NTN expands its environmental management system to include its business partners

NTN Corporation (NTN) has become the first bearing company to extend its environmental protection activities to include its business partners. With common goals of waste reduction, energy conservation and other environmental issues, it aims to promote its environmental measures extensively.

NTN is stepping up its efforts to support the acquisition of environmental-management system certification, while also requesting 400 of its business partners, including parts manufacturers and suppliers, to acquire ISO14001 certification by March 2005. NTN hopes this will be a common goal for its business partners. ISO14001 is the international standard for environmental management systems and environmental protection measures.

Already, 80 NTN business partners have acquired ISO14001 status. For those companies that still have to achieve ISO14001 status and are planning on acquiring certification step-by-step under the private “Eco-Stage” (see Note) standards, NTN will provide assistance in establishing environmental management systems. NTN's certification levels are divided into three stages: ISO14001 certification level; Eco-Stage certification level; and Eco-Stage entry level. A company decides which level to apply for based on the scale of its business and other factors and graduates up through the levels. NTN Technical Service Corporation (a 100 percent-owned subsidiary of NTN) is registered as a certifying agent for Eco-Stage certification and also does consulting on the certification process, making the acquisition of Eco-Stage certification much quicker.

NTN held an informational meeting on ISO14001 and Eco-Stage certification for its business partners in September and plans to take measures to support certification in October. In order to raise environmental awareness, NTN plans to hold the “NTN Eco Fair” (interim name) to which its business partners will be invited and where the top environmentally friendly companies will be presented with awards.