Environmental Management Framework
Globally managing environmental issues throughout the group
The Brother Group promotes global environmental conservation according to the Brother Group Environmental Policy. To do so, the officer in charge of environmental affairs instructs respective departments at the head office as well as divisions and function centers through the Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee (a subcommittee that promotes materiality resolution under the Sustainability Committee) and the Environmental Regulation Committee (a committee that works on environment risk reduction under the Risk Management Committee) to determine policies and implement measures.
Brother Group environmental management framework (As of June 25, 2024)
Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee
The Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee is an organization responsible for managing progress and promoting activities related to each goal of the Brother Group Environmental Vision 2050. It is chaired by the head of environmental department, and composed of the related departments and other persons concerned. Subcommittee meetings are held three times a year, and extraordinary meetings are held as necessary. Serious environmental issues raised at the Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee are reported to the Sustainability Committee chaired by the representative director & president. In addition, top priorities are reported to the Board of Directors for instructions and supervision from management. In FY2023, the subcommittee reported on CO2 emissions reduction and resource circulation targets, which are the top priorities related to climate change.
Environmental Regulation Committee
The Environmental Regulation Committee is an organization responsible for managing and addressing environmental risks such as environmental laws and regulations. It is chaired by the executive officer in charge of environmental affairs, and composed of the heads of related departments and other persons concerned. Committee meetings are held three times a year, and extraordinary meetings are held as necessary. Serious environmental risks related to environmental laws and regulations raised at the Environmental Regulation Committee are reported to the Risk Management Committee chaired by the representative director & president. In addition, top priorities are reported to the Board of Directors for instructions and supervision from the management.
No serious environmental accidents occurred in FY2023. However, regarding VOC emissions, Chinese authorities inspected our manufacturing facilities in China on site and found nonconformity to legal and regulatory requirements for equipment in some areas, resulting in the payment of administrative penalties. We took immediate action and have already completed a permanent measure.
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Environmental Communication Promotion Framework
The Brother Group established "working on activities to enhance the environmental brand image under the environmental slogan 'Brother Earth'" as the basic policy for environmental communication in the Brother Group Environmental Action Plan 2024 (2022-2024). The CSR & Corporate Communication Department takes the initiative to promote environmental activities at facilities around the world.
Environmental Management System
Under our medium-term management plan, the Brother Group creates the Brother Group Environmental Action Plan every three to five years, based on which Brother Industries, Ltd. (BIL) and manufacturing and sales facilities in respective countries set annual plans and carry out environmental activities as part of their business operations. The progress and performance (results) of plans are checked based on reports from and internal audits on each facility, and the findings are then reflected when planning for the following year.
Practicing the PDCA cycle in line with ISO 14001
In operating the environmental management system for environmental conservation activities, compliance with laws, regulations, and standards is ensured, and the ISO 14001-based PDCA (Plan - Do - Check - Act) cycle is practiced.
ISO 14001 certification has been obtained by the main group manufacturing facilities, with Brother Industries (U.K.) Ltd. being the first to be certified in 1996. Brother U.K. Ltd., a sales facility in the U.K., obtained certification in 2005, followed by other many sales facilities.
Internal audit and external review
The Brother Group annually conducts internal audits to confirm that manufacturing facilities in and outside Japan effectively follow the environmental management system in conformance with ISO 14001. The Brother Group is also subject to external review for ISO 14001 (environmental management system) certification.
For facilities in Japan, internal audits are conducted by the Environment & Climate Change Strategy Department of BIL. For overseas facilities, internal audits are conducted by departments in charge of environmental affairs at the respective facilities. Internal audits are conducted to check compliance with relevant laws and regulations, the progress of annual plans, the effectiveness of the environmental management system, and consistency with ISO standards. Corrective measures are implemented immediately when any nonconformance is found, and the effectiveness of such corrective measures is checked by follow-up audits. Audit results in Japan, together with the status of legal compliance and performance (results), are presented to the Environment & Climate Change Subcommittee.
In the annual internal audit and external review, it was confirmed that the PDCA cycle is being practiced properly.
Environmental training for employees
The Brother Group's ISO 14001-certified facilities offer environmental training programs for all employees as well as job specific training related to specific tasks and functions.
Examples include environmental training programs for all new recruits joining Brother; environmental training programs for employees such as e-learning-based materials, internal seminars and workshops; training programs for production and procurement staff at manufacturing facilities in and outside of Japan, for example, the management of chemical substances contained in products, process control guidance and auditing at suppliers. Essential environmental training is periodically provided to raise eco-awareness and facilitate operations.
This is a special website which introduces Brother's SDGs activities.
Brother SDGs STORY "Click for the Earth" is an environmental conservation activity that Brother conducts together with you.
