people will face rising water stress in the coming decades.^*1 By 2080, an additional 1.8 billion people may no longer have access to the water they need.^*2
Against this backdrop, the Fuji Oil Group aims to conserve water resources in our product manufacturing processes based on the Basic Policy of Environmental Integrity. Environmental Vision 2030^*3 expresses our Group-wide commitment to make significant water use reductions by 2030.
We monitor water-related risks and implement necessary countermeasures to identify and correct the impact of our operations on water resources. To minimize the environmental impact of our water withdrawals and discharges, we manage water use based on the standards and regulations of each country or region in which we operate or based on our own, higher-level standards.

• Fuji Oil Group Basic Policy of Safety, Quality and Environment (PDF, 331KB)
• *1 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report on Global Warming of 1.5ºC
• *2 UNDP Human Development Report 2007/8

• *3 Follow the link below to learn more about Environmental Vision 2030.

  https://www.fujioilholdings.com/en/sustainability/environmental_management/

Management system

Water use reduction initiatives were overseen by the Chief “ESG” Officer (C“ESG”O) in FY2021. Since FY2022, that role has been transferred to the ESG Representative. The Sustainability Committee,^*1 an advisory body to the Board of Directors, monitors the progress and results of initiatives as a material ESG issue.^*2

• *1 Follow the link below to learn more about the Sustainability Committee.

  https://www.fujioilholdings.com/en/sustainability/sustainability_management/

• *2 Follow the link below to learn more about material ESG issues.

  https://www.fujioilholdings.com/en/sustainability/materiality/

Goals / Results

• *1 Base year: 2016
• *2 Water use per unit of production

At least 90% complete At least 60% complete Less than 60% complete

Analysis

Status of progress on 2030 targets

Water use intensity in FY2021 was 25% lower than baseline, an improvement of three points from the previous year’s 22% reduction. This represents a 124% achievement rate relative to our 20% reduction target. This decline in water use intensity was despite an increase in production levels resulting from initial signs of improvement in the COVID-19 pandemic. In Japan, production facility cleaning methods were revised, which led to reductions in rinsing water use. Group companies in other countries reduced the number of times they cleaned production facilities and addressed water leaks.

Actions taken for FY2021 targets

We carried out initiatives in FY2021 to achieve Environmental Vision 2030. Through online environmental audits, we explained the Vision and shared our approach to water conservation with Group companies.
We also collected and analyzed data using the environmental data collection systems we introduced in FY2021. We plan to use the insights from this timely analysis to pursue further reductions going forward.

Annual water use and water intensity

Next step

• Start collecting environmental data in a timely manner using environmental data collection systems
• Deliberate and decide on new reduction targets
• Promote reduction efforts and pursue innovations

Risk management and countermeasures

The Fuji Oil Group manages water risks as one of many risks to our business. Water risks include water withdrawal, impact on water quality, storms, floods, and violations of wastewater regulations. To manage these risks, each Group company follows a PDCA cycle, which includes identifying material risks, planning and implementing a management strategy, evaluating results, and making improvements. We assess water risks in each region where Group companies have operations. This assessment takes into account Aqueduct^* analysis results and is based on the Group’s risk management system, which utilizes risk maps. This assessment helped us identify wastewater compliance risks at a Group company in China and flooding risk at a Group company in Indonesia as new material risks. We are now developing measures to prevent new risks from arising and to mitigate losses from risks that do occur.

• * A global water-risk mapping tool provided by the World Resources Institute (WRI)

Water conservation efforts at Group companies

In FY2021, we carried out the following initiatives to conserve water, among others.