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The Environment


FSTJ 2009-1 Cover Image

2009-1 (Vol.45, No.1)


Environmental problems such as global warming are caused by human and corporate activities—in this regard, we are all involved. Throughout its business activities, the Fujitsu Group attaches much importance to profit and growth, shareholders and investors, a global perspective, and society and the environment as part of its corporate philosophy called the FUJITSU Way. This special issue describes environmental activity concepts that govern the entire Fujitsu Group and spotlights specific activities.


2009-1 (Vol.45, No.1) Contents

1. Preface (457 KB)
Environmental problems such as global warming are caused by human and corporate activities—in this regard, we are all involved. Throughout its business activities, the Fujitsu Group attaches much importance to profit and growth, shareholders and investors, a global perspective, and society and the environment as part of its corporate philosophy called the FUJITSU Way. It also feels that dealing honestly with the global environmental problems that surround us is the most direct way of solving them. At the same time, the Fujitsu Group has been promoting environmental load reduction in its own plants, offices, and products as a basic principle of its environmental activities since its founding. We also realize that providing information technology (IT) solutions using Fujitsu Group technology to reduce the environmental load for our customers and society corresponds to activities that reflect the essence of the Fujitsu Group. This special issue describes in more detail these environmental activity concepts that govern the entire Fujitsu Group and spotlights specific activities. We hope you find these articles interesting, and we look forward to your ongoing support and guidance. ---[Junichi Murashima, Corporate First Senior Vice President]

