Water Use Reduction

Management information

Relevance to our business

The Fuji Oil Group’s business requires the use and discharging of water to grow produce (our raw materials) and manufacture our products. We therefore recognize water resource problems as a material environmental issue.

Basic approach

Water resource problems 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
The Fuji Oil Group aims to conserve water resources in its product manufacturing processes based on the Basic Policy of Environmental Integrity.*3 The Environmental Vision 2030,*4 to be fulfilled by 2030, shows our Groupwide commitment to water use reduction.
At the Fuji Oil Group, we believe that we can contribute directly to the conservation of water resources by enhancing the efficiency of water use in our product manufacturing processes. The objective is the sustainable use of limited water resources. In addition, to assess and minimize the impact of our business activities on water resources, we monitor water-related risks and implement necessary countermeasures. We use water in manufacturing and treat wastewater according to the standards and regulations of each country or region in which we operate.

Management system

The Chief “ESG” Officer (C“ESG”O) oversees initiatives in this area. The ESG Committee,*1 an advisory body to the board of directors, has been monitoring the progress and results of initiatives as a material ESG issue. *2 The ESG Committee reports insights to the board of directors for review.

Goals / Results

2030 targets*1 FY2020 results*1 Progress
20% reduction in water intensity*2 (All Group companies) 22% reduction 100%

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

FY2020 Goals FY2020 Results Self-assessment
Promote the reduction of water use in an effort to realize Environmental Vision 2030 by providing support to and raising awareness at Group companies
  • Sent FY2019 environmental data (including CO2 emissions, water use, and waste generation) to Group companies as feedback and facilitated the sharing of best practices between companies
  • Improved our method of collecting water data
Introduce an environmental data collection system Completed basic design of the system. To be introduced in FY2021

Analysis

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we were unable to carry out in-person awareness-raising activities by traveling to Group companies outside Japan. However, we made efforts to raise awareness by having local staff wear wearable cameras and communicating with them via live video as they walked through the facilities. We also held multiple online meetings to deepen their understanding and improve the quality of water-related data. For collecting environmental data, we focused on the basic design of a data collection system.

Annual water use and water intensity

Next step

Raising awareness at the level of each employee is essential for driving reduction of our water use. To address this issue, we set the following goals for FY2021.

  • Make sure all employees are familiar with Environmental Vision 2030
  • Take water use reduction efforts to the next level through environmental audits
  • Support Group companies in putting together a water use reduction strategy (e.g. introduce data collection systems that make it easier for managers to check their water data quickly and easily; share best practices, such as water recycling methods and installation of water-efficient equipment, between Group companies)

Specific initiatives

Risk management and countermeasures

The Fuji Oil Group manages water risks as one of many risks to its 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. To reinforce management of water risks in the Group, in FY2020 we assessed water risks in each region where Group companies have operations. This assessment took into account Aqueduct* analysis results and was based on the Group’s risk management system, which utilizes risk maps. This assessment led us to identify flooding risk at a Group company in Indonesia as a new material risk, and we are now developing measures to mitigate potential flood damage. This risk follows the identification of wastewater compliance risks at Group companies in China.

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

Water conservation efforts at Group companies

In FY2020, Group companies carried out the following initiatives to conserve water.

  • Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. Kanto Plant (Japan) stored cooling water in a tank and reused it to clean equipment.
  • Fuji Oil Co., Ltd. Hannan Business Operations Complex (Japan) reduced steam use at multiple plants.
  • F&F Co., Ltd. (Japan) switched from water-cooled to air-cooled air-conditioning systems.
  • Fuji Vegetable Oil (U.S.) reused processing water.
  • Fuji Oil (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Unifuji (Malaysia), PT. Freyabadi Indotama (Indonesia), Shanghai Xuyang Food Co., Ltd. (China), and Fuji Vegetable Oil (U.S.) improved their water management systems, enabling more rigorous analysis of water use. They identified and addressed areas of low water efficiency.

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