ThirdParty Independent Assurance Report Material Balance ...€¦ · 2016. The first LNG terminal...
Transcript of ThirdParty Independent Assurance Report Material Balance ...€¦ · 2016. The first LNG terminal...
Stable Supply
The Pursuit of Safety
Provision of Better Products and Services
Basic Policy on Environmental Protection
and Targets
Global Warming Countermeasures —
Toward the Realization of a Low Carbon
Society
Promotion of Resource Saving — Toward
the Creation of ResourceSaving Society
Promotion of Biodiversity Conservation —
Toward Developing a Society that Coexists
with Nature
Promotion of Environmental Technologies
Development
Tokyo Gas Group Business Activities and
Material Balance
ThirdParty Independent Assurance Report
Safe and Secure Ways of Life and Urban
Development
Enrichment of Society
Human Rights Due Diligence
Permeation and Rigorous Practice of
Compliance
Prevention of Bribery and Corruption
Protection of Personal Information
Development of Human Resources
Occupational Safety and Health
Promotion of Diversity
The Tokyo Gas Group is committed to contributing to the sustainable development of society through the
"enhancement of the LNG value chain" called for in the Challenge 2020 Vision. To implement our main
policies, we have selected six key activities addressing key CSR themes, and identified aspects assessed
to be highly important as specific issues ("materiality aspects"). This "Highlights of Key Activities" section
describes the background and approach to identifying these materiality aspects, along with the current
state of action on them.
With more expected of natural gas following the Great East Japan Earthquake and full liberalization of the
retail sectors for electricity and gas just around the corner, Japan's energy industry is going through major
changes. Amidst these developments, the Tokyo Gas Group recognizes that the stable supply of
inexpensive energy to society is on the public's list of concerns, and will pursue various measures to meet
this expectation.
Raw Materials Procurement to Ensure Stable and Affordable Supply
We are committed to further diversifying our sources of raw materials to ensure stable supply of lowprice
LNG.
Triple Diversification
1. Procurement sourcesWe will broaden our procurement sources from mainly Asia and Australia today to North America and
other countries around the world.
2. Contract conditionsWe will seek to diversify contract conditions by moving away from mainly oillinked pricing to
indexation against multiple indicators (such as the Henry Hub price) and eliminating destination
clauses.
3. LNG networkWe will seek to acquire gas fields, power stations, etc. on a global basis. By developing distribution
channels linking Asia, North America, and Europe, we will also aim to shrink regional disparities in
market prices.
Construction approval obtained for the Cove Point LNG Project in the U.S.
In April 2015 we received the first delivery of LNG from the
Queensland Curtis LNG Project promoted by the BG Group in
Queensland, Australia. This marked the first time that LNG
derived from coalbed methane (an unconventional natural gas
resource found in coal seams) delivered to Japan under a long
term supply contract (signed in 2011), and was the third
delivery of LNG from projects in which Tokyo Gas has secured
a participating interest. This first delivery was approximately
70,000 tons sufficient to produce city gas meeting the annual
needs of some 220,000 ordinary households.
Delivery at Sodegaura LNG Terminal
Construction approval obtained for the Cove Point LNG Project in the U.S.The Cove Point Project in Maryland, U.S., will make a wellbalanced contribution to all three patterns of
diversification outlined above. A new natural gas liquefaction plant is being built at the Cove Point LNG
Terminal to liquefy unconventional shale gas and other U.S. natural gas for export. Our goal is to be
operational in 2017.
This project will be the first to supply Tokyo Gas with LNG at Henry Hub (U.S. natural gas market) prices,
and through our close involvement we seek to develop distribution channels in the North American market.
In April 2013 we entered into a heads of agreement for the sale and purchase of LNG, and in February
2014 we joined a venture that will undertake natural gas liquefaction processing and LNG sales. Following
federal approval of construction in September 2014, all key approvals needed to export LNG from the
project to Japan have now been obtained, bringing us significantly closer to the commencement of Japan
bound LNG exports.
Contract signed to buy gas from the U.S. Cameron LNG ProjectIn July 2014 we signed a sale and purchase contract to buy LNG from the Cameron LNG Project in
Louisiana, U.S., in which Mitsui & Co., Ltd. has a stake. This contract, which contains a flexible destination
clause, will allow us to purchase approximately 520,000 tons/year of shale gasderived LNG at a price
linked to the Henry Hub price. This project will provide us with another LNG source in the U.S., giving us
secure access to Henry Hub price LNG.
First delivery to Japan of longterm contract LNG derived from coalbed methane
Signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic collaboration with KoreaGas Corp.
In September 2014 we signed a memorandum of understanding on strategic collaboration with Korea Gas
Corp., paving the way for the commencement of negotiations toward shortterm LNG supply sharing, long
term joint procurements of LNG, and joint investment in upstream projects. Looking ahead, we will continue
to bolster our partnerships with buyers in Japan and abroad to bring down raw material costs and achieve
more reasonable prices in the Asian market.
Diversification and Expansion of Overseas Business
We are committed to contributing to the development of energy solutions and energy infrastructure in
Southeast Asia, while at the same time building value chains through alliances with locally based energy
companies in the region.
Establishment of Tokyo Gas Asia Pte. Ltd. to contribute to development in
Establishment of Tokyo Gas Asia Pte. Ltd. to contribute to development inSoutheast Asia
In December 2014, Tokyo Gas established Tokyo Gas Asia
Pte. Ltd. in Singapore to supervise business and investment
activities in Southeast Asia. By leveraging the technologies and
expertise developed to date in our total energy business, we
aim to provide energy solutions for plants and commercial
facilities and assist the development of energy infrastructure
and stable supply in the demographically and economically
fastgrowing countries of Southeast Asia, thereby contributing
to their further development.
In order to develop our ability to rapidly and effectively research infrastructure development options and
new projects in the Southeast Asia region, we will construct a group formation overseas by opening
representative offices in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand in 2015. Along with our existing Malaysia office,
this will give us five offices in the region. These countries' different legal systems, institutions, cultures, and
business practices make it essential to understand them intimately and take a highly localized approach to
business in the region. This is exactly what we aim to do. We also plan to build strong local ties by entering
into alliances with companies in the energy business in these countries that have their own extensive
connections and business experience.
Offices in Asia
Cooperation to develop the LNG value chain in Indonesia
Singapore, home of Tokyo Gas Asia Pte. Ltd.
In February 2015 we signed a memorandum of understanding
with Indonesian stateowned oil and gas enterprise PT
Pertamina on forming a strategic alliance to develop the LNG
value chain.
LNG and natural gas demand is rising alongside the rapid
growth in demand for electricity and industrial energy fueled by
Indonesia's remarkable economic growth. Tokyo Gas and
Pertamina have already established close ties through the sale
and purchase of LNG, and we are considering partnering in the
future on a wide range of business activities along the value
chain, ranging from LNG procurement to infrastructure
development and cultivation of demand for LNG and natural
gas.
Signing ceremony with Pertamina
Cooperation to develop the LNG value chain in Indonesia
Commencement of construction of our first energy service plant in MalaysiaGas Malaysia Energy Advance Sdn. Bhd. (GMEA), a joint venture between Tokyo Gas Engineering
Solutions Corp. and Gas Malaysia Bhd., signed a 15year energy services contract with Toray Group
Malaysia, a subsidiary of Toray Industries Inc., leading to the commencement of construction of an energy
plant in November 2014. GMEA will establish a gas cogeneration system on Toray Group Malaysia's
premises to supply electric power and steam using natural gas sourced from Gas Malaysia. Design,
construction, and maintenance work will be performed entirely by GMEA.
Adoption of this service enables Toray Group Malaysia to cut its energy costs, achieve 20% energy
savings, and reduce CO emissions by approximately 30%, all for a relatively small capital investment.
Project Organization
Infrastructure Development to Accommodate Wider Use of Natural Gas
We will expand our supply capacity to meet latent natural gas demand in and around the northern Kanto
region, and further increase supply stability by creating a pipeline loop. At the same time, we will further
ramp up our access to stable, competitive power generating capacity and expand electric power sales.
Steady progress on construction of the Hitachi LNG Terminal
2
Steady progress is being made on construction of the Hitachi
LNG Terminal, in readiness for its entry into service in March
2016.
The first LNG terminal to be built by Tokyo Gas outside Tokyo
Bay, the terminal's operation in concert with our three existing
terminals in the bay is anticipated to improve city gas supply
stability and give a boost to industry by encouraging wider gas
use in the northern Kanto region.
The new terminal will be equipped not only with the world's
largest aboveground LNG tank with a capacity of 230,000 kl,
but also an LPG tank for calorific value adjustment, an LNG
tanker truck offloading facility, a receiving facility for ocean
going tankers, and a shipping berth for coastal tankers. The first
LPG tanker will arrive in November 2015 followed by the first
LNG tanker in December 2015, after which the various facilities
will enter trial operations.
The Hitachi LNG Terminal underconstruction 230,000 kl LNG tank (left) and 50,000 kl LPGtank (right)
Steady progress on construction of the Hitachi LNG Terminal
Creating a highpressure gas pipeline loop to increase the stability of our entiresupply infrastructure
In parallel with work on the Hitachi LNG Terminal, we are
pushing ahead with construction of the approximately 84 km
IbarakiTochigi highpressure gas pipeline. This will connect the
new terminal and the existing Moka governor station, and
should enter service in March 2016. We are also building 10
"stations" that will make it possible to extend the pipeline's
reach using a combination of strategies to ensure safety
(including highly durable steel pipes, highquality welding
technologies, and strict inspections). These are capable of a
number of functions, including city gas pressure regulation, shutoff, and release. Approximately 90% of
work had been completed as of the end of March 2015.
Surveys are also being carried out in preparation for construction of the Ibaraki Line, a highpressure gas
pipeline connecting the Hitachi LNG Terminal to Kamisu City. Creation of a highpressure gas pipeline loop
connecting the Hitachi LNG Terminal and the three existing terminals in the Tokyo Bay area will improve
the stability of the entire supply infrastructure in the Kanto region.
