Environment

Furukawa AS Environmental Policy

Basic Philosophy

At Furukawa Automotive Systems Inc. (Furukawa AS), we recognize that the preservation of the Earth’s environment is an issue of the highest importance for international society. We contribute to a sustainable future for the Earth through technological innovation using materials. As we design and manufacture automotive parts and develop manufacturing equipment and technologies for that purpose, we manage the environment in accordance with Code of Conduct stated below.

Code of Conduct

We strictly comply with environmental laws and regulations as well as the demands of customers and others, setting ever higher environmental targets and striving for continuous improvement of our measures to preserve the environment.
We work hard to develop and create products that contribute to the global environment.
In all phases of the life cycle of each product, we strive to reduce environmental risk, through measures against climate change, advancement of resource saving and recycling and reduction of use of substances with environmental impact.
We evaluate the impact of all our business activities on ecosystems, making every effort to preserve biodiversity and use resources sustainably. Through dialogue with stakeholders, we strive to exist in harmony with nature and regional communities.

Environmental Challenge 2050

Our slogan for Furukawa AS Environmental Challenge 2050 is, “Let’s leave a richer environment for our children’s future!” The entire Furukawa AS Group is rolling up its sleeves to tackle this challenge.

Click here for a list of slogans in other languages

Environmental Challenge: English

Environmental Challenge: Chinese

Environmental Challenge: Thai

Environmental Challenge: Vietnamese

Environmental Challenge: Spanish

Environmental Challenge: Indonesian

Toward Carbon Neutrality

Initiatives on Renewable Energy

We are expanding our lineup of environmentally friendly products, advancing carbon neutrality across the entire life cycle of production, transport and use.

・Weight reduction, power management, expansion of high-voltage-related products
・Creation of eco-friendly materials and products (“Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” (3R) design; reduction of number of materials and parts)

Furukawa AS encourages the use of solar power, geothermal electric power and other forms of renewable energy.

・The Company is successively expanding its roster of production facilities that use renewable energy. (As of 2023)

Other activities contributing to the environment

Recycling: Furukawa AS recycles the electrical-wire scraps generated in wire-harness production processes, separating the metals from the compounds.

Furukawa AS endorses the Shiga CO2 Net Zero Movement: Furukawa AS endorses Shiga Prefecture’s Shiga CO2 Net Zero Movement, a movement to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in the prefecture effectively to zero by 2050.

Environmentally harmonious products

Furukawa AS conducts environmental preservation activities indispensable in the 21st century, such as transition to low-pollution vehicles and measures to reduce resource consumption.

Development of environmentally friendly products

Reduction of environmentally hazardous substances

Furukawa AS has developed lead-free electrical cables and terminals as well as halogen-free insulating materials. Also, the Company is rigorously eliminating RoHS-6 and SOC-4 materials from its material purchasing and manufacturing processes.

Zero emissions

Furukawa AS develops and contributes to the popularization of wire harnesses for the high-voltage components used in electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs).

Related items:: 【Wire harnesses for EVs and HEVs】

Resource-saving

Furukawa AS succeeds in reducing and downsizing the electrical wires, connectors and related parts used to multiplex on-board communications.
The Company improves heat dissipation from products and contributes to product downsizing.
The Company develops sensors that manage battery charging and discharging, contributing to downsizing of vehicle batteries.

Related items

【Smart connectors】

【Optical communication systems】

To improve the convenience of on-board IT, Furukawa AS fuses optical-fiber technology, whose use it has long promoted, with its own wire-harness technology. The result is proposals for highly reliable optical-communication technologies that can be used for 10 or even 20 years.
【Metal core board】

Weight reduction

The wire harnesses used in a single vehicle to reach a combined weight of 20 to 50 kg. To improve fuel efficiency and increase the driving range of EVs, reduction of vehicle weight is critical, and wire harnesses are a part of that equation.

Related items:

【Aluminum wire harnesses】

【Smart connectors】

Eco-friendly products

Furukawa AS is committed to contributing to a sustainable society through its products. To this end, the Company actively markets products that reduce environmental impact.Furukawa AS defines “environmentally harmonious products” as products whose environmental performance is improved over their predecessors in every phase, from purchase of materials and parts through manufacturing, distribution and use to disposal.

Examples of environmentally harmonious products

Wire harnesses made with aluminum wire
【Learn More】
Smart connectors【Learn More】
Ultra-thin, narrow-diameter CIVUS wires【Learn More】
Relay boxes equipped with relay modules【Learn More】
Lead-battery status sensors
【Learn More】
Peripheral monitoring radar【Learn More】
Neutral auto-lock, multi-tape U-turn-type steering-roll connectors【詳細】
Compact junction boxes【Learn More】
ISO-compliant non-halogen electrical wire【Learn More】
ECUs for power steering【Learn More】
Steering roll connectors【Learn More】

: ※1 Aluminum wire harnesses

: ※2 Lead-battery status sensors

: ※3 Peripheral monitoring radar

Environmental Management

Management of chemicals contained in products

Furukawa AS establishes guidelines for green purchasing and strictly enforces standards for management of chemicals contained in products. In in-house operations as well, Furukawa AS manages and confirms information on product content in the product-development and pre-production phases.
Through its chemical management systems, Furukawa AS conducts centralized management of information on the composition of parts and materials, achieving smooth and assured confirmation of compliance with laws and regulations.

Global Environmental Management

The Furukawa AS Group is moving forward with initiatives to contribute to the environment. By adopting and supporting ISO 14001, the Group is complying with laws and regulations and grappling with environmental risks. The Group is responding to the 2015 update of ISO 14001, successively enforcing compliance with ISO 14001 at each overseas base that is not yet compliant and obtaining certification for each. In FY2019 the Group began holding global environmental conferences, embracing 17 overseas manufacturing companies. The Group is moving forward with activities based on consistent policies and targets.