Fujitsu Group's Environmental Activities

2. Fujitsu Group's Environmental Policy and Activities (1.37 MB )
Since its founding in 1935, Fujitsu's basic principle of environmental management has been manufacturing in harmony with nature. Fujitsu has been environmentally active in various ways, taking the stance that environmental preservation is not an additional cost but a corporate value. Today, Fujitsu is formulating environmental activity plans in which each and every employee participates based on Green Policy 21, an environmental concept centered on the slogan "We make every activity green". Furthermore, in addition to reducing the environmental load in the Fujitsu Group, Fujitsu is working to reduce its customers' environmental loads through green information technology (Green IT) as part of its Green Policy Innovation project. Fujitsu has also formulated a medium-term environmental vision called Green Policy 2020 that describes the role and direction of the Fujitsu Group toward 2020. This paper describes the environmental management framework at Fujitsu for systematically carrying out environmental activities in line with the company's management framework and introduces environmental activities in the Fujitsu Group. ---[Atsuhisa Takahashi, Michinori Kutami, Seiya Yamazaki]
3. Fujitsu Group's Activities for Global Warming Countermeasures (861 KB)
In the Kyoto Protocol, Japan is committed to reducing its average emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) between 2008 and 2012 by 6% of its 1990 emission level. However, in fiscal 2005, Japan's GHG emissions actually increased by 7.8% versus the 1990 level. In Japan, where industry is responsible for about 65% of the national CO2 emissions related to energy consumption, each sector has organized a voluntary action plan to promote activities to achieve the mandatory goal set by the Japanese government. Also in the electronics and IT sectors, there is a need for further reinforcement of those activities in association with the enhancement of the current voluntary action plan. In fiscal 2007, the Fujitsu Group started its Environmental Protection Program (Stage V) to comply with increasingly demanding laws and regulations. In this program, the Fujitsu Group announced its target to reduce absolute CO2 emissions related to energy consumption as its continued efforts from Stage IV, within the framework of its activities for global warming countermeasures. Fujitsu's activities in the areas of manufacturing processes and office division, areas which the Group considers to still be the subject for future challenges, are introduced in this paper in addition to the Group's conventional activities. ---[Seiji Kawaguchi, Yuuichi Kadono, Masataka Fujii]
4. Fujitsu Group's Activities for Green Procurement (804 KB)
The harmonious coexistence of economic and environmental activities is essential for realizing a sustainable society. For this reason, businesses must advance their environmental activities that result in economic development. Given the RoHS directive and REACH regulation enacted in the EU, as well as worldwide trends toward stricter legislation governing hazardous chemical substances, businesses must also enhance the management of chemical substances included in products throughout the entire gamut of the supply chain. In view of this situation, the Fujitsu Group devised an "Environmental Protection Program (Stage V)" in April 2007 and also initiated the fifth stage of green procurement activities according to this program. Two major goals have been set for these activities: 1) helping suppliers achieve a more sophisticated Environmental Management System (EMS) and 2) helping suppliers establish a Chemical substances Management System (CMS). This paper gives an overall picture and describes the current status of the Fujitsu Group's green procurement activities. ---[Masao Hosogai, Miki Tomotani, Kenichi Oheda]
5. Fujitsu Activities for Green Logistics (599 KB)
The revision of Japan's Energy Conservation Law in April 2006 requires transporters and shippers to make efforts to protect the environment in their logistics activities. Fujitsu, which has been active in green logistics for some time, is expanding environmental load reduction activities across the entire supply chain, setting a tough industry-leading target of reducing transport-related CO2 emissions by 30% from fiscal 2000 levels by the end of fiscal 2010. This paper introduces Fujitsu activities toward this goal with a focus on "reducing CO2 emissions by using an intensive vehicle-allocation control system from parts procurement to product delivery" in the Tokyo metropolitan area through modal shift expansion and the Green Logistics Partnership Promotion Project. ---[Kazuhiko Niwa]
6. Fujitsu Group's Activities for Global and Domestic Product Recycling (895 KB)
In line with the domestic environmental movement aimed at zero emissions and the recycling of waste products, in December 1998 Fujitsu became the first company in the industry to establish a recycling system in Japan (known as the Fujitsu Recycling System). This was a scheme whereby the Fujitsu Group collects waste products from industrial users for disposal and recycling. We began recycling operations by setting up Fujitsu recycling centers operated by Fujitsu's affiliated or partner companies in five bases nationwide, with Fujitsu Logistics Ltd. (as it was known at that time) in charge of customer relations. We now offer a recycling service as a certified, wide-area waste disposal agent under the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law, and have established a scheme to collect waste products from both industrial and individual users. Moreover, in 2002 we launched recycling schemes overseas, and have implemented recycling services through seven bases in the five countries of the US, Canada, Australia, the Philippines, and Singapore until December 2007. ---[Takashi Kudou, Makoto Ichimura]
7. Fujitsu's Approach to Energy-Saving Data Centers (622 KB)
Global environmental problems have become a matter of increasing concern in recent years, and even Fujitsu's outsourcing business that runs large-scale Internet data centers cannot ignore the need to deal with environmental problems. At Fujitsu, a green Internet data center (Green-IDC) must (1) operate in a stable manner, (2) contribute to a better environment, and (3) make that contribution visible. Various technologies are needed to construct a data center that satisfies these three conditions, and the basis for all of them is visualization technology. In pursuit of Green-IDCs, Fujitsu has created a Total Technology Framework Toward Green-IDC to establish a comprehensive technological system including visualization for making the Green-IDC concept a reality. This paper describes the basic ideas behind this framework and its individual technologies. ---[Hiroshi Nagazono]
8. CO2 Emissions Reduction Efforts by Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (812 KB)
This paper describes efforts being made by Fujitsu Microelectronics Europe (FME) to reduce CO2 emissions, which is the major objective defined in the environmental program of the Fujitsu Group. By moving its headquarters to a new office building, FME has cut electricity consumption by 13% and cut heating gas consumption by 59%. FME's electricity consumption no longer adds to global CO2 emissions because green electricity is now purchased from a hydroelectric power plant, which provides 100% renewable energy that is absolutely emission-free. ---[Heinz Neppach, Karola Leiterholt-Kunz]
9. Approach to Green IT Business at Fujitsu Australia Limited (680 KB)
Whether you are a climate change sceptic or a believer, as a business leader you have an obligation to prepare for the opportunities arising during the transition to a carbon-constrained market. There will be major economic and industry disruption to the market, resulting from an array of influences. This transformation will not just be the introduction of emissions trading in 2010; it will be one of the most wideranging transformations of our time. The carbon-constrained market will create revenue worth billions of dollars and generate new opportunities across the Australian economy. It will impact all Australian businesses in some way—doing nothing is no longer a viable option for those who wish to remain competitive and sustainable. Fujitsu Australia Limited (FAL) has developed new service offerings to assist its clients to meet these challenges. The Enterprise Sustainability offering is a broad approach aimed at assisting our clients to understand their risks and identify new business opportunities and prepare for incoming regulation and the major economic changes to the market. The Green IT offering addresses the information technology (IT) function/industry, which has a role to play in reducing the environmental burdens caused by IT and also providing advanced technology and solutions to reduce environmental burdens. FAL is working with their clients to develop and implement a Green IT strategic response. ---[Alison O'Flynn]