Construction of gas pipeline
Projects to develop the natural gas infrastructure
Expanding power generation and making power procurement more flexibleReforms to the electricity and gas systems and other changes are transforming the energy environment,
making it crucial that we deliver energy along with total gas and electricitybased energy solutions that are
more closely matched to customer needs than ever before. As this necessitates secure access to
competitive, stable sources of power supply, we are exploring development of a "power source portfolio"
combining natural gasfired power generation with power produced using other fuels.
The Tokyo Gas Group is expanding its presence in the electric power business by making effective use of
the LNG value chains we have developed to date in the gas business. The Group currently owns power
generating capacity of around 1,300 MW (own stake).
We aim to expand this capacity to around 3,000 MW (own stake) by 2020, and will soon have Unit 3 at the
Ohgishima Power Station, currently under construction, ready to come on stream in fiscal 2015. We also
signed an agreement with Kobe Steel, Ltd. in September 2014 to trade power at the Shinko Moka Power
Station, and plan to receive 1,200 MW of electric power beginning in 2019. In May 2015 we teamed up with
Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd. and Kyushu Electric Power Company Inc. to establish ChibaSodegaura Energy
Co., Ltd. to conduct studies in preparation for the development of coalfired power stations. As an energy
company, we are committed to meeting the demands and expectations of society by delivering lower price
electric power in a safe and stable manner, while doing our best to protect the environment.
<Link>Special Topic"Contributing to Society as a Total Energy Company"
We put safety first to ensure that customers can put their trust in gas. We are committed to further ramping
up our efforts to make gas supplies safer and more disaster resilient.
Earthquake Disaster Prevention Measures
Tokyo Gas prepares for a major earthquake through a combination of three types of measures: preventive
measures, emergency measures, and recovery measures.
How we protect safety of customers
Critical facilities are designed to be more resistant to earthquakes and tsunami in order to
minimize potential damage.
(1) LNG tanksImported LNG is stored in LNG tanks that have no risk of leaking even in a major earthquake.
(2) High/mediumpressure pipelinesDesigned to connect terminals with district pressure regulators, high/mediumpressure pipelines use
welded joint steel pipes, which have excellent strength and flexibility and can withstand large ground
movements.
(3) GasholdersGasholders store smaller amounts of gas to send out according to demand. They are constructed of
multiple steel plates joined together to form a robust structure.
(4) Lowpressure pipelinesLowpressure pipelines, accounting for about 90% of the total length of our gas pipelines, consist of
polyethylene pipes which flex and are thus less likely to rupture.
Tokyo Gas has rolled out a system for shutting off the supply of gas both to individual homes
and buildings and entire regions by remote control. The pipeline network has also been sub
divided into smaller blocks to minimize disruption in the event that gas supplies have to be shut
off in an emergency.
Preventive measures Highly earthquake resistant gas delivery facilities
Additional seismic evaluations are being performed reflecting issues and events identified following the Great EastJapan Earthquake. We determine the necessity of additional measures based on tsunami projections and discussionson seismic design standards by the Central Disaster Management Council (Cabinet Office) and scientific societies.
Emergency measures Gas supplies shut off swiftly to prevent secondarydisasters
(5) District pressure regulatorsDistrict pressure regulators reduce gas pressure from medium to low before it is sent out to customers.
There are approximately 4,000 district pressure regulators across the Tokyo Gas service area, and all are
equipped with earthquake sensors and emergency shutoff devices. When a large earthquake is detected,
the gas supply is shut off.
(6) Disaster prevention blocksThe pipeline networks in the Tokyo metropolitan area are divided into 21 mediumpressure blocks and 220
lowpressure blocks. Emergency measures (i.e., decisions on whether to stop or continue supply) are taken
at the individual block level according to the degree of damage.
(7) Supply Control CenterThe Supply Control Center comprehensively monitors gas production and supply and precisely controls
them around the clock, 365 days a year. In the event of an earthquake, the Center gathers information
through the earthquake disaster prevention system and remotely stops gas supply.
(8) Intelligent gas metersUpon detecting an abnormal gas flow or an earthquake measuring 5 or greater on the Japanese seismic
scale, intelligent gas meters automatically shut off the gas supply to the homes where they are installed.
Earthquake disaster prevention systemSUPREME is our earthquake disaster prevention system using a highly
concentrated network of earthquake sensors (approximately one sensor
per square kilometer). SUPREME quickly collects data from observation
points, remotely suspends and restarts gas supplies at district pressure regulators, and measures damage
to pipelines.
We make maximum use of IT systems in order to work more efficiently and reduce the time it
takes to resume gas supply to areas where service has been suspended.
As of June 2015
Recovery measures Safe and swift resumption of gas supply
Periodic safety inspections of gas equipmentevery three years
To ensure customers' safe use of gas, specialized service
personnel conduct onsite safety inspections, including
checking for gas leaks from pipes and surveying bath and water
heaters and other indoor gas appliances, as required by the
Gas Business Act.
"Gaslight 24" : 24hour emergency dispatchsystem
Some 600 experts are on call at 49 locations throughout our
service area (divided into 5 blocks), ready to respond, around
the clock and 365 days a year, the moment a gas leak from a
pipeline or customer equipment is reported.
Recovery systemsIn July 2014 we launched a system for remotely restarting district pressure regulators without having to
send specialized personnel to do it on the spot. We will extend this system to all district pressure regulators
by fiscal 2018.
Notification of stop/recovery statusCustomers will be notified of procedures
to reset gas meters and stop/restart
status of gas supply through TV, the
Internet and other media.
Mutual support structureArrangements are in place to enable
more than 200 city gas companies
across Japan to assist one another via
the Japan Gas Association with restoring
supplies following a major disaster.
Safety Measures at Customer Sites
We are taking various measures to improve safety at customer sites, including inspections, emergency
dispatch services, and the development of safer appliances and equipment.
Safety measures for gas appliances/equipment
For instructions on how to reset a gas meter,see the illustration on the attached label.
Postearthquake TV broadcast Website
Tokyo Gas began selling ENEFARM residential fuel cells, the first in the
world, to the general public in 2009. We are now working to develop them
further and encourage wider adoption. As ENEFARM systems produce
energy where it is needed, they are drawing attention not only for reducing
energy consumption and CO emissions, but also because they serve as
distributed energy systems that can lower peak load and improve energy
security. Responding to customer calls in the wake of the Great East Japan
Earthquake for a way to use the power produced by ENEFARMs in the
home even during a power outage, we added a "selfsustaining power
generation function" as an optional item. In April 2015, we launched sales of
ENEFARMs for detached homes that include this as a standard function,
enhancing their value in a disaster.
By continuing to promote the spread of ENEFARM fuel cell systems, we
seek to make our customers' lives even safer and more secure.
Daisuke SekineResidential Fuel Cell Marketing
Section Residential Fuel Cell Business
Development Department
Safety measures for gas appliances/equipmentWe continue to develop gas appliances/equipment with even more advanced safety functions.
We have improved ENEFARM's function of disaster prevention inresponse to customer feedback
2
To ensure that customers can use energy safely and securely, we will proactively provide information,
better products and services incorporating customer feedback.
Basic Policy
Tokyo Gas believes that the key to remaining in the customer's choice is not what we provide, but whether
what we provide delivers customer satisfaction. Following our policy of always providing high valueadded
products and services with the goal of enhancing customer satisfaction, we use customer feedback to
improve the Group's business.
How We Use Customer Feedback in Management
We believe it is crucial to improve the quality of management by incorporating customer feedback into our
products and services. The opinions and requests from our customers that we receive through calls to our
Customer Center, over the Internet, or from customer satisfaction surveys are shared within the company,
all the way up to top management, and are being actively utilized in our daily improvement activities and to
enhance the quality of our products and services.
In fiscal 2014 we received 23,479 comments and requests. Of these, 8.9% of these were thanks and
appreciation, 11.8% were complaints, and 79.3% were system requests. Customer feedback like this is
utilized by individual departments in their various improvement activities. Some are also reported to
customers via our website.
Giving form to customer feedback
Giving form to customer feedback
An example of how improvements are made
Page explaining meter reading slips and payment slips
Page explaining leaflets about periodic safety inspections of gas equipment
CommunityOriented Tokyo Gas LIFEVAL Network
Tokyo Gas has set up the "Tokyo Gas LIFEVAL" network to enable it to develop close ties with individual
customers and better cater to their diversifying needs and lifestyles. The network provides a onestop shop
for products and services that will improve quality of life. As of April 1, 2015, the network consisted of 40
corporations in 63 blocks, each providing a range of services including periodic safety checks of gas
equipment, meter readings, commencement and termination of gas service, and gas appliance sale, repair,
and installation.
Basic Policy on Environmental Protection
The Tokyo Gas Group has established an "Environmental Philosophy" and "Environmental Policies" based
on its Management Philosophy and Corporate Action Philosophy. The entire group is working actively to
protect regional and global environments in line with the mid to longterm environmental action targets
detailed in its Environmental Protection Guidelines.
Environmental PhilosophyThe Tokyo Gas Group will promote more sustainable ways of energy use to contribute to the protection of
regional and global environments as well as to the sustainable development of society.
Environmental Policies1. Reduction of the Environmental Impact of Customers' Energy Use
Tokyo Gas will actively and continuously attempt to reduce the environmental impact of customers'
energy use by promoting the use of environmentally friendly energy (natural gas) and providing highly
efficient appliances and systems.
2. Reduction of the Total Environmental Impact of Tokyo Gas's Business Operations
Tokyo Gas will continuously reduce energy intensity and resources used in its business operations
through the implementation of efficient and effective environmental management to contribute to the
realization of a sustainable society. At the same time, we will reduce our business operations' overall
environmental impact by aggressively promoting "green purchasing" and 3R initiatives (Reduce, Reuse,
and Recycle).
