Environmental initiatives

Our Basic Approach to the Environment

Environmental Philosophy

The NIKKON Group believes that it has a social responsibility to protect and maintain the global environment through sound business activities. We continually engage in activities to improve the environmental improvement for the development of a society which coexists in harmony with the environment.

Policy on Environment

  1. Seek to achieve carbon neutrality in 2050 by consolidating the knowledge and technology of the entire group and committing itself to reducing the environmental burdens, thus fulfilling its social responsibility.
  2. Abide by the environment-related laws and ordinances and spontaneously make and continuously promote improvement plans to seek, for instance, transportation efficiency, conversion to renewable energy, and use of environment-conscious facilities.
  3. Contribute to the national and local communities in cooperation with its stakeholders in achieving a sustainable recycling society.
  4. Set target figures and design concrete measures regarding CO2 reduction, and spontaneously provide the stakeholders with the information on the activities for achieving the goals.

Reducing Environmental Impact

The Action Policy of the NIKKON Group states, "We proactively address environmental problems to ensure we are an environmentally friendly company." Based on this policy, we have introduced eco-friendly transportation methods and special vehicles ahead of other companies as a part of human-friendly, environmentally friendly initiatives. In 1989, we began railway transportation using privately owned 31-foot containers. In 2014, the NIKKON Group began operating 100 21-meter double-container trucks.

Introduction of Environmentally Friendly 21-meter Full-Trailer Trucks

21-meter double-container trucks (commonly called 21-meter full-trailer trucks) have double the load capacity of heavy-duty 10-ton trucks. These environmentally friendly trucks reduce CO2 emissions by 37% compared to existing heavy-duty trucks. In addition, a 21-meter double-container truck is able to transport twice as much cargo as a heavy-duty truck, with a single driver, enabling a reduction of labor and the improvement of efficiency. We will continue to use these next-generation, environmentally friendly full-trailer trucks that significantly improve transportation efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
In June 2020, NIPPON KONPO UNYU SOKO CO., LTD. received the award for excellent activities for protecting the environment through logistics at the 21st Logistics Environment Award. The company received this award in recognition of its reduction of CO2 emissions and achievement of higher transportation efficiency.

An ITO-EXPRESS.CO.,LTD 21-meter full-trailer truck
An ITO-EXPRESS.CO.,LTD 21-meter full-trailer truck
A NIPPON KONPO UNYU SOKO CO., LTD. 21-meter full-trailer truck
A NIPPON KONPO UNYU SOKO CO., LTD. 21-meter full-trailer truck

Introduction of Hybrid Vehicles

To fulfill our responsibility as a logistics company with a corporate mission of contributing to society through business activities, we have set a target of increasing the ratio of environmentally friendly hybrid vehicles to 2% in our fiscal 2022 policy. We will continue to introduce such vehicles proactively.

Introduction of Low-Emission Vehicles
Introduction of Low-Emission Vehicles

Modal Shift

In 1989, the core operating companies of the NIKKON Group began railway transportation between Fukuoka and Tokyo using privately owned 31-foot containers. We have developed unique containers based on customer needs and have been striving to reduce environmental impact for many years. (The amount of CO2 emissions from rail transportation is 1/10 of truck transportation.) This has also reduced the workload of truck drivers.

JR 31-foot privately owned container
JR 31-foot privately owned container
Development of a jig for JR 12-foot containers
Development of a jig for JR 12-foot containers
Benefits of transportation by JR container

Improvement of the Fuel Efficiency of Business Vehicles

The core operating companies of the NIKKON Group installed digital tachographs in all of their business vehicles in 2004. This has improved data analysis and eco-friendly driving training for their drivers and continued to improve fuel efficiency.

Initiatives

  • Stopping unnecessary idling
  • Gradual acceleration
  • Engine braking
  • Appropriate use of air conditioners
  • Ensuring that tire pressure is checked in daily inspections, and more

Supporting the Promotion of the 3Rs through Reverse Logistics

Reverse logistics is the flow of goods opposite the producer-to-consumer flow. Reverse logistics includes comprehensive logistics operations, including the disposal of used products and operations related to the reuse, reselling, and recycling of unwanted goods, by-products, and similar goods. In recent years there has been a growing awareness of environmental problems and progress in the establishment of environmental laws and regulations toward the formation of a recycling-based society. Against this background, companies have the responsibility to society to build reverse logistics systems.
The core operating companies and other group companies of the NIKKON Group see the flow from procurement, production, and sales to collection, reuse, recycling, and disposal as a consistent flow and support customers' initiatives to reduce environmental impact, including the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle), through standard and reverse logistics.

Supporting the Promotion of the 3Rs through Reverse Logistics

Energy Conservation — Installation of Solar Power Generators

We have installed solar power generators at 15 NIKKON Group locations in Japan, including warehouses, for the realization of a decarbonized society. This initiative provides us with power that we consume in our business activities and increases our use of clean renewable energy, which helps to prevent further global warming. We plan to install solar power generators in our newly built warehouses and other facilities, in our efforts to generate clean energy.

NIPPON KONPO UNYU SOKO CO., LTD. solar panels
NIPPON KONPO UNYU SOKO CO., LTD. solar panels
Solar panels at the Tochigi Development Center of Auto Technic Japan Co., Ltd. Solar panels
Solar panels at the Tochigi Development Center of Auto Technic Japan Co., Ltd. Solar panels

Green Management Certification

Green Management Certification
Green Management Certification

The Green Management Certification is granted to trucking operators who have a certain level of achievement through their activities based on a manual on voluntary environmental protection activities created by the Foundation for Promoting Personal Mobility and Ecological Transportation together with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Japan Trucking Association.
The NIKKON Group has acquired the certification of 104 of its business sites (approx. 75% of applicable sites; as of December 31, 2021). Our goal is for 100% of the applicable facilities to be certified.

Installing and Switching to LED Lighting

We are proactively switching from fluorescent and mercury lights to LED lights in our warehouses and offices. We are also installing LED lights in our newly established business facilities.