Technologies for Reducing Environmental Load of IT

10. Developing More Super Green Products and Achieving Eco-efficiency Factor (1.04 MB )
The Fujitsu Group has promoted the development of eco-friendly products by conducting environmental assessments on products since 1993. In line with the latest Fujitsu Group Environmental Protection Program (Stage V) launched in fiscal 2007, we have been working on two programs to improve the environmental values of our products. The first program aims to increase the number of Super Green Products with top-class environmental characteristics, which have been created since the previous stage IV (fiscal 2004 to 2006). In order to achieve this goal, we have expanded the scope of developing Super Green Products across our group companies. The second program, which introduces the eco-efficiency factor as our new approach, strives to double the eco-efficiency of new products as compared with the products in fiscal 2005 by the end of fiscal 2009. Both approaches are aimed not only at reducing environmental burden throughout the entire product life cycle, but also offering customers high-performance products. This paper illustrates our promotion activities, cites examples of Super Green Products, and describes the efforts we are making toward achieving the eco-efficiency factor. ---[Haruo Takayama, Yoshiko Shinomura, Yoshimasa Nakagami, Masataka Fujii]
11. Fujitsu's Approach to Environmental Protection Using "PRIMERGY" PC Server (925 KB)
IT equipment now accounts for about 5 percent of the total electric power consumed in Japan, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry predicts that the total power consumed by IT equipment will increase about fivefold over 2006 levels by 2025. Unlike in other industries that are seeing trends toward saving energy, only ITrelated industries are exhibiting the opposite trends concerning power consumption. Moreover, corporate customers are paying more attention to saving energy from a business standpoint, since energy savings for PC servers will in turn reduce data center operating costs, such as costs for air-conditioning and electric power. In line with such market trends, Fujitsu has been active in saving energy for PC servers in offices. This paper introduces the latest energy-saving technologies, citing the example of PRIMERGY TX120, a product that has achieved the highest level of energy saving in the industry, and describes Fujitsu's contributions in the fields of developmental concepts and decreasing environmental burdens. ---[Hideaki Fujimaki, Tadashi Mantani]
12. Energy-saving Measures in Fujitsu's Network Products (1.06 MB )
Many data center operators are dealing with power-related problems these days. Indeed, all data centers in the Tokyo metropolitan area are reportedly facing a power shortage. Network equipment is not immune to this problem. This paper presents the current state of Fujitsu's SR-S series of switches and IPCOM EX series of network servers and describes a new approach to improving energy efficiency in switches by applying function integration with a high energy-saving effect, as already applied in the IPCOM EX series. It then describes Fujitsu's approach to the flow of cooling air in racks at data centers dominated by rack-mounted servers and introduces an approach toward even greater energy efficiency for the future. ---[Shoji Temma]
13. Management of Chemical Substances Contained in Products (650 KB)
The Fujitsu Group has promoted such progressive activities as the new development of lead-free solder for managing restrictions on hazardous substances contained in products ever since the EU's RoHS Directive was enacted in 2003. In recent years, RoHS-like regulations have been enforced also in Japan, China, and South Korea, along with a trend toward new regulations being enacted in various countries and regions such as in North America. As a result, a growing number of restrictions are being imposed worldwide on hazardous substances in products. The scheme to systematically ensure and promote the non-containment of restricted chemical substances is very important in order to properly comply with worldwide regulations governing the chemical substances contained in products. This paper introduces Fujitsu Group's internal organization, management method, and other specific measures that have been established to address restrictions on hazardous substances in products, with regard to the management of chemical substances contained in products that we have been implementing. ---[Takuya Nagamiya, Mariko Yamada, Takashi Imamura]