3. Strengthening of Environmental Partnerships with the Local and International Communities
Tokyo Gas will strengthen its environmental partnerships with both the local and international
communities by engaging in a wide variety of programs, such as participation in local environmental
events and technology transfers to developing countries.
4. Promotion of Green Technology R&D Programs
Tokyo Gas will promote R&D programs for environmental technologies, including renewable energy, to
protect regional and global environments.
Environmental Management System
The Tokyo Gas Group promotes groupwide environmental management to reduce environmental impact
and mitigate environmental risks. Tokyo Gas and several of its subsidiaries and affiliates have developed
and are operating an EMS (Environmental Management System) that complies with the ISO 14001
international standard. Our fiscal 2014 internal audit of EMS found that all units meet the requirements set
by ISO 14001:2004 and are operated effectively. Looking ahead, we will examine new EMS operating
structures to keep pace with the construction of our new group formation.
Environmental Management System (as of April 2015)
<Link>Environmental Report / Continual Improvement of Environmental Management System
Environmental Protection Guidelines (Results of Efforts in Fiscal 2014)
We have developed and are working to achieve six guideline targets in order to contribute to the realization
of a low carbon society, the creation of a resourcesaving society, and development of a society that
coexists with nature.
In fiscal 2014 we achieved all the targets set by the Guidelines for Global Warming Countermeasures and
promoted the adoption of renewable energy resources by introducing smart technologies and making
effective use of biomass.
We also achieved the targets for general waste set by the Guidelines for Promoting Resource Saving,
which were revised in fiscal 2014. However, the targets for industrial waste and excavated soil have not yet
been met. While our production plants and offices produced less industrial waste than in the previous fiscal
year, we were unable to reach the ambitious goals set by the revised targets, and will be further ramping up
our recycling efforts.
In addition, solid progress was made for the Guidelines for Promoting Biodiversity Conservation, Guidelines
for Promoting Green Purchasing, and Guidelines for Promoting the Development of Environmentrelated
Technology, including the achievement of the higher target for the green purchasing rate set in fiscal 2014.
We will continue to pursue improvements in those areas where targets have been achieved as well as
those where they are still pending.
50 units have set environmental targets and operate an EMS.
Overview Image of Environmental Protection Guidelines
<Link>Environmental Report / Environmental Protection Guideline Targets and Results
Environmental Report / Results of Efforts in FY2014
As one duty of an energy company, we are working to reduce CO emissions throughout our value chains
to minimize the impact on global warming
Efforts to Prevent Global Warming
As an energy provider, the Tokyo Gas Group recognizes its duty to prioritize action to prevent global
warming. We have therefore established Guidelines for Global Warming Countermeasures that set
concrete numerical targets, and are working as a group to put them into practice. As CO emissions in LNG
value chains are highest at the city gas consumption stage, i.e., customers' sites, we place a strong focus
on curbing emissions at this point and are pursuing a variety of strategies to achieve this. We also survey
the impact on global warming of our raw material procurement activities, and are working with group
companies to deploy highefficiency LNG carriers to reduce emissions from transportation by sea.
2
2
Greenhouse Gas Emissions along the LNG Value Chain
<Link>Environmental Report / Tokyo Gas Group Business Activities and Material Balance
Contribution to Reduction of CO Emissions at Customers' Sites
As our customers' gas use produces far more CO emissions than our own business activities, the Tokyo
Gas Group places a particular focus on reducing CO emissions at customers' sites.
Specifically, we are pursuing a number of strategies to achieve this, including not only encouraging users to
switch from other fuels to natural gas, but also the development and dissemination of highly energy
efficient equipment and systems, the support of renewable energy use, and the development of smart
energy networks. Through the increased use of gas in power generation, we achieved our target by
reducing CO emissions by 3.29 million tons in fiscal 2014, resulting in customer site CO emissions of
29.36 million tons. We also suggest ways our customers can use energy more efficiently in their daily lives
through activities including the provision of "EcoLife" proposals and energy and environmental education
for the next generation.
Switching to natural gas and more advanced useSwitching from other fuels such as oil and LPG to natural gas ("energy conversion") can significantly
reduce CO emissions. In the industrial sector, for example, CO emissions can be halved if energysaving
regenerative burner systems are also adopted at the same time.
Calculated based on emission intensity analyzed following the LCA (lifecycle assessment) approach (see "Tokyo Gas GroupBusiness Activities and Material Balance")
2
2
2
2 2
Reduction of CO Emissions at Customers' Sites2
Reduction due to diffusion of gas cogeneration and natural gasfired power generation was calculated using marginalcoefficients (respectively 0.69 kgCO /kWh (demand side) and 0.65 kgCO /kWh (transmission side)).
2 2
2 2
Diffusion of gas cogeneration systemsAs gas cogeneration systems generate electricity and simultaneously utilize the heat produced exactly
where the power and heat are needed, they help decentralize energy systems and contribute significantly
to the rise of a low carbon society. As of the end of fiscal 2014, gas cogeneration systems supplied via our
pipelines were generating a combined total of 1,907 MW of electricity (excluding residential systems). As
well as being adopted in highload locations, such as factories and commercial facilities where gas
cogeneration has already made headway, systems are now being deployed in a wide range of other fields,
including the residential sector and the low to medium demand commercial sector. We are pushing ahead
with the development of smart energy networks, which combine a core gas cogeneration with maximum
use of renewable energy to optimize energy use at the level of entire communities using ICT (Information
and Communication Technology).
Thermal efficiency of thermal power stations (on a lower heating value basis) and overall loss calculated based on FY2003operating performance of the nine electric power companies and wholesale electricity utilities (Energy Efficiency StandardsSubcommittee, September 2005).
1
Efficiency of gas cogeneration system is on a lower heating value basis.2
"ENEFARM" Residential Fuel Cell Cogeneration System
ENEFARM is a highly energyefficient system that generates
electricity by reacting hydrogen extracted from city gas with oxygen in
the air, while simultaneously capturing the generated heat to heat
water. In April 2014, we launched ENEFARM for home use at housing
complexes for the first time in the world, followed in April 2015 by the
launch of the fourth and newest model in our series for detached
homes. By August 2015, total units sold had reached 50,000, and we
will continue to promote their wider use to help reduce CO emissions
at customers' sites.
Energy Conservation and Reduction of CO Emissions in BusinessActivities
The Tokyo Gas Group delivers diverse energy solutions through not only our city gas business, in which we
drive the spread and expansion of ecofriendly natural gas use, but also in our electric power business,
etc., in which we leverage our strengths in natural gas.
Efforts in city gas productionThe resources used to make city gas have shifted from coal to oil and now to LNG, and energy efficiency at
the time of production has now reached more than 99%. We are working to achieve further energy savings
by, for example, using the cold energy of 162 LNG and promoting more energyefficient operation.
Although energy usage intensity is on the increase due to the rise in gas sendout pressure in line with
growing gas demand leading up to fiscal 2020, energy usage intensity at our city gas production plants was
203 GJ/million m and greenhouse gas emissions came to 216 thousand tons in fiscal 2014. By promoting
energysaving operations and other measures, we have succeeded in achieving our targets.
Efforts in the electric power businessThe Group is contributing to the prevention of global warming by generating electric power using cutting
edge natural gas turbine combined cycle technology1 and installing zero emission wind power plants. In
2
2
3
Energy usage intensity at gas production plants
New ENEFARM model fordetached home use(Model shown is an illustration.Actual installations may differ.)
fiscal 2014, we generated electric power at natural gasfired power stations with a total capacity of
approximately 2,000 MW (1,300 MW of which is owned by the Group) and wind power plants with a
capacity of 1,990 kW. We are also planning to start operation of Unit 3 (planned maximum efficiency of
58%2 and generation capacity of approximately 400 MW) at the natural gasfired Ohgishima Power
Station in March 2016. In addition to the electric power we generate ourselves, we also buy electric power
from outside the Group. Overall, our electric power business in fiscal 2014 had a 2 emission factor of
0.359. We have helped reduce our overall CO emissions by replacing some existing thermal power
generation capacity.
Promoting Widespread Use of Power Generation from Renewable Energy
Following on the Sodegaura Wind Power Plant at our
Sodegaura LNG Terminal, the Tokyo Gas Group has
since 2011 had a 30.2% stake in Shonai WindPower
Generation Co, Ltd., which operates facilities such as
the Yuza Wind Power Plant in Yamagata Prefecture
and has a total power generating capacity of 15.91 MW.
In January 2015 we also signed an agreement with
Kuroshio Furyoku Hatsuden K.K. to buy generated
electric power. Under this agreement, we buy a total of
approximately 12 MW of electric power generated at the Choshi Takadacho Wind Power Plant and
the Shiishiba Wind Power Plant operated by Kuroshio Furyoku Hatsuden in the Kanto region.
We have also bought green power certificates for wind power from Japan Natural Energy Co., Ltd.
since fiscal 2002. In fiscal 2014, 955 MWh of electric power was allocated as green power to our
corporate museums, offices, and other facilities.
CO
2
A highly efficient means of generating electricity by a combination of two methods: first gas is combusted to drive a gasturbine, then the hightemperature exhaust gas is used to convert water to steam to drive a steam turbine.
1
On a lower heating value basis at the generation end.2
CO emission factors in the electric power business2
The average CO emission factor for all transmitted wholesale power, including businessuse power purchased from othercompanies and the market as well as the Group's own power stations.
2
Yuza Wind Power Plant
Efforts in the district heating and cooling businessThe Tokyo Gas Group operates district heating and cooling business (including smallscale heat supply
centers) in 42 districts. Steam and heated and chilled water are produced by various natural gas systems,
including cogeneration systems, absorption chillers, and boilers. We supply this steam and heated and
chilled water within a specific area, contributing to improving areawide energy efficiency. In fiscal 2014,
facility upgrades resulted in a heat sales intensity of 1.34 GJ/GJ, enabling us to achieve our target.
