Solve issues related to water resources

The Kurita Group Approach

The Kurita Group addresses issues such as water scarcity due to the uneven distribution of water, water pollution caused by industrial development, and public health concerns and is working to solve issues related to water resources from the perspectives of water quantity, water quality, and access to water by leveraging water knowledge and collaborating with various organizations, and will maintain the appropriate water circulation as an ecosystem service. The Kurita Group has established the "Kurita Group Environmental Policy" as a groupwide policy on environmental issues. Based on this policy, we will continuously promote environmental improvement activities. Business sites that have acquired ISO14001 certification build and operate their own environmental management systems in accordance with this policy. Other business sites that have not acquired certification also build and operate environmental management systems, including necessary regulations, systems, and activity plans, in line with this policy.

Kurita Group Environmental Policy

Contribution to Achieving the SDGs

Promotion and Governance System

The Kurita Group has defined “Solve issues related to water resources” as one of its materialities, and the Sustainability Committee chaired by the Executive General Manager of the Sustainability Division, a Corporate Officer of the Company, oversees and promotes the Group’s initiatives. The Sustainability Committee discusses or reports on the status of the initiatives to the Executive Committee twice a year in principle, and the Executive Committee deliberates and decides on necessary measures. Additionally, the Executive Committee reports on the status of initiatives to the Board of Directors, which oversees initiatives related to materialities. The Sustainability Advisory Council examines and deliberates on the Company's approach to sustainability management from a multi-stakeholder, medium- to long-term perspective, taking into account global circumstances surrounding sustainability, and provides advice and reports to the Board of Directors.
In fiscal 2025, we have established the Water Conservation Subcommittee as a specialized subcommittee to create and expand CSV businesses that contribute to solving water resource issues, such as water conservation, and are currently developing and implementing promotion strategies.

Please refer to the details of the CSV business here.

CSV Business (PDF: 1.15MB)

Acquisition of ISO 14001 Certification

The Kurita Group has acquired ISO 14001 certification, focusing on business sites with high environmental impact. Business sites that have not acquired certification build management systems in accordance with the Kurita Group Environmental Policy. Please click here to see the acquisition rate of the entire Group and the list of companies that have acquired certification as of March 2024.

ESG Data

Implementation of Environmental Compliance Assessments

Based on the "Kurita Group Environmental Policy," the Kurita Group conducts activities to comply with environmental laws and regulations applicable in each country and region where it operates as part of its environmental improvement activities. Through "self-assessment sheets" targeting all Kurita Group business sites engaged in environmental improvement activities and "on-site inspections" targeting business sites of the company and group companies in Japan with relatively high risks of environmental law violations, we continuously evaluate and verify the compliance status and corrective actions regarding environmental laws related to chemical substance management, waste management, and wastewater treatment facility management at each group company and business site once a year.

Targets and Results

The Kurita Group is committed to solving water resource issues by setting targets related to water conservation and the reduction of GHG emissions associated with water conservation through the provision of solutions to customers, reducing water withdrawal in business activities, and engaging in collaborations with other organizations to alleviate water stress and raise awareness about water resources. Targets and results for this materiality are shown as below.

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Metrics	Targets（Upper row） and Results（Lower row）
Metrics	FY2024	FY2025 ^*2	FY2026	FY2028	FY2031
Total number of basins where collective actions are implemented and total population in the basins	3 basins, 130 million people	3 basins, 93 million people	4 basins, 160 million people	5 basins 600 million people	7 Basins 700 million people
	Not Achieved (3 basins, 93 million people)
Amount of Water Savings through CSV Business	125 million m³	135 million m³	200 million m³	300 million m³	-
Amount of Water Savings through CSV Business	Not Achieved (111 million m³)				-
Rate of reduction in the ratio of GHG emissions to water savings^*1 through CSV business (compared to FY2023)	5%	20%	35%	50%	-
	Not Achieved (-18.0% (0.017t-CO ₂ /m³ ))				-
Rate of reduction of water withdrawal intensity (compared to FY2023, excluding the ultrapure water supply business)	7%	21%	23% ^*2	27% ^*2	-
	Achieved (18.2%)				-
Number of individuals, organizations and groups we engage with to raise awareness on water resources	Meet or exceed the previous year	Meet or exceed the previous year	Meet or exceed the previous year	Meet or exceed the previous year	-
	Achieved				-

