Blue Value™ — Environmental Contributions

Earth blue

Instead of green, which is associated with nature and ecology, blue represents something much bigger—the earth.
It is also our corporate color and signifies harmony with the global environment and our contributions to society.

The Goal of Blue Value™

The Mitsui Chemicals Group, whose Corporate Mission is “harmony with the global environment,” lists “a circular society in harmony with the environment” as one of its ideal future society and aims to realize this through its business activities. The Group belongs to the upstream industry, providing products and services broadly to a variety of industries, and the environmental impact of the products and services on the society is complex and wide-ranging. That is why, in order to truly contribute to the global environment through business activities, the Group believes it is important to share with its various stakeholders, including direct and indirect customers, the impact and contributions of its products and services throughout their life cycles. Based on this idea, Blue Value™ was designed to evaluate the environmental impact throughout the life cycle, and to visualize the value.

*1Life cycle assessment (LCA):
A technique to quantitatively assess environmental impacts associated with all the stages of a product’s life, from raw materials, to manufacturing, processing, use, and disposal.

*2LIME2 (Life-cycle Impact assessment Method based on Endpoint modeling):
Damage assessment-type lifecycle environmental impact assessment method based on environmental conditions in Japan.

Sharing environmental contributions through Blue Value™

With Blue Value™, the environmental contributions the products and services provide throughout the life cycle can be visualized.
For example, Blue Value™ certified products related to the automobile industry reduce environmental impact not only in processes the Mitsui Chemicals Group is directly involved in such as raw materials procurement and manufacturing, but also in various life stages including intermediate processing where it is indirectly involved as well as the use and disposal of the end products.

Maximization of environmental contributions throughout the Life Cycle
- Hypothetical Case: Products Used in Automobiles -

*The image is a hypothetical case and may differ from information on actual products of our Group.

The Group aims to maximize the environmental contributions generated from implementation of Blue Value™ products and services in the society, by sharing this value or “Blue Value™” with various stakeholders throughout the life cycle.

Blue Value™ Assessment Index and Certification Criteria

Blue Value™ is assessed based on three contribution categories: (1) reducing CO2; (2) conserving resources; and (3) coexisting with nature. For each contribution category, Blue Value™ Index, which is the Mitsui Chemicals Group’s unique assessment index simplifying LIME2, is set to evaluate the environmental impact throughout the life cycle in comparison with general products in the market and our existing product lineup. Blue Value™ products and services are certified through discussions by the review board based on criteria that in addition to the environmental contributions being recognized at a sufficient level throughout the life cycle in more than one of the three contribution categories, no negative impact occurs in any of the contribution categories.
Evaluation using the Blue Value™ Index is qualitative or semi-quantitative, but there is a system for collaborating with the department responsible for LCA to conduct a stricter and quantitative assessment whenever required.

Environmental Impact Assessment Index — Blue Value™ Index

Contributions Blue Value™ Index
Assessment index Related assessment items

Reducing CO2

7 Affordable and clean energy
9 Industry, innovation, infrastructure
11 Sustainable cities and communities
13 Climate action
  • Reduction of GHG emissions
    Reduce GHG emissions at the raw materials acquisition, manufacturing/processing, and end products use/disposal stages.
  • Saving of energy, electricity, fuel
    Reduce energy such as electricity and fuel at the raw materials acquisition, manufacturing/processing, and end products use/disposal stages.
    Use of end products in the energy conservation field.
  • Weight and volume reduction
  • Long service life
  • Natural energy sources
  • Non-fossil raw materials
  • Environmental cleanup

Conserving resources

6 Clean water and sanitation
8 Decent work and economic growth
9 Industry, innovation, infrastructure
11 Sustainable cities and communities
12 Responsible consumption, production
14 Life below water
  • 3Rs, ease of sorting, conservation of resources
    Use reusable/recyclable materials at the manufacturing/processing stages for products, processed items, and end products as well as reduce material usage.
    Products, processed items, and end products based on reuse/recycling.
    Possible separation at the time of disposal.

Coexisting with nature

3 Good health and well-being
6 Clean water and sanitation
11 Sustainable cities and communities
12 Responsible consumption, production
14 Life below water
15 Life on land
  • Ecosystem conservation (human health)
    Reduce the impact on human health from chemical substances across product lifecycles; specifically, reduce the addition of chemical substances harmful to human health, curb their formation, use chemical substances that are less toxic, and use end products in the health & safety fields.
  • Ecosystem conservation (environmental organisms)
    Reduce the impact on ecosystems from chemical substances across product lifecycles; specifically, reduce the addition of chemical substances harmful to ecosystems, curb their formation, use chemical substances that are less toxic.
  • Prevention of environmental contamination
    Reduce the impact on the global environment excluding people/living organisms from environmental pollutants across product lifecycles; specifically, reduce the addition of environment pollutants harmful to ecosystems, curb their formation, and use substances that do not pollute the environment.

This table is scrollable.