Efforts at business officesAt Tokyo Gas's business offices and other facilities, we have been implementing a range of hardware
related measures, including the installation of cogeneration systems and energysaving equipment, and
equipment upgrades including improved lighting, air conditioners, and other hardware to enhance
efficiency. In addition, we are conducting highly effective energysaving activities, including adjusting the
inflow of outside air according to CO concentrations and more energyefficient control of lighting, humidity,
and temperature. We are also working to facilitate the tracking of energy usage at a glance by the use of
"TG Green Monitors" and displays that show actual electricity use, thus raising employee awareness of
energy conservation. Energy usage at our business offices and other facilities came in on target at 896 TJ
in fiscal 2014, due in part to lower summer temperatures but also to this installation of energysaving
equipment and powersaving measures.
Heat sales intensity at district heating and cooling centers
Fiscal 2013 results have been revised to reflect improvements in calculation accuracy.
2
Energy usage at business offices, etc.
Forest Preservation and Greenification Activities
Tokyo Gas has been contributing to preventing global warming through treeplanting and forest
preservation activities since 2005, when it opened the 194hectare Nagano Tokyo Gas Forest in Kitasaku
gun, Nagano Prefecture. The forest celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2015, and we will continue to work
with NPOs and local residents to preserve it and contribute to the achievement of a sustainable society. We
are also supporting the preservation and enhancement of precious green space within the Group's service
area through the Tokyo Gas Tree Planting Project initiated in fiscal 2013.
Tokyo Gas's vision for forest development
Nagano Tokyo Gas Forest's Tenth Anniversary
Nagano Tokyo Gas Forest celebrated its tenth anniversary in July
2015, when a ceremony was held to mark the occasion. In the 10
years since its inception, some 300,000 saplings have been planted
and 40,000 thinned out to promote growth. As a result, a once
gloomy, impenetrable forest covered in dense undergrowth has been
transformed into a sunny, vibrant environment that allows trees to
grow rapidly and offers a good home for flora and fauna. Some
4,000 people have visited the forest, attracted by activities like the
Donguri (Acorn) Project that give them an opportunity to learn about
the value of the environment through direct experience of the outdoors.
Tenth anniversary tree planting
We are contributing to creating a "resourcesaving society" through a broad range of activities, including
promotion of the 3Rs to deal with waste and excavated soil generated in the course of our business
activities, appropriate use of water resources, and recycling of used gas appliances disposed of by our
customers.
Practicing the 3Rs (reduce, reuse, and recycle) is essential to creating a resourcesaving society. The most
important of these is controlling the generation of waste.
We have achieved dramatic reductions in the amount of waste and byproducts we generate through such
strategies as the adoption of LNG as raw material to make city gas and promoting the shallowerlaying of
pipes and nonopencut construction methods when laying gas pipelines. At the same time, we continue to
pursue the 3Rs in all aspects of our business activities. In fiscal 2014 the Group produced 133,650 tons of
waste in total (and achieved a recycling rate of 95.5%), 6% more than a year earlier. We will promote
initiatives to help further improve our recycling by, for example, reviewing our contracts with landfill disposal
contractors.
Waste
The Tokyo Gas Group is pursuing measures to achieve zero emissions at all of its facilities, including
power stations, gas appliance manufacturing factories, and district heating and cooling service centers as
well as the LNG terminals where city gas is produced. In fiscal 2014, we made efforts for recycling by
revising the definition of "zero emission" downward from a final disposal rate of under 1% to a rate of under
0.1%, but the actual rate achieved was 1.2%. We will be stepping up our efforts to achieve further
reductions of final disposal rate.
Promotion of the 3Rs to Minimize Waste, etc.
Efforts to achieve zero emissions at production plants
Promoting the 3Rs for excavated soils
Used PE pipes after collection Intelligent gas meter
Roads are dug up when gas pipelines are laid, producing excavated soil (i.e., residual soil) and lumps of
asphalt concrete. The Group promotes the 3Rs to decrease the amount of excavated soil through the use
of shallowlaying of pipes in narrow trenches and nonopencut construction methods, as well as by
reburying excavated soil and increasing the use of improved soil and recycled road surface materials.
Although we reduced the disposal amount to 16.7% in fiscal 2014, we remained 0.7% off our target. We will
continue to work to produce less excavated soil by continuing efforts to encourage authorities who have not
yet approved the reburying of generated soil and the use of improved soil, as well as reducing the amount
of excavated soil overall.
Excavated soil
We have worked to increase recycling of used gas pipes removed when pipes are replaced, enabling us to
once again achieve a 100% recycling rate in fiscal 2014. We established a system for recycling
polyethylene (PE) pipe scrap and excavated sections of PE pipes in fiscal 1994, and in fiscal 2014 recycled
a total of 228 tons. The recycled material is used to make the instruction cards on how to restart intelligent
gas meters installed at customers' sites. Regarding steel and castiron pipes, we collected a total of 4,670
tons in fiscal 2014. These are 100% recycled as raw material used by electric furnace manufacturers and
other users.
Meters are replaced before their certification life (normally 10 years) expires. We collect the meters that
have been removed, replace all expendable parts, and recertify them, allowing them to be used for three
cycles (30 years in total). In fiscal 2014, 675 thousand (53%) of the 1,275 thousand of our newly installed
meters were reused, enabling us to reduce generated waste by 2,809 tons. Meters that have completed
three cycles are recycled through our own recycling route and used as material for new products by electric
furnace manufacturers, etc.
Promoting the 3Rs for excavated soils
Recycling of used gas pipes and gas meters
Since 1994, Tokyo Gas has operated its own waste collection and recycling system, called Saving &
Recycling Innovative Model System (SRIMS). This system enables us to reduce the impact on the
environment and cut costs by collecting waste at the same time we deliver gas appliances, parts, and
piping materials to partner companies. Under SRIMS, we are working to collect used gas appliances and
waste materials produced when equipment is replaced or gas installation or renovation work is carried out
at customers' sites. In fiscal 2014, we collected 8,991 tons of waste and recycled 8,330 tons (92.7%).
How SRIMS works
Appropriate Water Use
Tokyo Gas conducts most of its business in Japan, where abundant freshwater resources are available,
and uses comparatively little water. Therefore, we have not faced manifest risks to business continuity, and
have not previously had a clear policy on water use. As global water shortages have emerged as a serious
issue, however, we are now committed to managing our inputs of freshwater resources as part of our risk
management activities, and will work to conserve freshwater and manage wastewater. Meanwhile, all the
seawater we use to vaporize LNG at the gas production stage is returned to the sea without consumption.
Recycling of used gas appliances
Water resource inputs of Tokyo Gas Group (tap/industrial water)
We check that proper consideration is given to
biodiversity conservation in the development of the gas
fields that supply our resources. We also manage use of
ballast water to mitigate the risk posed by invasive
species during transportation of LNG by carriers owned
or managed by us.
Working with NPOs, we survey the birds, insects,
plants, and other wildlife inhabiting our LNG terminals
and use the findings to assist our treeplanting and
conservation work.
When laying gas pipes, we reduce the impact on
ecosystems caused by excavation of pit sand by
reducing the amount of excavated soil, reburying of
excavated soil, and increasing the use of improved soil
and recycled road surface materials.
Alongside reducing the impact of our business activities on ecosystems, we will work with local
communities, NPOs, and other entities to conserve biodiversity.
Activities to Conserve Biodiversity
Many species are facing imminent extinction due to human activities, and the balance of natural
ecosystems around the world is collapsing at an alarming rate. The Tokyo Gas Group considers the
realization of rich ecosystems to be one of our important business bases in order to protect the global
environment while sustaining our business, and has formulated its Guidelines for Promoting Biodiversity
Conservation. Specifically, we monitor impacts along each value chain to mitigate the impacts on
ecosystems, pursue forest conservation activities at our own Nagano Tokyo Gas Forest, and engage in a
variety of other initiatives. These include support for organizations involved in biodiversity conservation
through the Tokyo Gas Environment Support Fund, and our participation in the Keidanren Committee on
Nature Conservation.
Key activities along the value chain
We are involved in growing greenery on roofs and
creating green curtains, and use them as effective
means of communication with local communities and
customers.
We are working with our customers on a variety of
initiatives, such as the "Watashi no Mori Project" ("My
Forest") to develop mini forests in housing complexes
where customers live.
As a total energy company, we will promote the development of innovative environmental technologies to
help ameliorate global environmental issues.
Development of Hydrogen Technologies
In order to contribute to the development of a hydrogen supply infrastructure to support the widespread use
of fuel cell vehicles, Tokyo Gas has built and operates hydrogen stations in two locations as demonstration
projects. These are the Senju Hydrogen Station, the capital's first stationary hydrogen refueling station, and
the Haneda Hydrogen Station, the first station in Japan to combine both natural gas and hydrogen refueling
facilities. In fiscal 2014, the Nerima Hydrogen Station opened, making it the first commercial hydrogen
station in the Kanto region. To cut the cost of hydrogen station construction, we have developed an
operating method that dramatically reduces the number of storage tanks. This will be incorporated into the
design of the Urawa Hydrogen Station, the second station in this series. We are also working to develop
international standards for hydrogen refueling methods and hydrogen quality, measurement, and other
technologies for commercial hydrogen refueling stations.
Operation of Ordinary Commercial Hydrogen Station Launched
On December 18, 2014, having been selected for
special funding under the Ministry of Economy, Trade
and Industry's "Hydrogen Supply Facility Development
Project Subsidy" program, we opened the Nerima
Hydrogen Station, the first commercial hydrogen
refueling station in the Kanto region. This station uses
an "offsite system" for receiving hydrogen produced
elsewhere and supplying it to fuel cell vehicles onsite. Hydrogen station and Toyota MotorCorporation's FCV "MIRAI"
To promote smarter energy use in everyday life, we built an
employee dormitory in Isogoku, Yokohama, that makes
maximum use of renewable energy and distributed energy
systems, and conducted demonstration tests there for three
years from April 2012 to March 2015. The project achieved an
approximately 30% reduction in energy consumption and a 38%
reduction in CO emissions overall thanks to the installation and
efficient use of ENEFARMs and other equipment. We also
achieved a 7% energy saving in residentoccupied areas as a
result of changes in resident behavior brought about by
installation of a Home Energy Management System (HEMS). In
addition, peak load was cut by 58% in summer and 49% in
winter as a result of demand response.
