History of Environmental Preservation Activities

Record of environmental preservation activities by Kikkoman Group

August, 1970	The Antipollution Committee was established.
December, 1972	The Environmental Management Department was established. (Measures Section and Investigation Section)
October, 1976	The Environment Analysis Center was established. (Certified Environmental Survey/Measurement Services)
April, 1992	The General Environment Protection Committee was established.
October, 1992	Kikkoman Group Environmental Principles was formulated and announced.
March, 1993	Voluntary Action Plan on Environmental Preservation (Voluntary Plan) was formulated.
September, 1995	Participation in the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
May, 1997	Noda Plant (currently Noda Factory, Kikkoman Food Products Company) acquired ISO14001 certification.
November, 1998	Kikkoman Annual Environmental Report was disclosed.
August, 1999	The General Environmental Preservation Committee was established (reorganized from the General Environment Protection Committee).
February, 2000	Goals for greenhouse gas reduction were determined and announced.
February, 2000	Goals for waste and byproduct recycling were determined and announced.
July, 2000	Environmental Accounting was disclosed in the Kikkoman Annual Environmental Report.
January, 2001	Participation in the United Nations Global Compact Initiative was announced.
July, 2001	Kikkoman Group Annual Environmental Report was published.
March, 2003	ISO14001 certifications for major factories abroad were acquired.
June, 2004	Kikkoman Group Annual Environmental Management Report was disclosed on the website.
June, 2005	Environmental Preservation Activities Case Book was published.
December, 2005	Participation in Eco Product Exhibition was started.
February, 2006	ISO14001 certifications for all major bases were acquired.
June, 2006	Kikkoman Group Corporate Citizenship Report was published.
March, 2008	Kikkoman’s Guidelines for Containers and Packaging were determined and announced.
August, 2008	Participation in the Green Productivity Advisory Committee (GP) of the Asian Productivity Organization (APO).
February, 2009	Sign on to “Caring for Climate”.
May, 2011	Participation in the Private Sector Engagemant Partnership for Biodiversity.
June, 2011	Multi-site ISO14001 Certification was acquired by Kikkoman Group in Japan.
April, 2013	Participation in the Chiba Corporate Network for Biodiversity.
May, 2015	Membership in the Japan Climate Leaders' Partnership.
June, 2015	Sign on to the CEO Water Mandate of the UN Global Compact.
June, 2015	Participation in the Water Project by the Ministry of the Environment.
February, 2019	Participation in Plastic Resource Recycling Declaration by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
December, 2019	Participation in the "10×20×30 Food Waste Reduction Initiative" in Japan.
August, 2020	Launch of the Kikkoman Group Long-Term Environmental Vision.
September, 2021	Declaration of commitment to the Science Based Targets (SBT) initiative.
September, 2021	Declaration of support for the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures.
September, 2021	Participation in the Japan Climate Change Initiative.
September, 2021	Participation in the Clean Ocean Material Alliance.
June, 2023	Participation in the Marine Eco-Label Japan Council as a regular member.
December, 2023	Accreditation for the Science Based Targets (SBT) initiative.

Record of Awards (since 1995)

