Address on the Occasion of the Beginning
of the 2021 Fiscal Year
The year 2021 has certainly been a trying one so far. In March the declaration of a state of emergency was lifted, and with the blooming of the cherry blossoms, it seemed for the briefest of intervals as if we could hope for a gradual return to a life of calm. Now, however, we confront the new threat of mutated strains of the COVID-19 virus. On behalf of everyone at Furukawa Automotive Systems Co., Ltd., I would like to extend my most heartfelt gratitude to healthcare practitioners for their hard work under this extreme environment and to pray for the safety and health of all of you, your families, friends and colleagues, even as you redouble your efforts to prevent the spread of this pandemic.
At Furukawa Automotive Systems, we are enhancing our awareness of safety and health matters, practicing every day the mindset embodied in the greeting, Go-Anzeni Ni, Go-Kenko Ni! (“Be safe and be healthy!”).
The next Medium-term Business Plan of the Furukawa Electric Group begins in FY2022. To do our part to achieve the targets of this Plan, we at Furukawa Automotive Systems have prepared our FY2021 Operating Policy.
In 2020 the government of Japan announced a target of making Japan a carbon-neutral country by 2050. Furukawa Automotive Systems shares this goal, placing response to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), of which carbon reduction is a central aim, at the heart of its operating strategy. Our initiatives in this sphere include:
- 1）Expansion of the Company’s line of environmentally friendly products
- 2）Enhancement of energy-saving production systems
- 3）Advancement of use of solar power generation and other renewable energy sources
- 4）Responding to social responsibilities
In terms of 1) above, Furukawa Automotive Systems has long focused investment in areas such as reducing the weight of aluminum wire harnesses and energy management technologies (such as battery status sensors). Going forward, the Company will set its sights on contributing to the mobility society of tomorrow while vigorously and proactively developing environmentally friendly products. With respect to 4) above, the Company has earned kudos for its activities through its ISO 14001–based environmental management system, its cultivation of nodding anemone, a Class II endangered plant species, and its regional cleanup activities. I am pleased to report that these efforts have earned Furukawa Automotive Systems a three-star rating in Shiga Prefecture’s FY2020 Efforts in Biodiversity Recognition Program.
To continue to contribute to society and customers in the mobility field, Furukawa Automotive Systems will redouble its efforts to tackle challenges in this area. On behalf of Furukawa Automotive Systems I ask you for your continuing favor and encouragement.