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Green Glossary

Index

Eco driving

An environmentally sound method of driving by which CO₂ and other greenhouse gas emissions are reduced by improving the car's fuel consumption.

Eco driving diagnostic system

A system that gathers driving data in real time using IT, analyzes the driving behavior, and provides the user with this information via e-mail or the Internet so that he/she can implement eco driving.

Eco-Excellence

Recognition of a person who has a high level of environmental awareness and who actively implements environmental protection activities.

Eco Mark

An environmental label. This is an environmental standard established by the Japan Environment Association. This mark can be used when a product is environmentally sound, i.e., the product reduces the impact on the environment over its entire life cycle, from raw material extraction to product disposal.

Eco product

This is a product that is designed so as to reduce the impact on the environment. Eco products are defined as those that meet all of NEC's 24 independently set eco product standards.

Eco promotion proposal

A proposal offered to a customer that highlights the environmental soundness of NEC's environmental management systems and business plans (environmental elements such as energy saving, resource saving, and elimination of hazardous substances).

Eco solution

An IT or network solution offered to the customer at the proposal or development stage that has been evaluated for environmental soudness and promises a reduced environmental impact.

Eco-Station 2

A system whereby tasks required for operating an environmental management system are set and environmental information is compiled and managed/shared uniformly via an internal internet. Such environmental information includes documents for each point in the task workflow and data concerning the environmental performance of the group as a whole.
*Eco-Station 2 is sold as the "GreenGlobe" solution.

Eco Symbol

An environmental label. This internal labeling system was started by NEC in December 1998 with the aim of promoting environmentally sound product development and providing customers with clear environmental information about NEC products. This label means that the product satisfies all the standards for environmentally sound products for each product group as well as the 24 eco product standards, and that the product has at least one aspect of environmental superiority compared with other products in the industry.

ECO Symbol Star

Positioned at the upper level of the conventional ECO Symbol System, this is an environmental label assigned to products that satisfy the qualification standards as top-runners within NEC and the industry leaders.

Ecology through IT

NEC's environmental slogan, expressing the desire to achieve harmony between technology and the environment. This slogan indicates NEC's corporate approach of lessening the environmental impact on customers and society as a whole by providing environmentally sound IT and network solutions.
→ IT solution

Electronic device casing

The exterior of an electronic device such as a personal computer. A box that covers the internal parts of a device.

Energy conservation

This means to minimize the amount of CO₂ emissions by using energy efficiently.

Environmental accounting

A means of quantitatively evaluating the costs and effectiveness of environmental activities.

Environmental aspects

These are factors that will or could change the environment (such as the use of resources and energy, the storage and management of waste materials and chemical substances, the emission of waste materials/waste gases/wastewater, noise generation, and product shipment). Factors that affect the environment positively and those that affect it negatively are included.

Environmental assessment

A method to check, forecast and evaluate the effects of development activities on the environment before they are implemented to protect the environment from pollution or damage. NEC conducts environmental assessments to predict and evaluate the potential effects that the changes in our business activities will have on the environment. NEC's environmental assessments include:

  1. Evaluation of the impact on the environment, safety and fire prevention aspects, and consumption of resources and energy of any newly introduced chemical substance, material, piece of equipment, or manufacturing method.
  2. Content analysis and evaluation of the disposal method of any newly generated waste product prior to it begin processed.
  3. Evaluation of the environmental soundness of a new product in the development stage.
  4. When land is acquired for factory use or when a new building is constructed, evaluation of compliance with the appropriate laws and ordinances of the state (or relevant country when the land or building is located overseas) or local government.
The following evaluation methods are also used.
  • Product assessment
The resource and energy saving features and recyclability of a new product are evaluated in the design stage to enable an environmentally sound product to be developed.
  • Manufacturing assessment
The effect a new manufacturing process or changes to an old process has on the environment is assessed in terms of energy consumption, materials used, byproducts created, and waste emissions.
  • Life cycle assessment (LCA)
The effect a product has on the environment over its lifecycle - from resource mining to production, use, and disposal - is assessed in terms of energy required and CO₂ emissions.
  • Pre-evaluation system
A system to check, forecast, and evaluate the effect on the environment prior to using a new chemical substance or piece of equipment or priorto emitting a new waste product at a factory.

