The Mitsui Chemicals Group's GHG emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) have been calculated with reference to the GHG Protocol since fiscal 2024. GHG emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) in FY2025 decreased year on year, primarily due to lower operating rates at large domestic plants associated with Shutdown Maintenance and other factors. Meanwhile, since fiscal 2007, Mitsui Chemicals has set a target of reducing GHG emissions through energy efficiency, and is continuing comprehensive energy conservation activities at its plants. This includes step-by-step enhancement of heat recovery and streamlining of the refining process. In FY2025, we achieved a reduction of 41,000 tons, exceeding our target (a reduction of at least 25,000 tons from the previous year).
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Environmental Protection
GHG and Energy
The Mitsui Chemicals Group is striving to reduce GHG emissions and energy consumption by adopting a low-carbon manufacturing approach under its climate change policy.
*For details on our climate change policy, strategy, and implementing the recommendations of the TCFD, please click here.
*We plan to obtain third-party assurance for the FY2025 data. The figures may be revised during the assurance process.
GHG Emissions (Scope 1 and 2)
In response to increasingly serious environmental problems and growing demands for global decarbonization, the Mitsui Chemicals Group announced its 2050 Carbon Neutrality Declaration in November 2020, and set a Group target in June 2021 to reduce the Group's global GHG emissions by 40% (compared to FY2013) by FY2030. To achieve these targets, we will actively engage in the transition to low-carbon raw materials and fuels, energy conservation through the installation of highly energy-efficient equipment, and the adoption of renewable energy, as part of our efforts to build a decarbonized society.
GHG Emissions Reduction Rate (Scopes 1 and 2) (Mitsui Chemicals Group)
*Compared to FY2013
*Calculated based on adjusted emissions that exclude temporary factors such as fluctuations in ethylene operating rates.
GHG Emissions (Scopes 1 and 2) (Mitsui Chemicals Group)
Energy Consumption
With regard to Mitsui Chemicals' energy consumption, we aim to achieve, as a target under the Energy Conservation Law, a five-year average reduction rate of 1% or more in energy intensity. Although we implemented various energy efficiency measures in FY 2025, we were unable to offset the deterioration in energy intensity caused by low operating rates at major domestic plants due to scheduled maintenance shutdowns and other factors. As a result, the five-year average reduction rate of energy intensity increased to 2.1% in FY2025.
On the other hand, we continued to meet the benchmark target of the Energy Conservation Law—11.9 GJ/t or less of energy consumption per unit production of ethylene at ethylene production facilities—in FY2025, and we expect to maintain our S rating under the business operator classification evaluation system (SABC system), which identifies operators with excellent energy conservation, for the 11th consecutive year.
Going forward, we will continue our energy‑conservation efforts, including the effective use of heat and the introduction of high‑efficiency equipment.
Energy Consumption (Mitsui Chemicals Group)
GHG Emissions (Scope 3)
In order to identify GHG emissions throughout the entire supply chain, extending from purchasing raw materials to customer use and disposal, we calculate Scope 3 emissions for indirect emissions in addition to Scopes 1 and 2 emissions generated from our own business and production activities.
Until now, we have calculated and disclosed Scope 3 figures for Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. However, in order to more accurately grasp the environmental impact of the entire Group supply chain and use this information for evaluation and management, we have expanded the scope of calculations to include major consolidated subsidiaries from fiscal 2023 results. In FY2025, we further broadened the scope of consolidated subsidiaries covered by the calculation, focusing primarily on Category 1, “Purchased goods and services,” which accounts for a significant portion of our Scope 3 emissions.
Going forward, we will continue to expand the scope of our calculations and enhance the quality of calculation data to gain a comprehensive understanding of emissions across the Mitsui Chemicals Group. We will also assess the environmental impact of a broader supply chain.
GHG Emissions (Scope 3)
* In FY2025, Scope 3 emissions increased by approximately 650,000 t-CO2e due mainly to an expansion of the calculation scope for Category 1.