We will be conducting three years of further tests and
technology development work on smart meters, the installation
of which will commence in 2018, with a view to eventually
installing them in all homes in our service area. Our aim is to
improve userfriendliness through twoway communication and
deliver more individualized energy solutions using data
monitoring and customer feedback.
Isogo Smart House Demonstration Project24unit Tokyo Gas employee dormitorycomprising 4 stories aboveground and abasement
Smart meter
To add to the ways we have developed to date to increase the
use of renewable energy sources, such as mixed combustion of
city gas and biogas, we are working on technologies to
generate biogas from food biomass and other resources
economically and efficiently using methane fermentation, and
developing technologies for removing impurities in biogas such
as carbon dioxide. In fiscal 2014, we received 775 thousand m
of biogas derived from food waste into our city gas pipelines
after it had been upgraded, adjusted to the appropriate calorific
value, and odorized like city gas (equivalent to an
approximately 1,300ton reduction in CO emissions). fed into
city gas pipelines. In addition, we have been engaged in joint
research with the City of Yokohama since fiscal 2013 with the
goal of broadening the use of biogas generated at the City's
Hokubu Sewerage Center. R&D is being conducted on ways to
remove carbon dioxide from sewage biogas using separation
membranes to produce highly concentrated methane. We are
also studying applications to use it in highefficiency power
generators such as solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) systems.
Membrane biogas refining system
Making Life Smarter
Effective Use of Biomass
2
3
2
We monitor and manage impacts on the environment at every stage of our LNG value chain in order toreduce the impact on the environment.
Tokyo Gas Group Business Activities and Material Balance
Companies included in the data: Tokyo Gas and its 49 consolidated subsidiaries in Japan.
For city gas production by Tokyo Gas Group.1
Energy usage by Tokyo Gas Group excluding doublecounting due to intragroup supply of heat and electricity.2
City gas: Volume of gas sales by Tokyo Gas Group excluding supply to other gas utilities.Wholesale supply: Volume of gas supplied to other gas utilities.Heat: Includes sales from LNG terminals as well as district heating and cooling center and spot heat supply. Includes intra
3
Tokyo Gas Group Business Activities and Material Balance (PDF:211KB)
group supply. Electric power: Volume of sales of all electric power, including power purchased for business use from other companies and
the market as well as Group power stations.
CO , CH , NOx: Excludes doublecounting due to intragroup supply.Volume of wastewater: Specified wastewater and domestic sewage.
4 2 4
PE pipes, Steel and castiron pipes: Tokyo Gas on a nonconsolidated basis.5
Gas sales volume according to consolidated financial statements multiplied by emission intensity.6
About Third Party Assurance
The environmental performance indicators and environmental accounting indicators* provided in the Tokyo
Gas Group CSR Report 2015 on this website have been thirdparty assured by KPMG AZSA Sustainability
Co., Ltd. (a member of the KPMG Japan group) to enhance the credibility of the data. We will work to
further raise the standard of our environmental protection activities in the future, taking account of the
issues pointed out in the course of the thirdparty assurance process and readers' online and other
feedback.Content that has been thirdparty assured is indicated by the phrase "thirdparty assured" next to the title on each page.
Independent Assurance Report on the Tokyo Gas Group CSR Report 2015
Independent Assurance Report on the Tokyo Gas Group CSR Report 2015 (PDF:477KB)
We will develop "smart energy networks" to create lowcarbon, disasterresilient communities that can
contribute to the realization of a sustainable society. We will also leverage every communication
opportunity to work with local residents through our involvement in disaster training programs and other
events.
Promotion of smart networks built around cogeneration systems
We are pursuing the "development of smart energy communities" that use energy smarter by connecting
buildings in the community with a heat and electric power network.
We will achieve this by constructing smart energy networks (SEN). SEN have a gas cogeneration system
(CGS) at their core, which is complemented by creating the heat and power network to be used in the
community, and by making maximum use of renewable and untapped energy resources. Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) is used to precisely manage these energies and the state of demand
side use to optimize energy supply and demand. Taking into account local characteristics, we will
contribute to creating communities that are both more environmentally friendly and disaster resilient.
SEN Development in the Toyosu wharf districtThe Tokyo Gas Group is pursuing urban development with the potential to last well into the 22nd century in
a redevelopment area located around land the Group holds in the Toyosu wharf district of Tokyo's Kotoku.
This is a project called "Tokyo Smart City TOYOSU 22." Under this project, we are undertaking futuristic
urban development guided by three conceptions of "smartness" "smart energy," "smart green," and "smart
community," from a longterm perspective looking beyond the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics,
which is a highquality development to raise the value and appeal of the area.
TOYOSU 22 Urban Development Concept
Work began in July 2014 on construction of a smart energy center in Zone 4 (see figure below), owned by
Tokyo Gas Site Development Co., Ltd., in preparation for developing a Toyosu wharf district SEN. This will
be the second SEN Tokyo Gas has developed in an urban redevelopment district, the first being a SEN in
the north district of Tamachi Station east exit (see p. 39). The goal is to commence operation in May 2016.
The new smart energy center will be equipped with one of the world's most efficient gas cogeneration
systems. It will supply electric power to the Toyosu wholesale market, and waste heat will be used at the
center itself. Environmental friendliness will be enhanced by adopting gas pressure differential power
generation using gas supply pressure. By giving the CGS blackout start functionality1, laying independent
power lines2, and employing disasterresistant mediumpressure gas pipelines, we will create a system
that is capable of supplying uninterrupted heat and electricity even during a power outage or other
emergency, thus enhancing the district's disaster resilience. The network will also have a "SENEMS"3 for
centrally managing and controlling energy throughout the district using ICT. This will make it possible to
control air conditioning in real time and visualize energy use, which will cultivate greater environmental
awareness among building users. Following completion, the heat and power network will be progressively
expanded in line with the state of urban development of Zones 4 and 2.
Toyosu wharf district development area
Envisaged appearance of the smart energycenter
Started supplies of heat and power at SEN in the north district of Tamachi Stationeast exit
The Tokyo Gas Group is developing an SEN in the north district of Tamachi Station east exit (East area,
Minatoku, Tokyo) in partnership with the Minato ward authorities with the goal of reducing the area's
carbon footprint and making it more disaster resilient. Supplies of heat and power have been progressively
rolled out to three facilities Minato Park Shibaura (a public facility), Aiiku Hospital, and a childcare support
facility since November 2014. The project is the first new urban development project in Japan to
incorporate development of an SEN. In October 2014, the decision was made to proceed with the TGMM
Capability to independently restart the generator during a power outage.1
Power lines laid independently by an operator. They can be used at a customer's discretion when grid power has beeninterrupted.
2
Smart Energy Network Energy Management System.3
Shibaura Project (provisional name) to develop Block 2 (West area) in the north district of Tamachi
Station east exit. This will create a multipurpose business center on land owned by the company. In future,
dependent on the state of development in the district, we will build a second smart energy center and
operate it in tandem with the first, thus reducing CO emissions in the entire area of the north district of
Tamachi Station east exit by some 45% relative to 1990.
Key advantages of SEN in the north district of Tamachi Station east exit
Linkages among multiple
facilities with different
purposes
Public facility, hospital, etc.
Maximum adoption and
effective use of renewables,
untapped energy, etc.
Use of solar heat and heat of underground tunnel water for air
conditioning
(first application in Japan for spot heat service)
Contribution to BCP
Capable of uninterrupted power supply to disaster management base
(Minato Park Shibaura) and uninterrupted heat supply to Aiiku Hospital
during power outages
Optimal supply/demand
control by SENEMS
Optimization for areawide heat and power according to outside air
conditions and energy usage (first in Japan)
Smart energy network in the north district of Tamachi Station east exit
2
Our local branch offices and our corporate museums
provide and share information on disaster
countermeasures at disaster prevention events to
enable us to coordinate smoothly with local authorities
and communities during disasters. For example, at one
local training event for disaster prevention hosted by a
local authority, we explained how to reset a gas meter
after it shuts off during an earthquake with a seismic
intensity of 5 or more. We also provided other useful
information to enhance the safety and security of our
customers in their daily lives. Since 2006 we have also
developed our own disaster prevention events for
families with the aim of enhancing the disaster
prevention capabilities of local communities. These "Iza!
Kaeru Caravan!" events are jointly operated with Plus
Arts (NPO), and are offered primarily at our corporate
museums and showrooms. At these events, family
members can acquire the skills and knowledge they
need to prevent disasters, all presented in an enjoyable
format.
Participants at a disaster prevention event
"Iza! Kaeru Caravan!" event
Promoting earthquake countermeasures at local disaster prevention events
Putting a strong emphasis on educating the children who will be responsible for the next generation, we will
organize activities with local communities to demonstrate how energy can be used to make our lives better
and to raise everyday environmental awareness and practice through handson experience with energy's
role in our lives.
Contributing to the next generation with activities supporting schooleducation
As a company involved with energy, Tokyo Gas wants the
children upon whose shoulders the future rests to know just
how important energy and the environment are. To that end, we
have been supporting school education since 2002. Our main
activities include special classes taught onsite in the schools by
our own employees, the hosting of training sessions for
teachers, and the provision of information through field trip
facilities, teaching materials, and learning websites.
Our special classes are taught by employees who visit schools
to teach alongside teachers and provide them with teaching
materials that reflect our unique expertise as an energy provider and are tailored to fit into their teaching
plans. In November 2014, the total number of children who had taken part in these classes passed the one
million mark (rising to 1,019,298 pupils attending 33,832 classes by the end of March 2015).
