As a good corporate citizen, NEC places emphasis on activities aimed at promoting mutual understanding among people around the world and the development of society based on the principle of respect for humanity.
The environment is a precious asset that is the collective property of all humankind, including future generations. NEC promotes environmental management activities as one of its top priorities, aiming to contribute to the preservation of the natural environment.
In November 1995, a domestic subsidiary became the first NEC Group company to receive certification according to the United Kingdom's British Standard 7750 (BS7750) for environmental management systems, and in February 1996 NEC's Irish subsidiary became the first overseas Group company to be awarded BS7750 certification. In addition, two domestic subsidiaries led the Group with the receipt of certification according to the similar ISO/DIS14001, the International Organization for Standardization's Draft International Standard, which will come into full effect in 1996. The granting of these certifications to NEC Group companies demonstrates international recognition of NEC's commitment to the preservation of the environment.
NEC has set numerical targets as part of its plan for reducing waste, and activities carried out from fiscal 1991 through fiscal 1996 represented the second phase of this plan. Regarding industrial waste, in fiscal 1996 we cut absolute waste volume 70 percent compared with fiscal 1991, in excess of the target of 60 percent. In addition, we achieved a recycling rate of 68 percent in fiscal 1996, a significant improvement from the fiscal 1991 figure of 21 percent. As for general waste, in fiscal 1996 we succeeded in reducing waste volume 60 percent compared with fiscal 1991 levels. Looking ahead, NEC will continue to pursue such goals in phase three of this activity's plan.
NEC aims to minimize the burden its products place on the environment during their life cycles, from production through final disposal. Toward this end, to complement our product assessment system, we have implemented a manufacturing assessment system that examines the possible environmental impact of manufacturing methods.
Contributing to the well-being of society is an important element in NEC's corporate philosophy, and our efforts toward this end are concentrated on supporting activities in five specific areas: volunteer work, environmental preservation, social welfare activities, community involvement, and artistic, cultural, and sporting activities.
To support and expand volunteer activities among its employees, NEC publishes a bimonthly in-house newsletter. Through this newsletter, we organize the collection of used postcards, stamps, and prepaid telephone cards. The money raised through these collections goes toward supporting volunteer groups and to such causes as the provision of recovery aid for farming villages in Cambodia and other countries and scholarships for junior high school students in Thailand.
As part of its efforts to promote environmental preservation, NEC is providing financial and technical support for a large-scale study on endangered species of cranes. Tiny transmitting devices attached to the birds enable satellites to track their movements. In 1995, during the second phase of the project, it was confirmed that Demoiselle cranes migrating from Mongolia to India fly to a height of more than 8,000 meters above sea level to cross the Himalayas. Such research activities contribute greatly to efforts to save endangered species from extinction.
NEC's social welfare activities include the promotion of wheelchair tennis, featuring such events as the NEC International Wheelchair Tennis Tour.
In addition, NEC seeks to promote the healthy development of young people through sport. We sponsor the NEC World Youth Cup tennis tournament, with players aged 16 and under from over 50 countries taking part.
Since 1986, NEC has supported concert tours of the Boston Symphony Orchestra under the direction of conductor Seiji Ozawa, including tours of Japan, Europe, and the United States. In fiscal 1996, we sponsored the North American Tour.
Since 1991, NEC has contributed to a project involving the satellite tracking of migratory cranes. On October 7, 1995, it was confirmed that Demoiselle cranes fly over the Himalayas.
NEC periodically hosts "Super Tower Concerts," to which it invites approximately 1,000 guests, including local residents and people with disabilities. The 11th concert featured the Friends of Toshiya Eto Orchestra.
Every summer, NEC Research Institute, Inc., in the United States, hosts "Adventures in Science." This week-long program of classes, conducted by NEC Research Institute scientists, is designed to introduce around 40 fifth-graders to the pleasures of science.
NEC sponsors the Japan Environmental Education Forum's "Environmental Instructor Training Project." In the first project, 30 university students were selected for training in forest management.