1995	The 15th Kinoshita Prize (Grand Prix of the Package Industry) <By the Japan Packaging Institute (JPI)> To Kikkoman Corp. for developing the bag-in-box (BIB) octopost with resource-saving cardboard.
1997	Award for Excellent Greenery Factory <By the Hokkaido Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry> To the Chitose Factory, Kikkoman Corp. (currently Hokkaido Kikkoman Company) as a model greenery factory.
1999	Award for Technological Research of Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry <By the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry (JSBBA)> To Kikkoman Corp. for developing a method of extracting high-purity polyphenol from grape seeds (the byproducts of wine production), and assessing its functionality.
1999	Waste Reduction Award Program (WRAP) Award <By CalRecycle (California, US)> To the California Plant, Kikkoman Foods Inc. (KFI) for its waste reducing and recycling efforts. [The same award was also given in 2001-06 and 2008-11.]
2001	The 7th Architectural Culture Award of Chiba Prefecture <By Chiba Prefecture> To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for the functionality and cultural traits of its architecture, including energy efficiency by using the latest and more innovative technology, aiming to become an office with reduced environmental impact.
2001	Nikkei New Office Promotion Award <By Nikkei Inc.> To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for its energy-saving design and effective use of rainwater, in an effort to promote the creation of new, comfortable and functional offices.
2001	The 23rd Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Award (for the Environmental Conservation Category) <By the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries> To Kikkoman Corp. Awarded for the the Environmental Conservation Category of the Food Industry sector for its efforts that included sustaining and improving the environment through energy saving, waste reuse, its environmental management system, etc.
2002	The Examination Committee Encouragement Prize of the Environmental and Energy Saving Architecture Award <By the Institute of Building Environment and Energy Conservation> To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for its energy-saving design, lighting adopting louvers, effective indoor air-conditioning system, and use of rainwater.
2003	Special Award for Production under the Nikkei Advanced Business Operation Award <By Nikkei Inc.> To Kikkoman Foods Inc. (KFI) for its enhanced productivity, environmental measures, international competitiveness, and expansion of soy sauce consumption.
2003	The 4th Sustainable Architecture Award <By the Japan Institute of Architects> To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for its excellent ideas and outstanding techniques that will open up new horizons in the age of a global environment.
2004	2003 Award of the Director-General of the Industrial Science and Technology Policy and Environment Bureau <By the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry> To the R&D Division, Kikkoman Corp. for using soy sauce oil as fish feed, as an excellent example of a resource recycling technology system.
2004	2003 Award for Technological Research of Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry <By the Japan Society for Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Agrochemistry (JSBBA)> To the R&D Division, Kikkoman Corp. for employing its applied technology of firefly luciferase to develop excellent products.
2004	2003 Excellent Corporation Award <By the Sustainable Management Rating Institute> To Kikkoman Corp. for its excellent practice of corporate social responsibility (CSR) management that serves as a model for other companies.
2004	Pollution Prevention Award (PPA)/Sacramento Sustainable Business (SSB) Award <By Sacramento County> To the California Plant, Kikkoman Foods Inc. (KFI) for its efforts to save energy and water, prevent pollution, and reduce waste. [PPA was also granted in 2005 and 2006; SSB was granted in 2007-09 and 2011.]
2004	The 23rd Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Award for the Greenery Factory <By the Japan Greenery Research and Development Center> To the Chitose Factory, Kikkoman Corp. (currently Hokkaido Kikkoman Company) for its efforts to maintain natural forests as places of comfort for local residents.
2007	Sacramento Environmental Commission (SEC) Award <By the Sacramento Environmental Commission (environment conservation organization of Sacramento County, US> To Kikkoman Foods Inc. for being a company actively working on environmental activity. [The same award was also granted in 2009.]
2009	2009 Food Packaging Award of the Japan Packaging Contest 2009 <By the Japan Packaging Institute (JPI)> For newly adopted 750-ml and 500-ml PET bottles for Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
2010	Honored by the Singapore government <By the Singapore government> To Kikkoman (S) Pte. Ltd. (KSP) by the Singapore government for its contribution in promoting a clean and green Singapore. Presented a heritage tree called the “Rain Tree.”
2011	The 11th Special Award “Ten-year Award” of the Society of Heating, Air-conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan (SHASE) (The 11th one) <By the Society of Heating, Air-conditioning and Sanitary Engineers of Japan (SHASE)> To the Noda Head Office, Kikkoman Group for its maintenance and enhanced management of high comfort and energy saving performance in the indoor environment.
2012	Green Leadership Award <By the Business Journals (Trade paper)> To Kikkoman Foods Inc. (KFI) for being a leading company for the future with its beautiful environment among those in Sacramento, California, US.
2013	EDEN Award (2013) <By the Dutch government and other institutions> To Kikkoman Foods Europe, B.V. (KFE) for its continuous contribution to the Water Resource Preservation Project at Lake Zuidlaardermeer, Groningen Province, the Netherlands.
2016	Nikkei New Office Promotion Award (in the Kinki Area) <By Nikkei Inc.> To the Kinki Branch Office, Kikkoman Group, for its good management and control of the intellectual asset and information, its high capability of intellectual production utilizing information technology (IT), its establishment of comfort and convenient working environment and its high contribution to natural environment and local society.
2017	2016 Award for the Excellent Energy Management Factory, by the Kanto Regional Office of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry <By the Kanto Regional Office of Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry> To the Noda Factory, Kikkoman Food Products Company, for its reduction of energy consumption and CO₂ emissions accomplished with reviewing and improving efficiency of usage of the boilers.
2018	2018 Japan Marketing Association Director’s award of the Japan Packaging Contest 2018 <By the Japan Packaging Institute (JPI)> For the soft plastic (PET) tabletop bottle, “Mippu Eco Bottle,” of Kikkoman Soy Sauce.
2019	The 25th “Tasukarimashita Award” (Honorable mention in the food and beverage category) <By the SANKEI LIVING SHIMBUN Inc.> For Newly developed home use okara products, “Kikkoman Tonyu Okara Powder,” for its easy to use in cooking.
2020	2020 “Tasukarimashita Award” (Bronze prize in the food and beverage category) <By the SANKEI LIVING SHIMBUN Inc.> For Kikkoman Always Fresh Rich Flavor Less Salt Soy Sauce, that lead many people to change their eating habits and help enjoy their meals.
2020	Selected for the 2019 CDP Water Security A List <By the CDP> Selected for the highest rating A list in the “2019 CDP Water Security” by the international non-profit organization CDP.
2021	Excellence Award of 2020 Environmental Human Resource Development Corporate Award <By the Ministry of the Environment> Kikkoman was recognized for its comprehensive implementation of various human resource development activities, including training, courses, awareness-raising, and technical support related to environmental operations across Group organizations, as well as the close link between consideration for nature and the Kikkoman Group's business activities.
2021	Selected for the 2020 CDP Water Security A List <By the CDP> Selected for the highest rating A list in the “2020 CDP Water Security” by the international non-profit organization CDP.
2022	Selected for the 2021 CDP Water Security A List <By the CDP> Selected for the highest rating A list in the “2021 CDP Water Security” by the international non-profit organization CDP.
2023	“The 18th Best Paper Award” <By the Japan Society of Food Chemistry> In the research on the safety evaluation of recycled PET bottles for seasonings and cooking oil, a joint paper with Mizkan, Kewpie, and Nissin Oilio won the Best Paper Award.
2024	Selected for the 2023 CDP Water Security A List <By the CDP> Selected for the highest rating A list in the “2023 CDP Water Security” by the international non-profit organization CDP.