We also organize training workshops for the teachers themselves in order to deepen their knowledge of
energy and environmental issues and encourage them to consider how best to convey this knowledge to
children. These workshops are held in Tokyo and three prefectures (Kanagawa, Chiba, and Saitama) upon
request from boards of education and study groups on education, with 1,273 teachers taking part in fiscal
2014.
Outside of school itself, we host field trips to our Gas Science Museum and provide information for
teachers and children via our "Odoroki! Naruhodo! Gas World" educational website in order to broaden and
deepen children's education and give them an opportunity to think about energy and the part it plays in their
lives.
Promoting understanding of energy and the environment at ourcorporate museums
Tokyo Gas's Gas Science Museum was merged with our
Energy and Earth Exploratorium (closed in March 2014) and re
launched in April 2014 as our core showcase for energy and
environmental matters with a natural gas theme. The museum
plays host to all kinds of programs, including interactive
exhibitions that are designed to be touched and felt as well as
seen, as well as science shows and quizzes that build on what
visitors learn from the exhibits. In fiscal 2014, the museum
attracted 264,122 visitors, including local residents, people from
Special elementary school class taught byone of our employees
"Naruhodo!" interactive exhibit
Learning how to stack firewood Making a fire using everyday materials
local authorities and companies, as well as elementary school groups.
"HIIKU": Education about the power and benefits of fire
As a company that has long dealt with "fire" in all its manifestations, we are actively engaged in programs
that reveal the value and benefits of fire from gas in our daily lives. As part of our next generation youth
education activities, we have been working since 2012 to expand our participatory "HIIKU" fire education
program. The program's aim is to offer people an opportunity to learn more about fire and how to use it
properly, to develop their disaster survival skills, and to help them find ways to enrich their lives through
direct experience with the many benefits afforded by fire.The program attracted some 2,800 participants in
fiscal 2014.
Helping enrich food culture in tune with the times
Our cooking class program, which celebrated its centenary in
2013, offers a variety of classes tailored to different participants
and needs. These include "Kids in the Kitchen," which teaches
children how to cook for themselves and to use their five
senses in the process, and "La Cucina Espressa," which
shows how gas is uniquely suited to quickly cooking multiple
dishes at one time. All of these cooking classes incorporate an
environmentally conscious approach to eating habits that we
call "ecocooking," and 2015 marked the twentieth anniversary
of our unveiling of this concept. Approximately 120,000 people took our "ecocooking" classes in fiscal
2014 and, equally important, we also trained some 300 people to teach the classes. Going forward, we will
continue our efforts to enhance customers' lifestyles and eating habits.
The Tokyo Gas Tree Planting Project
Launched in fiscal 2013 to bring our environmental contributions closer to customers in their own
communities, the Kininaru Project ("Tokyo Gas Tree Planting Project") supports public programs to
enhance local green space by making donations to local governments according to sales of our
environmental products, and by involving group employees and their families in environmental activities. In
fiscal 2014, donations worth \1,790,000 were made to "green funds" in Tokyo, the prefectures of Kanagawa
and Saitama, and the cities of Saitama and Sodegaura based on group sales (12,625 units) of ENEFARM
"Kids in the Kitchen," "La Cucina Espressa," and "ecocooking" are registered trademarks of Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd.
Kids in the Kitchen
and SOLAMO during the previous fiscal year. In activities undertaken by group employees, 100 individuals
planted 600 trees at UminoMori ("Sea Forest") in Tokyo, and 41 individuals removed invasive plants at
KoajironoTani in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Conception of the Tree Planting Project
Supporting environmental groups through the Tokyo Gas EnvironmentSupport Fund
The Tokyo Gas Environment Support Fund was established in
December 2007 through a grant from Tokyo Gas to the Japan
Environment Association to commemorate our reaching the 10
million customer milestone in September 2007. Through the
fund, we support nonprofit, privatesector organizations
engaged in ongoing environmental conservation activities. In
fiscal 2014, applications were received from 50 organizations.
Grants worth a total of \10 million were provided to 16 of these
applicants further to a strict selection process by a panel
including experts. We express our gratitude to a wide range of
local communities, and will contribute to the amelioration of
regional and global environmental problems and the realization
of a sustainable society.Organizations active in Tokyo and the prefectures of Kanagawa, Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Yamanashi, andNagano.
The "Yume Wakame Workshop" organizedby the Association for Shore EnvironmentCreation, recipient of a fiscal 2014 grant tocultivate wakame seaweed in theeutrophicated waters of Tokyo Bay and sohelp clean and conserve bay ecosystems.
We will step up our action on human rights issues as we put into effect our main policies for implementation
in fiscal 201517.
Basic Policy
The Tokyo Gas Group lays down the following policies on human rights in Our Code of Conduct.
1. We will respect human rights and will not discriminate or harass anyone on the basis of race,
religion, gender, age, origin, nationality, disability, education, social status, or other such
grounds.
2. We will respect one another's positions and treat everyone equally, irrespective of form of
employment, gender, title, or any other differences.
3. We will not commit sexual harassment, workplace bullying, or any other acts that infringe the
dignity of the individual. We will also not allow such acts to be condoned.
The concept of human rights includes all the basic human rights laid out not only in the Constitution of
Japan and Japan's Labor Standards Act, but also in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It further
encompasses the basic rights regarding labor (freedom of association, the right to collective bargaining,
elimination of forced labor, abolition of child labor, elimination of discrimination) stipulated in the ILO
International Labour Standards, as well as the local laws, culture, and practices of the countries in which
our offices are located. As we further expand our business overseas, all of our related departments will
work together to advance our initiatives for the respect of human rights.
Human Rights Promotion System
We have established a committee called the "Central Human Rights Promotional Meeting" to raise
understanding and awareness of human rights issues in general. Committee meetings are attended by the
general managers responsible for personnel matters in each department, and are chaired by the officer
responsible for compliance. At its fiscal 2014 meeting, the committee reported on the state of human rights
awareness training at Tokyo Gas, our subsidiaries and affiliates, and Tokyo Gas LIFEVAL, provided
information on human rights of particular concern to companies, and deliberated and approved plans for
activities for fiscal 2015.
Human Rights Promotion System Chart (as of April 1, 2015)
Training Structure
Tokyo Gas believes that the starting point for advancing human rights lies in a fair selection process for our
personnel and the creation of a vibrant workplace, and is implementing various measures to achieve this.
We believe that awareness of respect for human rights is the foundation that allows our employees to
express their full potential and build smooth relationships with our stakeholders. To this end, we are
continuing to make every effort to provide training on human rights awareness for all employees of Tokyo
Gas and our subsidiaries and affiliates, as well as Tokyo Gas LIFEVAL.
We also provide yearlong training for "human rights promotion leaders" to equip them to play a leading
role in promoting human rights awareness in the workplace. This program was launched in 1995, and the
thirteenth cohort completed its training in 2015. Currently (May 2015) 181 workplace leaders plan, give
advice and act as instructors for human rights training at our branch offices.
FY2014 State of Implementation
Type Classification Overview Participants
Company
wide
Levelspecific training
Training upon entering the company,
during the third year, and during
qualification promotions (two levels)
1,558
Training programs and followup
for human rights promotion
leaders
Oneyear human rights training for
employees recommended by their
workplace
288
Planningtype trainingHuman rights study sessions Training to
create a vibrant workplace, etc.317
Training assistance for affiliates
and subsidiaries
Training implemented upon direct request
to the secretariat (madetoorder training)744
Dispatch of lecturers to outside
workshops
Training upon request by companies, local
authorities, and other organizations
(including the Industrial Federation for
Human Rights, Tokyo)
844
By
workplace
Human rights training at branch
officesThemespecific training by workplace 9,935
Human Rights Advisory Service Desk
Advisory service desks have been established both inside the company (the Communication Support
Section in the Compliance Department) and outside (an independent support agency) to deal with issues
concerning communication in the workplace. We make our best efforts to conduct facetoface
consultations wherever possible on the precondition of protecting those seeking assistance, while working
together and supporting the company to create a work environment where workers can feel safe and
comfortable. A total of 30 consultation requests were received in fiscal 2014.
We will practice fair and transparent management following the PDCA cycle that has been established to
strengthen group compliance.
Basic Policy
Tokyo Gas Group recognizes that compliance with laws and regulations based on high ethical standards in
its business activities is the foundation on which the Group continually cultivates the brand value deriving
from its reputation for "Safety, Security, and Reliability" that is the source of its competitiveness. As such,
the Group has identified the following three points as basic policies and promotes compliance.
1. Fostering of a compliance oriented mentality
We aim to establish values and a corporate culture in which each executive and employee practices
compliancebased decisionmaking and actions.
2. Compliance efforts by each business department based on the basic policies
Under the basic policies formulated by the Management Ethics Committee, each business department
of our group takes specific and independent approaches closely connected to each operation.
3. Establishment of the compliance PDCA cycle
In order to execute business activities in a flexible and consistent manner in accordance with changes
in operations or the legal environment, we have established a PDCA cycle that enables us to review our
operations from the perspective of compliance in order to improve them.
Compliance Promotion Structure
The Management Ethics Committee chaired by the President monitors the implementation of various
measures, and discusses and decides future activities.
The Compliance Department, serving as secretariat to the committee, promotes activities in each unit,
including development of compliance promotion systems, training and activities to raise awareness,
reduction of compliance risks, operation of compliance advisory service desks, and distribution of
information within the Group.
Compliance Promotion Structure (as of April 1, 2015)
Training Structure
Levelspecific training and madetoorder training tailored to individual companies' and departments'
circumstances are provided to raise compliance awareness throughout the Group.
We are committed to responding precisely to internal and external developments by gathering and sharing
information and providing education and training within the Group on compliance risks arising from
changes in the surrounding business environment, including changes stemming from revisions to and
stricter enforcement of legislation, rising public demand for safe and stable energy provision and other
forms of energy security, and our growing presence overseas.