Environmental Business

Environmental Business involves supporting the environmental activities of the customer by providing a variety of services. They range from software sales, consultations, and equipment to system setup and operation. They combine the environmental management know-how acquired through NEC's environmental activities with NEC's IT technology, which forms the basis of the company's business.

Environmental Charter

NEC's Environmental Charter consists of the company's environmental principles as well as seven environmental action plans (including a preamble). The charter aims to resolve the problem of creating harmony with the environment, which is one of the greatest challenges in environmental management, by defining an approach that ensures all employees in all areas of corporate activities prioritize environmental friendliness.

Environmental communication

NEC provides a wealth of communication concerning the environment to its stakeholders via the media and other means. The main forms of environmental communication are through the Annual Environmental Report, NEC's environmental activity Web site, the NEC Environment Forum, and stakeholders meetings.

Environmental consciousness

This means to reduce product substances that have a negative impact on the environment, such as mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, and lead.

Environmental endocrine disrupters

These are chemical substances that function like hormones and disrupt the endocrine functions of a living organism when ingested. Chemical substances that are believed to be endocrine disrupters include dioxins and PCB.

Environmental governance

Environmental governance means to establish, throughout the entire NEC Group, the management methods and systems required to protect the environment and to promote concrete activities that will eliminate environmental risks and increase corporate value from an environmental viewpoint based on unified environmental policies.

Environmental impact

This means environmental aspects that have a negative effect on the environment, such as those that cause the loss of natural resources either permanently or temporarily, those that lead to degradation in the quality of the air, water, or ground, and those that result in an increase in waste materials.

Environmental label

A label attached to products to recommend them to consumers as environmentally sound. NEC uses the Eco Symbol as its environmental label.

Environmental Law Compliance Audit

This is an audit carried out by the Internal Auditing Division and is a specialized audit used to check compliance with environmental laws and local regulations.

Environmental management

Environmental management contributes to building a society where support for the environment is practiced comprehensively and effectively. through its in-house environmental management activities and its products and services, NEC aims to provide environmental support that enables sustainable management and a sustainable society by reducing environmental impact and risk and making the use of resources more efficient, thus creating a rich and abundant society and environment.

Environmental Management Action Plan 2017/2030

This is the long-term vision for environmental management defined by NEC. In order to contribute from an environmental viewpoint toward the realization of an "information society friendly to humans and the earth" as envisioned by the NEC Group Vision 2017, NEC has devised three action plans for a low carbon society, the preservation of ecosystems and biodiversity, and resource recycling and saving.

Environmental management audits

An environmental management audit is a systematic, documented verification process by which audit evidence is obtained and evaluated objectively to determine whether the status or performance of environmental management activities, the management system itself, and other related information conforms to audit standards. The audit also involves communicating the audit results to the party requesting the audit.

Environmental management indicator

This is an indicator used to evaluate the results of environmental management from the viewpoint of preventing global warming, encouraging effective use of resources, etc.

Environmental management system (EMS)

A company's environmental management system includes the organizational structure, action plans, responsibilities, practices, procedures, processes, and resources required to create, implement, achieve, review, and maintain that company's environmental policies. In other words, the EMS clarifies the procedures for promoting the environmental management activities implemented to achieve the aims described in the environmental policies (such as the framework, responsibility allocation, action items, and action plans).

Environmental performance

This means the results of environmental improvement activities carried out by an organization based on environmental policies, aims, or targets. Examples include a reduction in generated waste materials, a reduction in and management of chemical substances used, and achievement of targets.

Environmental technology

Technology that can be applied to enable environmentally sound technological development and products.

Environmental training

This involves establishing a variety of situations where positive and ongoing environmental training and awareness-raising activities can be carried out, with the aim of encouraging each employee to develop superior ecological awareness, practice an ecological work style, and live an ecological lifestyle.

Environmentally sound products (eco products)

European Union Restriction on Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS Directive)