This figure represents Kurita Group’s Scope 3 categories 11 and 13, divided by the amount of water conservation achieved through CSV businesses involving water treatment equipment (which generate Scope 3 categories 11 and 13 emissions).
The targets for fiscal 2025 were reviewed by the Sustainability Committee and decided by the Executive Committee. The target for fiscal 2026 and fiscal 2028 were revised upwards from the initial target based on the target for fiscal 2025 and approved by the Board of Directors.

Evaluation of Results and Outline of Activities

Total Number of Basins Where Collective Actions are Implemented and Total Population in the Basins

The Kurita Group promotes collective action to alleviate water stress in collaboration with multiple companies and organizations. This initiative is carried out through partnerships with international initiatives such as the Water Resilience Coalition (WRC)*1, which we have been a member of since 2020, and the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)*2, which we joined in July 2024, to address water resource issues in stressed basins.
In fiscal 2024, we continued our campaign “Impact Together,” which was launched in fiscal 2023, to address water resource issues in the Colorado River Basin in the United States and the PCJ Basin in Brazil. Additionally, we initiated collective action in the Citarum River Basin in Indonesia to address water quality issues of the basin. However, due to the change of the activity basin from the initially planned basin to the Citarum River Basin, the cumulative population of the activity area for the fiscal 2024 fell short of the target.

An organization led by the industrial sector that works on the preservation of water resources in water-stressed basins all over the world, established by The CEO Water Mandate, an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact.
An international initiative aimed at realizing a sustainable water environment by promoting appropriate water use and management by companies in each basins.

WRC｜Water Resilience Coalition

AWS｜Alliance for Water Stewardship

For information about other initiatives to improve water access and prevent the spread of infectious diseases, please refer to this page.

Corporate Citizenship Activities

Amount of Water Savings through CSV Business

The Kurita Group has set a target for the amount of water savings through CSV business, and develops and provides solutions that contribute to saving water. The actual result of fiscal 2024, fell short of the target at 111 million m³, because of the impact of changes in the plans for large projects.

Please refer to the details of the CSV business here.

CSV Business (PDF: 1.15MB)

Examples of improvements (PDF: 2.14MB)

Amount of Water Savings through CSV Business

Rate of Reduction in the Ratio of GHG Emissions to Water Savings through CSV Business

The Kurita Group has set a target for the rate of reduction in the ratio of GHG emissions to water savings, and is promoting initiatives that focus on the trade-off of increased GHG emissions derived from the operation of water treatment facilities that contributes to water savings. In fiscal 2024, the target was not achieved, resulting in -18.0％, due to the increase in Scope 3 emissions and the failure to meet the target for the amount of water savings through CSV business.

Rate of Reduction of Water Withdrawal Intensity

The Kurita Group evaluates water risks at each of its sites using the World Resources Institute’s ‘AQUEDUCT,’ and metrics such as the proportion of water withdrawal at each site relative to the Group’s total water withdrawal, and business characteristics. Based on these evaluations, we select priority sites for water risk reduction initiatives. At the selected sites, considering the characteristics of each site, we select items that are closely related to water usage, such as production volume, net sales, or total floor space, as the denominators for a per-unit measurement and set annual goals, and work to reduce water usage per unit. In fiscal 2024, actual result exceeded the target at 18.2%, largely due to a substantial reduction intake at Kurita Europe GmbH.

For other water-related data (water consumption, water discharge, etc.) at our business sites, please see ESG data.