FY2014 State of Implementation
Breakdown Overview Number ofparticipants
Levelspecific trainingTraining upon entering the company, during the third
year, and during qualification promotions (two levels)1,558
Madetoorder trainingTraining requested by individual companies and
departments2,956
Workplace workshopsOrganized at the individual workplace level and led by
compliance promoters25,115
Our Code of Conduct
We are taking ongoing action to ensure our employees understand and practice
Our Code of Conduct that explains the values and decisionmaking standards
that all employees are expected to share.
Learning from Cases! Collected Statutes
This guide takes a case study approach to explaining legal issues that might
arise in personnel management and in routine dealings with customers. It is
designed for use by Tokyo Gas LIFEVAL members and other field managers.
Compliance Advisory Service Desks
Tokyo Gas has established compliance advisory service desks both internally (in the Compliance
Department) and externally (at law firms), and the coverage of the desks has been expanded to include
clients of the Tokyo Gas Group. Subsidiaries, affiliates, and Tokyo Gas LIFEVAL also have their own
advisory service desks. Through the effective operation of these desks, we are endeavoring to ensure that
compliancerelated problems are discovered quickly and resolved quickly so that our corporate self
regulatory processes can continue to function effectively.
In fiscal 2014, the compliance advisory service desks dealt with 49 cases, including cases concerning
internal rules and cases concerning relations in the workplace.
Initiatives in the "Year for Strengthening Safety"
In response to the discovery of improper gas leak repairs in October 2013, fiscal 2014 was
designated as a "Year for Strengthening Safety" and action was taken throughout the Group to
prevent any recurrence.
Overview of Actions Taken
To ensure that every single employee continues to do his or her duties properly, all the departments
concerned will together consider flexible responses from two angles to ensure high standards of
safety and a fieldcentered perspective. Going forward, we will apply a PDCA cycle to ensuring
ongoing safety.
To prevent a recurrence of improper gas leak repairs, we have raised the inspection rate byadding both leak inspections at a given time after repairs have been completed and samplinginspections by employees to the types of inspections already performed. We have also begunacceptance inspections by video and have formulated and implemented plans to improvemeasures for old gas pipes to reduce the number of leaks.
(1)
To address the issues identified by factfinding surveys of the four safetyrelated divisions wehave taken the following steps. Regarding safetyrelation subcontracting practices, we haverevised our standards and manuals, clarified the division of responsibilities withsubcontractors, and strengthened operational support and communication with partnercompanies. Regarding our policy for local safety activities, we have outsourced andtransferred highly specialized work to a specialist organization and strengthened the supportavailable from the head office area in an emergency.
(2)
In fiscal 2014, Tokyo Gas introduced guidelines on combating
bribery and corruption of foreign public officials. We also
provide training to employees assigned overseas and other
relevant personnel to ensure that they understand and follow
these guidelines properly. In addition, we have prepared an
Englishlanguage version of these guidelines for locally hired
employees, and have delivered the English edition of Our Code
of Conduct to enhance their understanding. We are working to
develop arrangements for overseas local employees to report
and seek advice, and to appoint supervisors responsible for
implementing measures to prevent bribery and corruption
overseas.
A training session in progress
As one means of addressing the risks that arise as we expand our operations overseas, we will take action
to prevent the bribing of foreign public officials and ensure that business is conducted in a fair and
trustworthy manner.
Basic Principles
Bribery and corruption not only harm society's trust in a company, but can also impede economic growth in
developing countries themselves and lead to poverty and other problems of international concern. To
prevent this, Tokyo Gas requires in Our Code of Conduct that "we will maintain fair relations and do nothing
questionable under applicable laws and ordinances." We are also taking steps to prevent bribery of foreign
public officials in step with our expansion overseas in line with the goals set down in the Challenge 2020
Vision.
Action to Prevent Bribery and Corruption
We recognize that properly protecting and handling the personal information of our more than 11 million
customers is an important social responsibility, and we will practice secure control of such information in
accordance with our policy to protect personal information.
Basic Principles
Tokyo Gas recognizes that properly protecting and handling personal information is the foundation of its
business activities and an important social responsibility. To assist its fulfillment of these responsibilities,
Tokyo Gas has established the following policies under which the company makes its best efforts to protect
personal information.
1. Observing laws
In addition to observing all applicable laws and regulations governing the protection of personal
information and all relevant laws, regulations, and guidelines, Tokyo Gas establishes its company policy
and internal rules for the protection of personal information, and strives to improve them.
2. Managing personal information
Tokyo Gas takes necessary actions under relevant laws, regulations and guidelines and properly
manages personal information in order to prevent any loss or leakage of or unauthorized changes to
said information. In addition, a person responsible for the protection of personal information is assigned
at each workplace to educate and monitor employees in relation to this issue.
3. Obtaining and using personal information
Tokyo Gas obtains personal information in appropriate ways in order to properly and smoothly carry out
its business activities. When obtaining such information, Tokyo Gas informs the person concerned in
advance of the purpose of use of his or her information, and uses said information only within the scope
necessary to achieve this purpose.
4. Providing personal information to third parties
Tokyo Gas does not provide personal information to any third party without obtaining the agreement of
the person involved, except when allowed to do so under relevant laws, regulations or guidelines, and in
certain cases where, for example, parties receiving the entrusted information are not deemed by law to
be third parties. When providing personal information to, for example, an entrustee, Tokyo Gas selects
a party that can meet and fulfill the necessary standards and obligations for managing personal
information, makes appropriate arrangements for the protection of the personal information, and
exercises monitoring over said party.
5. Disclosure, correction, etc. of personal information
When a person seeks to, for example, disclose or correct his or her personal information, Tokyo Gas
endeavors to respond to the request promptly, within reasonable limits under relevant laws and
guidelines, after confirming the person's identity.
Secure control of personal information
The Tokyo Gas Group collects and utilizes a vast amount of personal information, including information on
over 11 million customers. We established a companywide system for maintaining secure control of
personal information on April 1, 2005, ahead of the full entry into effect of the Act on the Protection of
Personal Information. We also reviewed our inhouse rules and manuals in light of the requirements under
this law and implemented awarenessraising activities for all group employees. Since the law took effect,
personal information protection audits have been performed by the Internal Audit Department in addition to
selfchecks in order to ensure the proper functioning of personal information security control.
We will be ramping up our efforts to ensure secure management of personal information in order to keep
pace with our future entry into the electricity retail business.
Let's use properly in accordance with the rules: A Guide for Protecting
Personal Information
This practical commentary on the Privacy Protection Act is distributed to
employees of Tokyo Gas, its subsidiaries and affiliates, and Tokyo Gas
LIFEVAL to ensure that they properly understand and practice protection of
personal information.
Tokyo Gas's education and training structure is composed of
two pillars: training to develop foundational and common skills
as business people, which takes the form of basic training,
managerial training, and support for career development; and
departmental and crossdepartmental training designed to
develop a broad range of expertise specific to individual
departments. Tokyo Gas Group employees, too, take part in
some of the training in common skills to help foster a sense of
group unity.
In April 2015 we launched a new form of training for new Group
employees, which we call "Tokyo Gas Group Mindset Training."
The purpose of this training is to instill a strong sense of
belonging in new recruits in order to make them more aware of
being part of the Tokyo Gas Group. This training includes
lectures on CSRrelated subjects such as the Group's main
policies, customer satisfaction, compliance, and human rights.
Tokyo Gas Group Mindset Training session
We will further enhance our training and development programs to develop highly expert, ethically
responsible human resources capable of responding flexibly to changes in society and the business
environment.
Basic Policy
We develop the skills of our employees in recognition of the fact that people experience growth through
their jobs. To this end, we focus on providing instructive training given by superiors on the job (OJT),
effectively combined with education and training (OffJT) programs, selfdevelopment programs, and
workplace transfers and rotations. We also operate an open recruitment system and conduct interviews on
career plans so that employees can find selffulfillment and a sense of satisfaction in their work.
Education and Training Structure
Support for SelfDevelopment
We organize a number of programs to assist employee selfdevelopment, including seminars, external
training, and correspondence courses. These are designed not only to enhance employees' specialist
skills, but also to improve their ability to identify and set challenges, their ability to work together, and their
ability to perform tasks.
Transfers and Rotations
Every year, employees have an interview with their superiors regarding their career plan. Their self
evaluation, along with the evaluation by their superiors, is entered into the personnel system to be utilized
for relocation plans and further career development. As a system to supplement the regular method of
personnel transfers, we also operate an "open recruitment system" through which employees can put
themselves forward for positions in new business projects and other opportunities, as well as a "free agent"
system that allows employees to challenge themselves by applying for positions that they wish to be
considered for.
We aim to allocate the right person to the right position so that our employees can feel challenged by and
gain satisfaction from their work.
In fiscal 2015, we established a unit to consider a group personnel management system with a view to
establishing a form of group management that maximizes the Group's entire resources and capabilities.
This unit will formulate a group personnel strategy to enable every group employee to tackle challenges in
new areas and contribute in diverse fields, and will consider and introduce rules and other arrangements to
put this into effect.
Multitrack Personnel Management System
Starting in April 2013, Tokyo Gas implemented a multipletrack personnel management system to further
promote personnel development by better appraising the distinct traits and strengths of each and every
employee, and thereby maximize the results achieved by the organization. By expanding, enhancing, and
increasing the skills required of the "contributiontype" employee in this multitrack personnel management
system, we aim to develop employees who can think for themselves, are able to take action themselves
while drawing people in as they go, and can adapt flexibly to changes in the business environment. We
thus aim to maximize the distinct traits and strengths of each and every employee, enhancing productivity
through their individual growth, and thereby develop employees who will take an active role as the driving
force of the Tokyo Gas Group.
Overview of the Multitrack Personnel Management System
Contribution type What we seek
Expert
Supervises or supports duties at Tokyo Gas Group onsite locations by
utilizing the skills, techniques, knowledge, and network acquired through
experience in a specialized work field.
General
Promotes the business of the Tokyo Gas Group from the perspective of what
is best for the Group overall, while strengthening his/her field of expertise
based on the skills, techniques, and knowledge acquired from various work
experience.