Contributions Related assessment items
  Blue Value™ Index Assessment index

Reducing CO2

7 Affordable and clean energy 9 Industry, innovation, infrastructure 11 Sustainable cities and communities
  • Weight and volume reduction
  • Long service life
  • Natural energy sources
  • Non-fossil raw materials
  • Environmental cleanup
 
  • Reduction of GHG emissions
    Reduce GHG emissions at the raw materials acquisition, manufacturing/processing, and end products use/disposal stages.
  • Saving of energy, electricity, fuel
    Reduce energy such as electricity and fuel at the raw materials acquisition, manufacturing/processing, and end products use/disposal stages.
    Use of end products in the energy conservation field.

Conserving resources

6 Clean water and sanitation 8 Decent work and economic growth 9 Industry, innovation, infrastructure 11 Sustainable cities and communities 12 Responsible consumption, production 14 Life below water
 
  • 3Rs, ease of sorting, conservation of resources
    Use reusable/recyclable materials at the manufacturing/processing stages for products, processed items, and end products as well as reduce material usage.
    Products, processed items, and end products based on reuse/recycling.
    Possible separation at the time of disposal.

Coexisting with nature

3 Good health and well-being 6 Clean water and sanitation 11 Sustainable cities and communities 12 Responsible consumption, production 14 Life below water 15 Life on land
 
  • Ecosystem conservation (human health)
    Reduce the impact on human health from chemical substances across product lifecycles; specifically, reduce the addition of chemical substances harmful to human health, curb their formation, use chemical substances that are less toxic, and use end products in the health & safety fields.
  • Ecosystem conservation (environmental organisms)
    Reduce the impact on ecosystems from chemical substances across product lifecycles; specifically, reduce the addition of chemical substances harmful to ecosystems, curb their formation, use chemical substances that are less toxic.
  • Prevention of environmental contamination
    Reduce the impact on the global environment excluding people/living organisms from environmental pollutants across product lifecycles; specifically, reduce the addition of environment pollutants harmful to ecosystems, curb their formation, and use substances that do not pollute the environment.

*Related assessment criteria are evaluated on contributions to any one of the assessment index.

*GHG emission-related global warming substances, chemical substances harmful to ecosystems, and environmental pollutants are all substances for which characterization factors have been calculated in LIME2.

Example of Blue Value™ Evaluation, Review, and Certification

Target Product: AdBlue™*1
Application: NOx reducing additive
Comparison: Vehicle equipped with urea SCR system vs Vehicle not equipped with urea SCR system

This table is scrollable.

Contribution
category
Evaluation based on Blue Value™ Index Review criteria Certification
decision
Raw
materials
Manufacturing Intermediate
processing
Use Disposal
Coexisting
with nature
    Reduced NOx emissions Throughout the life cycle Reduced emission of environmental pollutants The product can achieve these
Confirmed that emission of NOx (substance for which characterization factors have been calculated in LIME2) and the like can be reduced by equipping with urea SCR system
Reducing
CO2
(1) Increased GHG from manufacturing AdBlue™, etc. (2) Improved fuel efficiency
Secondary effect*2
Reduced GHG emissions
Confirmed that the GHG reduction effect from improved fuel efficiency while driving exceeds the increase in GHG emissions from manufacturing the urea SCR system and AdBlue™ ((1) < (2))

*1AdBlue™:
“High-grade aqueous urea” used in diesel engine cars equipped with urea SCR system which reduces nitrogen oxides (NOx) contained in exhaust gas. Under strict quality control, we manufacture and supply the highest quality AdBlue™ made from 100% pure domestic urea and deionized water. The raw material urea is manufactured in our Osaka Works, with a firm supply system that is not easily impacted by external factors.

*AdBlue™ is a registered trademark of the VDA (Verband der Automobilindustrie)

*2Secondary effect:
Internal combustion engine used in combination with the urea SCR system is designed as a high-temperature combustion, which improves fuel efficiency compared to conventional internal combustion engines and reduces GHG emissions.

The product concept of AdBlue™ is the reduction of NOx in exhaust gas when used in diesel engine cars equipped with urea SCR system. Results from evaluation based on the Blue Value™ Index show that environmental impact (urban air pollution and acidification) improved by about five folds, which led to its certification as a Blue Value™ product for its environmental contributions in “Coexisting with nature.” Additionally, vehicles equipped with urea SCR system using AdBlue™ have improved fuel efficiency compared to vehicles not equipped with the system. Therefore, AdBlue™ is also certified for its environmental contributions in “Reducing CO2,” as it contributes to GHG emission reduction. Thus, by evaluating throughout the life cycle using Blue Value™, the content and effects of the environmental contributions are shared with customers and stakeholders.

Expectations from external expert (Blue Value™ advisor)

Decarbonization and a circular economy are central to solving the world's problems, as well as to corporate growth strategies, and businesses need to promote cross-industry eco-innovation.
Blue Value™ helps visualize the reduction in environmental impact of products from a product life cycle perspective. This is extremely important information for quickly achieving a carbon neutral and recycling-oriented society.
Mitsui Chemicals has adopted the sales revenue ratio of Blue Value™ products as a key performance indicator for its long-term business plan targets, which contributes to the rapid spread of eco-products. So, I strongly support its activities.

Dr. ITSUBO Norihiro
Professor, Faculty of Environmental Studies
Dean, Graduate School of Environmental and Information Studies
Tokyo City University

*Each affiliation is from the time when the article was created.

Dr. ITSUBO Norihiro
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