IBM Japan Tops Environmental Management Survey

The fifth Nihon Keizai Shimbun environmental management survey of manufacturing companies gave IBM Japan the top rank for the first time. IBM Japan reports that it has been making an effort since 1986 to focus on environmental protection by adopting environmental accounting and other initiatives. The company's energy-saving and waste-reduction efforts in the fast-growing service sector rated highly in the survey.

To the question "Do you reflect the environmental measures achievements in personnel appraisal such as managerial bonuses?" 74 out of 820 companies answered "yes." Since fiscal 1999 Ricoh Co. has been calculating a portion of managerial bonuses based on achievements in energy-saving and waste-recycling, with rewards for excellence being additional bonuses of up to 200,000 or 300,000 yen (U.S.$1,600 to 2,500) at the general manager level. Sony Corporation and Sharp Corporation adopted a similar system last year, providing incentives for the development of eco-friendly products. The proportion of Japanese companies practicing green procurement, by preferentially buying raw materials that have a lower environmental impact, rose 13.2 points to 37.0 percent (303 companies) compared to the previous survey.



Posted: 2002/09/08 03:18:17 PM
Japanese version