Technologies for Reducing Environmental Load by IT

14. Environmental Load Reduction by ICT (1.13 MB )
The first commitment period established by the Kyoto Protocol began in 2008. In Japan, CO2 emissions for 2007 (preliminary figures) increased by 8.7% compared with the base year (1990), putting Japan in the situation where it must reduce CO2 emissions by more than 15% by 2012. Of particular concern are emissions from commerce and office activities, which have increased by 41.7% over the base year. Believing that information and communications technology (ICT) can make a significant contribution to reducing society's environmental load, the Fujitsu Group introduced an "environmentally conscious solutions certification system" in 2004 targeting those solutions that could bring about a CO2 reduction effect of more than 15% by reducing paper usage, the movement of people and things, the amount of office space used, etc. and developed ways of visualizing the CO2 reduction effects of ICT. This certification system has helped raise environmental consciousness within the Fujitsu Group while also demonstrating to customers in a straightforward manner that "ICT solutions make for a better environment". After providing some background, this paper outlines the system, presents case studies of certified and provided solutions and their effects, and surveys standardization activities for methods of assessing environmental load in software solutions. ---[Takafumi Hashitani, Kenichi Iida, Hidefumi Ueda, Michinori Kutami]
15. Solutions Supporting Environmentally Conscious Business (754 KB)
The corporate world has become environmentally active to comply with regulations and meet voluntary targets. In Europe, regulations concerning chemical materials in products have been stepped up, requiring exporters and companies that make up their supply chains to become involved in environmental activities. At the same time, some companies have come to see that environmentally conscious products can help make a company more competitive and are incorporating environmental activities in management. As the scope and volume of a company's environmentrelated business continue to expand, more companies can be expected to introduce environmental business solutions with the aim of making environment-related business more efficient and creating mechanisms for applying environmental information to management activities. This paper describes functions required of environmental business solutions and the effects of introducing them divided into three fields: Environmental Management System (EMS), support for environmental-load reduction activities for places of business, and support for environmental-load reduction activities for products. ---[Makoto Watanabe, Suguru Muramatsu, Toshimi Sumiya]
16. Evaluation of VOC Emissions from Electrical Components (854 KB)
Because increasing attention has been paid to indoor air pollution from chemical substances, the Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA) formulated volatile organic compound (VOC) guidelines for personal computers (PCs). They give emission criteria and describe a measurement procedure using a chamber method. All the models of PCs and display monitors produced by Fujitsu are checked against these criteria before they are released. In addition, it is preferable to check the electrical components in advance to confirm compliance with the guidelines. We have developed a technique for evaluating the VOC emission rate of an electrical component by using a bag method, which is much simpler and easier than the chamber method. We studied the VOC emission behavior of an electrical component by using the bag method and evaluated the influences of ventilation and operation on the emission rate. We also investigated the correlation between the results obtained by the chamber and bag methods. We found that the emission rate of a product, an operating liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor, measured by the chamber method could be estimated from the emission rate of a component, a transformer, measured by the bag method. Therefore, the bag method is a useful technique for screening inspections of components. ---[Fumiyo Takeuchi, Mitsuo Ozaki]
17. Improving IDC Cooling and Air Conditioning Efficiency (1.82 MB )
With the demand for information technology (IT) equipment increasing year by year and data centers with densely packed IT equipment experiencing dramatic jumps in power consumption, energy-saving methods are becoming all the more important. Power consumed by a data center is used for various purposes, but reducing the power supplied to IT equipment followed by that for air conditioning to cool large IT equipment is taking on particular importance. This paper describes the efforts of Fujitsu Advanced Technologies Limited (FATEC) to make air conditioning in data centers more efficient. Surveys focusing on the key parameters of temperature, electrical power, and airflow are crucial to obtaining a clear understanding of actual conditions, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations constitute an important predictive technology for achieving genuine improvements. The accuracy of temperature predictions for uncovering hot spots is generally within 20%; moreover, this can be brought to within 5% by adjusting the simulations. It has been found that improvements in cooling efficiency achieved by using highly accurate CFD simulations can reduce the power consumed by air conditioning equipment drastically. ---[Junichi Ishimine, Yuji Ohba, Sayoko Ikeda, Masahiro Suzuki]
18. FIP's Environmentally Conscious Solutions and GOSAT (1.64 MB )
Fujitsu FIP Corporation has been dealing with environmental problems as a business since the 1970s. FIP has expanded into diverse fields from the development of data processing algorithms for many global observation satellites to environmental management support for environmental problems ranging from the plant level to the global level. This paper introduces two of its key solutions: SLIMOFFICE EX and data processing support for GOSAT. The former manages and analyzes performance information essential to environmental management, while the latter is a data processing solution for the Greenhouse gases Observing Satellite (GOSAT). Both were born from FIP's work in environment-related business spanning 37 years. The paper first introduces the flow behind the development of FIP's environmentally conscious solutions and then describes the above two solutions. ---[Mitsugu Sato, Susumu Tahara, Masatoshi Usami]