Our Policy for Environmental Consideration
I. Our Commitment for Environmental Consideration
Namidabashi Lab’s objective about the environment is to contribute to the increased sustainability of the natural environment and realize the coexistence of our business activities and environment. For the objective, we take effective actions to enhance positive environmental impacts of our activities as well as to alleviate negative impacts, in accordance with our cooperate mission; “To inquire how we can develop relationships with and among people, nature, and happenings of the world, such that we can reframe the social structure and our views on it”.
II. Principles for Actions for Environment Consideration
1. We make our business activities and office circumstances more environmental-friendly, based on Tokyo’s traditional concepts and techniques for environmental management, as follows.
“Mottainai”; is a Japanese term conveying a sense of regret concerning waste. It can elaborate feelings and promote actions to reduce the use of resources and to reuse and recycle products. For example, to realize “Mottainai”, we significantly reduce the use of paper and stuff to make for a paperless office. Also, we do “Uchimizu”, the traditional Japanese custom of sprinkling water collected from rain, into streets to mitigate heat in Urban areas.
“Hayane Hayaoki”; is the concept of “working with nature’s cycle.” For example, we maximize the use of natural lights and minimize overtime work at night by working with the cycle. It can reduce energy to maintain the office environment day and night.
“Loving flowers and greens in urban area”; Some scholars reported that people in Tokyo liked flowers and greens since the Edo period (1603-1868)*. Even today, people in Tokyo is the same. They put plant pots on the street and surface buildings with green. Our office contributes to Tokyo’s green urbanism by decorating with plant pots around our office.
* British scholar of gardening, Robert Fortune, who visited Tokyo in 1860, wrote in his book, “Regardless of social position, the clear characteristic of Japanese people is that they like flowers.” Also, German botanist Hans Molisch wrote in his book, “A plant is an existence that has a soul for the Japanese, and it is important for them that it should be loved in the same way as a human being”.
2. We comply with municipality and government relevant policies such as the basic plan for the environment in Taito-ward, garbage separation and recycling rules, JICA’s guidelines for environmental and social considerations.
3. We sensitize ourselves to environmental management actions by making opportunities to experience the natural environment (e.g. participating in biodiversity tours, visiting a local exhibition or festival for the environment, making plant pots as mentioned above, etc.).
III. Evaluation and Indicators of Environmental Impacts
The environmental impacts of our business activities are measured by the following indicators. Every three years the targets of the indicators are set. The achievements of the indicators are analyzed and evaluated.
- Hygiene expenditure per employee
- Electricity consumption per office area
- Water consumption per employee
- Number of compliments received from neighbours for the environment around the office
- Number of compliments for our consideration of the natural environment during business activities