Breakdown of GHG Emissions (Scope 3) (Mitsui Chemicals Group, FY2025)
| Category | Emissions (Thousands of tons CO2eq/year) | Method of calculating emissions and reasons for excluding from the scope of calculation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Purchased goods and services | 9,516 | Emissions coefficient Calculation method Assumptions, allocation method, etc. |
| 2. Capital goods | 444 | Emissions coefficient Calculation method Assumptions, allocation method, etc. |
| 3. Fuel- and energy-related activities (not included in scopes 1 or scope 2) | 505 | Emissions coefficient Calculation method Assumptions, allocation method, etc. |
| 4. Upstream transportation and distribution | 79 | Emissions coefficient and calculation method Assumptions, allocation method, etc. |
| 5. Waste generated in operations | 94 | Emissions coefficient Calculation method Assumptions, allocation methods, etc. |
| 6. Business travel | 2 | Emissions coefficient Calculation method Assumptions, allocation method, etc. |
| 7. Employee commuting | 8 | Emissions coefficient Calculation method Assumptions, allocation method, etc. |
| 8. Upstream leased assets | Outside scope of calculation | The Group’s leased assets have already been accounted for under Scope 1 and Scope 2, so they are excluded from the calculation. |
| 9. Downstream transportation and distribution | Outside scope of calculation | Transports from the Group to the customer (BtoB) are included in Category 4. In addition, because we are in the materials industry, we have a high ratio of intermediate products and are unable to grasp the distribution to the consumer. Therefore, given that it is impossible to reasonably calculate the transportation volume, these are excluded from the scope of calculation. |
| 10. Processing sold products | Outside scope of calculation | As we are in the materials industry, we have a large proportion of intermediate products, and even customers have numerous potential applications. It is difficult to collect data from customers on the processing performed by those value chain companies and their emissions intensity. In addition, it is excluded from the calculation because it is impossible to accurately calculate the data using secondary data at this time. |
| 11. Use of sold products | 125 | Emission factors and calculation methods Assumptions, allocation method, etc. |
| 12. End-of-life treatment of sold products | 6,065 | Emissions coefficient Calculation method Assumptions, allocation method, etc. |
| 13. Downstream leased assets | Outside scope of calculation | The Company does not have such assets, so they are excluded from the calculation. |
| 14. Franchises | Outside scope of calculation | The Company does not have franchises, so they are excluded from the calculation. |
| 15. Investments | Outside scope of calculation | The group does not engage in investment businesses or provide financial services, so they are excluded from the calculation. |
| Total | 16,838 |
Highly Efficient Gas Turbine Power Generation System for Self-Sufficiency
Mitsui Chemicals installed a highly efficient gas turbine power generation system in its Osaka Works and commenced operation in December 2020. This was a joint project with Daigas Energy Co., Ltd. under a grant from the 2018 Subsidy for Promoting Investment in Energy Saving provided by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
The system increases the Works’ self-sufficiency in power. It also reduces fuel usage by the naphtha cracking furnaces in the ethylene plant by taking the high-temperature exhaust gas generated by the power generation facilities for use as the combustion air in the furnaces. This is reducing CO2 emissions from Osaka Works by 70,000 tons per year (compared with fiscal 2016).
Energy-Saving Process Using LNG Cold Energy
Together with Osaka Gas Co., Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals and its consolidated subsidiary, Osaka Petrochemical Industries, Ltd. have adopted energy-saving process by using liquefied natural gas (LNG)-generated cold energy in the ethylene plant. This world-first energy saving process using LNG-generated cold energy on a large-scale at our ethylene plant commenced in October 2010.
To transport and store natural gas, it is liquefied by cooling it to -160°C. Liquefied gas is a good source of cold energy. During its liquefied state, LNG emits boil off gas which has auto-refrigeration properties. When returning LNG to its gas state, it continues to retain superior cooling abilities. At Mitsui Chemicals’ Osaka Works OPC ethylene plant, after thermal decomposition of naphtha (crude gasoline) at high temperatures, base materials such as ethylene and propylene are separated and purified by cooling the cracked gas. By efficient use of LNG cold energy from the adjacent OPC ethylene plant of Osaka Gas Senboku Works, a significant reduction in CO2 emissions was possible.
CCU (Carbon Capture Usage) Technologies
Mitsui Chemicals took part in the CCU Project (CO2 + H2 ⇒CH3OH +H2O) led by the Research Institute of Innovative Technology for the Earth (RITE) (commissioned by NEDO), and developed a high activity catalyst. Refinement of this highly active catalyst eventually was tested by the pilot plant of CCU technology in Mitsui Chemicals Osaka Works in 2009. This was a verification test, producing 100 tons of methanol per year from hydrogen and CO2 which was contained in the exhaust gases. We have confirmed the conversion ratio from CO2 to methanol and the catalyst life and obtained necessary data items for creating a technological package. However, due to several issues that remained to be addressed concerning costs and availability of hydrogen source, this technology has not yet been commercialized. Nevertheless, we believe that this promising technology should greatly contribute to the realization of low-carbon society which is currently sought by the world.
Installation of Solar Power Generation Facilities
The Mitsui Chemicals Group has adopted renewable energy as a measure to reduce the Group's GHG emissions based on its carbon neutral strategy. In March 2024, we adopted the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) model and installed a solar power generation system (power generation capacity: 950 kW) on an idle lot (approx. 8,300 m2) on the former site of a wastewater plant at our Nagoya Works. In the PPA model, the PPA operator installs the power generation equipment and the Nagoya Works purchases all the electricity generated. The Group will continue its efforts to further increase the ratio of electricity produced from renewable sources.
Solar power generation facilities installed at the Nagoya Works