Conserving and Effectively Utilizing Natural Capital
Conserving and Effectively Utilizing Natural Capital
Recognizing the Earth as MC’s most important stakeholder, the company strives to maintain biodiversity, conserve natural capital, and promote circular economies while reducing its environmental footprint.
Related SDGs Themes
Action Plan for This Material Issue
Every MC business is built on the foundation of the natural capital benefits that the ecosystem provides. Therefore, the conservation and effective utilization of natural capital are essential to achieving sustainable growth alongside society. MC is committed to advancing a circular economy by leveraging business opportunities while minimizing its negative impact on the global environment.
Promotion of a Circular Economy
MC considers it essential to make effective use of limited resources and ensure they circulate as efficiently as possible to achieve a circular economy. The company is working to conserve and effectively utilize natural capital and contribute to a low-carbon or decarbonized society through initiatives such as material recycling using new technologies, bio-carbon recycling, new businesses related to product recycling, and the utilization of secondary resources.
PET Chemical Recycling Business with Thai Shinkong
MC entered the PET chemical recycling business through an investment in Thai Shinkong Industry Corporation Ltd., which produces PET resins for beverage bottles. A new production line began operation in June 2023. PET is highly recyclable mono-material with broad applications, including food and beverage containers and textiles, thanks to its excellent transparency, barrier properties, and well-established collection and recycling systems. As the global transition to a circular economy accelerates, MC plans to expand its PET resin production capacity to meet growing demand for mono-materials. Additionally, MC aims to introduce chemical recycling technologies through its participation in the PET chemical recycling business, supporting the goal of “Conserving and Effectively Utilizing Natural Capital”.
Activities with Honda
ALTNA Co., Ltd. was established in July 2024 as a joint venture between Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda) and MC, with the goal of creating new businesses in response to the anticipated growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market and the transition toward a decarbonized society. By combining Honda's advanced control and connectivity technologies for EVs and batteries with MC’s expertise in energy solutions—including battery energy storage and smart-charging operations—ALTNA is developing business model that reduce the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for EV users and promote the long-term utilization of EV batteries.
Please refer to the link below for details on these initiatives.
Identifying and Responding to Nature-Related Issues
Nearly all MC businesses interact with the environment and depend on the benefits provided by ecosystems. To ensure the continuity of future business activities, MC must understand the extent of its environmental dependencies and impacts, analyze related risks and opportunities, minimize excessive reliance and negative impacts on nature, and pursue initiatives that contribute to environmental restoration.
Trial Analysis Using the TNFD Framework
From this perspective, MC conducted a trial analysis based on the (Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures) TNFD framework recommendations from FY2022 to FY2023. Moving forward, MC will apply the insights gained from this trial to the management of individual businesses and continue identifying and addressing nature-related issues using the TNFD framework, thereby enhancing sustainability and corporate value.
Please refer to the link below for MC’s biodiversity initiatives.