Environmental Mission Statement

CSR through environmental activities

Environmental Mission Statement
The Bridgestone Approach toward Biological Diversity
The Bridgestone Approach to Resource Conservation
CO₂ emissions reduction targets

In May 2011, Bridgestone refined its global Environmental Mission Statement. This statement was first released in 2009. The statement was refined to clarify the direction of Bridgestone's long-term environmental aspirations. It was also made easier to understand through the use of simpler language. This refinement is aimed to help raise environmental awareness among all the employees around the world, which in turn will lend strength to our efforts to develop a sustainable society. Details regarding the refinement are outlined below.

Clarification of the direction of the Bridgestone's long-term environmental aspirations.
In order to exist "in harmony with nature," Bridgestone will develop and utilize technologies that "value natural resources" while addressing the urgent matter of global warming through efforts to "reduce CO₂ emissions." The company clarified the direction of its long-term environmental aspirations while taking decisive action with respect to three important environmental perspectives: ecological conservation, resource conservation and reducing carbon emissions to build a sustainable society.

Simplification of language.
In order to better connect the Environmental Mission Statement with the efforts of each individual employee, we have illustrated the concept behind the Bridgestone's long-term environmental aspirations using visual representations and made the Environmental Mission Statement easier to understand by using simpler language.

The refined Environmental Mission Statement continues to portray the Bridgestone's unchanging environmental philosophy– "to help ensure a healthy environment for current and future generations." It also covers three areas of environmental progress*1 and two core strategies for growth*2. We are currently practicing environmental management activities based on the Environmental Mission Statement.

This refinement enables Bridgestone to enhance the commitment to a diverse range of environmental activities that go beyond its already wide-ranging business areas, encompassing initiatives on a global scale by defining the direction of the Bridgestone's long-term environmental aspirations for the three important environmental perspectives and adding to the three areas of environmental progress and the two core strategies for growth.

*1 The three areas are "products and services" and "operations," both actual elements of Bridgestone's business activities, and "community activities," which represents Bridgestone's initiatives that are unrelated to its business activities.

*2 The two strategies for growth serve as the platform for supporting Bridgestone's activities in the three areas of environmental progress and promoting their continual improvement. These two strategies for growth are the "TEAMS (Total Environmental Advanced Management System)" and environmental communication. (TEAMS: Total Environmental Advanced Management System, our own integrated group-wide global environmental management system)

The Bridgestone Approach toward Biological Diversity (adopted in September 2010)

The Bridgestone Approach toward Biological Diversity

We, the Bridgestone Group, respect the principles of the Convention on Biological Diversity. We promote biodiversity to help ensure not only sustainability but also a healthy, vibrant future. The Bridgestone Group is committed to enhancing biodiversity by leveraging its global presence. We are actively linking our world-wide network of people with their unique wildlife habitats, and providing education and research needed to achieve healthy biodiversity at the gene, species and habitat levels. We at Bridgestone are humbled by the lessons we can learn together with others in our communities by connecting with nature.

Key Activities

We will contribute to biodiversity conservation through active habitat preservation and enhancement at our operating locations and beyond our property lines.
We will contribute to biodiversity conservation through environmental education and research.

The Bridgestone Approach to Resource Conservation (adopted in May 2011)

The Bridgestone Approach to Resource Conservation

We, the Bridgestone Group, are committed to ongoing improvement to be an ever better steward of our natural resources. We continually innovate our processes, products and services to reduce, reuse or recycle raw materials, water and energy.

Key Activities

We continually improve resource productivity, doing more with less, based on sales per raw material use.
We promote the development of technologies and business practices that encourage the recycling of raw materials, utilization of renewable resources and conservation of finite natural resources.
We reduce water consumption in our manufacturing processes by efficient use and recycling, while also promoting the protection and preservation of water in our global communities.

CO₂ emissions reduction targets

The Bridgestone Group established targets for the reduction of CO₂ emissions in April 2010 in order to help prevent global warming and build a sustainable society, and we are working to enhance related initiatives through the product life cycle throughout the Group in order to achieve those goals. We have established the following two targets using 2005 as the baseline year to be achieved throughout the Group, including by our overseas companies, by 2020:

Bridgestone has established a global goal of 35% reduction in CO₂ per sales from the company's total operations (raw material and component procurement, manufacturing and logistics) and also its products' "after-use".
Bridgestone is pursuing a challenging goal to improve tire rolling efficiency by 25%, resulting in less fuel use and CO₂ emissions from driving, while also extending the life of its tires. Bridgestone estimates that the potential reduction in CO₂ emissions from helping improve their customers' fuel efficiency exceeds the emissions related to Bridgestone's operations and its products' after-use.

Raw material and component procurement:	While continuing its clear focus on enhancing product safety, quality and performance, Bridgestone will increase its focus on procuring more environment-friendly materials and developing advanced materials that help reduce resources used in its products from raw materials such as natural rubber and carbon.
Manufacturing:	Bridgestone will improve manufacturing efficiency through equipment and process enhancements to further reduce the energy invested in each product, while further developing products to help minimize footprints on the environment, along with enhanced product safety and quality.
Logistics:	Bridgestone will strive to increase transport efficiency through improved distribution strategy, including routing and delivery fleet performance.
After-use:	Bridgestone will focus on prolonging the life of its tires and expanding retreading of truck, bus, aircraft and off-road tires, which was made possible by technologies to reuse used tires by scraping the tread surface and bonding new rubber through vulcanization, as well as reducing per-tire weight, to help reduce waste generation rates. Bridgestone continues to pursue the 3R's (Reduce, Reuse and Recycle) to enhance resource savings at all stages of its operations.
Product development:	Regarding a tire's lifecycle, Bridgestone estimates that about 90% of CO₂ emissions related to a tire are generated by its use on a vehicle. To help drivers reduce emissions, the company will further enhance its development of tires with improved rolling efficiency to reduce fuel use, while also expanding educational programs on tire and vehicle maintenance and eco-driving. Bridgestone will also continue developing other products to help save energy and reduce CO₂ emissions, such as electronic paper, designed to replace thousands of printed pages, and building products which insulate buildings and reflect energy in order to maintain temperatures.

TOPICS

Certification as an Eco-First Company by the Ministry of the Environment

In April 2011, the Bridgestone Group was certified as an Eco-First Company after making a commitment to pursue environmental conservation initiatives under the Eco-First Program established by the Ministry of the Environment.

*The Eco-First Program was created by the Ministry of the Environment to encourage leading companies in a range of industries to dedicate more resources to environmental conservation initiatives. In order to receive certification under the program, companies make a commitment to the Minister of the Environment to pursue initiatives to combat global warming, promote waste product recycling, and address other environmental priorities.

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CSR through environmental activities