Business fellow
Promotes improvements in the Tokyo Gas Group's solution and innovation
functions through his/her highlevel skills, techniques, and knowledge in a
specialized field.
We are pursuing improvements in occupational safety and health in order to ensure the safety and health
of the employees who form our management base.
Basic Policy
Occupational safety and health, which protects the lives and health of workers, is the foundation of a
company's existence and a social responsibility that all companies must bear. We believe that the values of
"Safety, Security, and Reliability" that we advocate for our customers as our corporate brand are accepted
only when we continue to secure our own occupational safety and health. We consider occupational safety
and health to be one of the most important challenges of corporate management.
The Tokyo Gas Group gives the highest priority to ensuring safety and health, and enforces compliance,
including adherence to all related laws and regulations, making every effort to eliminate the risk of disasters
and accidents with the goal of being a company with an excellent safety and health record.
Measures to Maintain and Enhance Health
Tokyo Gas is strengthening primary prevention (occupational health activities) in order to maintain and
enhance the health of our employees. As part of this endeavor, we have established industrial health
teams, consisting of industrial physicians, industrial nurses, pharmacists, and parttime registered
dietitians, who visit employees' workplaces to provide attentive health consultation, career ladder
consultation, and health education services. As such, we are constantly working to prevent mental health
and lifestylerelated diseases. We are also working hard to ensure that 100% of our employees receive
health checkups, a prerequisite for healthcare, focusing on the early detection of diseases, the effective
use of outside medical institutions, and the provision of followup observation for employees about whom
concerns have been raised.
Preventing Workrelated Injuries
Aiming to further strengthen occupational safety and health activities practiced at each workplace on a daily
basis, Tokyo Gas introduced the companywide Occupational Safety and Health Management System
(OSHMS) in fiscal 2006 to prevent industrial accidents. By utilizing the risk assessment implemented as
part of the above, we are also working to reduce the risk of accidents by treating them quantitatively. We
additionally strive to comply with related laws such as the Industrial Safety and Health Act by, among other
measures, periodically confirming and checking occupational safety and health systems across the
company. In fiscal 2015, the tenth anniversary of the launch of OSHMS, we will further strengthen our
action on and raise awareness of occupational safety and health, and will use the common companywide
framework to further eliminate workrelated injuries by urging employees at each workplace to take their
own initiative in keeping with conditions in their workplace to prevent such injuries, and to continue making
further improvements.
We also provide levelspecific education on occupational safety and health and safety considerations.
Additionally, we proactively train legal administrators through a variety of programs.
Every year we organize "Safety and Health Top Seminars" for general safety and health administrators and
general occupational administrators in the Tokyo Gas Group. In fiscal 2014, outside instructors were invited
to speak on subjects including "Approaches to Preventing Accidents and Disasters" and "The Social
Conditions Surrounding Passive Smoking and the Harm It Can Do."
Prevention of Traffic Accidents
To prevent traffic accidents, we provide various forms of driver training through our own inhouse driving
license system. Individual skill levels are improved by, for example, using driving recorders to provide
driving diagnoses, and having outside driving instructors give behindthewheel instruction when
employees renew their licenses. Safety driving instructors who have undergone special training are also
assigned to each workplace to give everyday instruction on safety through both behindthewheel and
classroom training.
Structure of Safety and Health Management (as of April 1, 2015)
Tokyo Gas will support diverse work styles and enhance opportunities for active participation by diverse
human resources with the aim of creating an energetic workplace where each and every employee is able
to maximize his/her various capabilities and strengths. Data is for Tokyo Gas employees on a nonconsolidated basis.
Overview of employees
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
Male 7,185(88.7%) 7,114(88.5%) 7,025(88.3%) 6,847(87.9%) 6,642(87.3%)
Female 911(11.3%) 922(11.5%) 928(11.7%) 942(12.1%) 968(12.7%)
Total 8,096 8,036 7,953 7,789 7,610
Average Age by Gender (as of March 31, 2015)
Length of Employment by Gender (as of March 31, 2015)
Number of Fulltime Employees by Gender (as of March 31, 2015) (persons)
Ratio of Women in Management (as of April 1, 2015)
Education 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 (breakdown)
Graduate school/university 109 98 108 176 190 Male 144 Female 46
High school 155 155 161 130 108 Male 106 Female 2
Total 264 253 269 306 298 Male 250 Female 48
Reemployment system
The mandatory retirement age at Tokyo Gas is 60. However, even before the revised Act on Stabilization of
Employment of Elderly Persons took force, we introduced our own system of continued employment. This
system has been providing appropriate employment opportunities to employees who have both the ability
and motivation to continue working. Coinciding with the entry into force of the above revised law, we
clarified our standards for concrete, objective recruitment and contract renewals, and have also signed a
labormanagement agreement.
Reemployment after Mandatory Retirement (FY2014)
Number reemployed (% of
total)
Tokyo Gas 1 282 people (72.9%)
Subsidiaries and affiliates, etc. 34 people (8.8%)
Number mandatorily retired (% of total) 71 people (18.3%)
(Reference) Early retirement 2 13 people
Employment of people with disabilities
At Tokyo Gas, people with disabilities work alongside our other employees and are performing a variety of
duties. In order to further our efforts to employ people with disabilities, we are improving our facilities in
accordance with the type and level of the disability to create a work environment that is safe and
comfortable for all, while also expanding the locations and scope of work opportunities for people with
disabilities. As of March 2015, 138 people with disabilities were in our employment. This is equivalent to
2.02% of our total workforce and meets the statutory rate.
Promoting worklife balance
Tokyo Gas has been supporting the creation of a comfortable work environment from before the entry into
effect of the Act on Advancement of Measures to Support Raising NextGeneration Children by, for
example, helping employees balance work and parental commitments. We have created a system that
allows for longer leave and shorter working hours exceeding the levels required by law, so that our
employees will have more flexibility in choosing their style of work. For example, beginning in April 2014 the
maximum age of a child that qualifies an employee for our shorter working hour program for employees
with small children was raised from the end of third grade in elementary school to the end of sixth grade.
Our rate of return to work after parental leave is consistently high, averaging close to 100% every year.
Breakdown of Hires (fresh graduates) (as of April 1, 2015) (persons)
Number of people employed as senior contracted employees (special employees).1
Number of employees choosing to use the early retirement system.2
Seminar for employees before they return towork after parental leave
Seminar for managers with subordinates onparental leave
Main Systems and Numbers of Users (FY2014)
Parental leave (until end of April immediately following child's 3rd
birthday)58 (0 males)
Shorter hours for parents of small children (during pregnancy and until
child completes 6th grade)221
Nursing care leave (up to 3 years) 2
Nursing care work (up to 2 years) 0
Community service leave (special leave for up to 5 days within 1 year) 42
Sabbatical system (for employees who reach the age of 30, 35, 40, and
50)668
We also offer systems that allow employees to take leaves of absence for fertility treatments, to attend
school events for their children or grandchildren, and to provide nursing care to family members. These
systems are widely used by our employees.
Action to promote women's participation in the workplace
Tokyo Gas recognizes the critical need to create a workplace environment that allows each and every
employee to maximize his/her various capabilities and strengths in order for it to grow as a company, and
promotes the success of a diverse pool of human resources. As part of these efforts, we actively promote
and support women, while at the same time upgrading and expanding our parental and nursing care
programs. Tokyo Gas also places considerable weight on fostering employee awareness and creating an
organizational culture that is conducive to developing the careers of the company's female employees by
promoting a variety of initiatives, including seminars (575 participants). We are working actively to promote
measures that will broaden the range of fields in which women can excel.
Seminar on women's career development
I was involved in research on foodrelated technologies for over 20 years
after joining Tokyo Gas. Having subsequently been employed in managing
personnel and general affairs at subsidiaries and affiliates, I now work in
sales. It was in my seventh year at the company that I took parental leave.
Although not many people took parental leave at the time, everyone was
totally supportive. My boss, for example, gave me advice in anticipation of
my return to work, and my coworkers visited me at home to tell me how work
was going. As for myself, thanks in part to the fact that I was able to find
enough time during my leave to write my doctoral thesis so I could be of use
to the company again as soon as possible after I returned, I never felt
concerned about my future career while I was away from the workplace.
Tokyo Gas has well developed flextime arrangements, so I was able to work
in a management position and still drop off and pick up my child at preschool.
Even back then, I believe the company was in the vanguard of measures to
assist worklife balance.
Now, with better programs in place and more options to choose from, some
people conversely find it hard to decide which work style suits them best.
That's why I hope to use my own experience to develop opportunities and
support for young people to help them positively map out their own career
paths as they approach new stages in their lives.
Masako KonishiDeputy General Manager
Sales Marketing II Department
In my fifth year after joining the company I was fortunate enough to have the
opportunity to go to business school in the United States. This was at a time
when it was still unusual for a woman to study abroad at her employer's
expense. In fact I was the first woman at Tokyo Gas to study abroad at a
business school for an extended period, and I am enormously grateful to my
then boss and coworkers who encouraged me to go for it. This experience
also proved valuable in the different areas of management in which I was
involved after my study abroad, namely, in an affiliate's hotel business and in
the Corporate Social Responsibility Section.
As general manager of Tokyo Gas Australia, I am now engaged in project
management with the operator of the Queensland Curtis LNG Project, in
which Tokyo Gas is an investor. Even compared with other Japanese
affiliates in Australia, our company has a particularly high proportion of
female members, and one can sense the emphasis placed on an individual's
abilities and thinking, regardless of gender, including at our partner
companies.
In my view, the diversity required to do business globally depends on an
appreciation of individual differences. Attentive management that assigns
work and provides supervision suited to the individual will, I believe, become
even more important in the future.
Yumiko YaoGeneral Manager
Tokyo Gas Australia Pty. Ltd.Business Development
Department
Developing support for planning new careers is of crucial futureimportance.
It is important for management to appreciate people's differences, andtake advantage of their different aptitudes.