Japan's first 100% renewable electricity operation of virtually all railway lines

Tokyu Railways Corporation

Tokyu Railways In accordance with the Tokyu Corporation's announcement Environmental Vision 2030-Connecting everyday life to a sustainable tomorrow- as a symbolic action to achieve decarbonization and recycling-based society in the areas along the Tokyu Lines, from April 1, 2022, electricity used for operations on all Tokyu Lines will be generated from renewable energy sources (renewable energies) with a real CO ₂ emission-free electricity. The Setagaya Line will begin operating on 100% renewable electricity in 2019, and this time railway 7 lines (Toyoko Line, Meguro Line, Den-en-toshi Line, Oimachi Line, Ikegami Line, Tokyu Tamagawa Line, and Kodomonokuni Line) ^*1 The scope has been expanded to include electricity used in railway 7 lines. ^*1 is Tokyo Electric Power Energy Partners, Inc. and Setagaya Line continues to be the renewable energy power menu of Tokyu power supply ^*2 The real CO ₂ emissions of the company's entire fleet have been reduced to zero. This is the first initiative in Japan to convert virtually all routes to renewable energy, thereby reducing annual CO ₂ emissions by approximately 165,000 tons (equivalent to approximately 56,000 average households). This initiative has been widely covered by domestic and international media, and has made a significant contribution to creating large-scale demand for renewable energy and fostering environmental momentum along the line. Taking the opportunity of the start of the entire line's renewable energy operation, we will further improve the environmental performance of the railway and contribute to building decarbonization momentum in the region through PR and measures to promote its use, thereby contributing to the decarbonization dominoes (intensive regional efforts).

• *1 From March 18, 2023, eight railway lines will run on 100% renewable energy (including the Tokyu Shin-Yokohama Line, which opens on March 18, 2023).
• *2 Menu using non-fossil fuel certificates with tracking that comply with RE100

Completed switch to 100% renewable energy for electricity usage

Tokyu Land Corporation 
Tokyu Resorts & Stays 
Tokyu E-Life Design 

Tokyu Land Corporation Corporation completed the switch to 100% renewable energy for the electricity used at its offices and facilities in December 2022. This will enable the reduction of CO₂ emissions by approximately 156,000 tons per year (equivalent to the emissions of approximately 80,000 average households).
Tokyu Land Corporation entered the renewable energy business in 2014 and has been operating power plants nationwide under the business brand name "ReENE". In 2019, it became the first domestic real estate company to join the international initiative "RE100". In April 2021, the company began introducing renewable energy at 17 of its own facilities by utilizing its own power plant's "tracking-free fossil certificate" ^*. Taking advantage of its strengths as an electricity consumer with many real estate properties while also promoting renewable energy projects, the company is promoting a wide range of elements in an integrated manner, such as considering renewable energy schemes tailored to the circumstances of each facility and reaching agreements with joint ventures. Thanks to the proactive efforts of each department, the company was able to quickly complete the first 100% renewable energy switch as a domestic business company (excluding financial institutions). We have received requests from tenants to switch to renewable energy, and we feel that the value of properties that can contribute to the environment has been recognized in recent years, and that our efforts are directly linked to our business.

*Non-fossil fuel certificate with tracking: A certificate that certifies the "non-fossil value (environmental value)" of electricity derived from non-fossil fuel sources such as renewable energy, and is provided with attribute information (tracking information) such as the location of the power plant to enable RE100 compliance.

Establishment of power plants through consumer-led introduction of renewable energy: Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, Shibuya Stream, Minami-Machida Grandberry Park

Tokyu Corporation
Tokyu Recreation Co., Ltd.
Tokyu Malls Development Corporation Ltd.
Tokyu Property Management Co., Ltd.
Tokyu power supply, Ltd.

Tokyu, Tokyu Recreation, Tokyu Malls Development Corporation, Tokyu Property Management, Tokyu power supply have established an off-site corporate PPA model ^* for solar power generation with Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. and GPSS Holdings Co., Ltd. to use renewable energy for the electricity used in the complex facilities "Shibuya Stream," "Minami-Machida Grandberry Park," and "Tokyu Kabukicho Tower." GDsPJ LLC, which is invested in by Osaka Gas and GPSS Holdings, has introduced renewable energy electricity from a newly established solar power plant to the above three facilities. This is the first off-site corporate PPA model in Japan between a real estate developer, a renewable energy developer, and an energy company, utilizing the "Subsidy for Promoting the Introduction of Demand-Led Solar Power Generation (FY2022, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)." GDsPJ's power generation capacity is approximately 9,000kW, and the total _CO2 emission reductions from the introduction of renewable energy in the above three facilities amount to 24,000t. As the hurdles to introducing renewable energy grow higher due to soaring energy prices, close cooperation among the companies involved has enabled us to procure cheap and stable renewable energy. The establishment of power plants at three iconic facilities of Tokyu Group is contributing to the creation of new urban and community development that reduce the environmental impact.

*Off-site corporate PPA model: An electricity supply and procurement method in which power generation companies, retail electricity companies, and consumers enter into long-term, fixed-price power purchase agreements, on the premise that electricity will be supplied from a distant power plant to the place of demand via the power transmission and distribution grid.

BC promotion activities beyond the boundaries of the region and obtaining the Resilience Social Contribution Certification

its communications Inc. 

Its communications' contribution to society through the promotion of business continuity (BC) began immediately after the Great East Japan Earthquake when we provided human resources and equipment free of charge to our business peer Kesennuma Cable Network Co. In order to “provide a source of information through television to those in need,” we dispatched technical staff to the company with which we had no previous contact. Many employees were impressed by the importance of delivering information to disaster victims and the mindset that is the foundation of BC. After that, it signed a "mutual BC cooperation" with multiple stations across the country to provide mutual assistance with personnel and equipment in the event of a disaster, contributing to improving disaster resilience outside of our company. It has also contributed to fostering a sense of security among local residents by providing live camera footage of rivers during typhoons. When a devastating mudslide disaster occurred in the Atami-Izuyama area of Izukyu Cable Network in July 2021, it set up a disaster response support headquarters within the company about an hour after the disaster and carried out support activities for the company for about a month.
In recognition of these activities, we were the first company in the information and communications industry to receive the "National Resilience Contribution Organization Certification (Business Continuity)" established by the Cabinet Secretariat, which certifies businesses that actively engage in BC activities. Furthermore, in 2020, we received certification in the "Business Continuity and Social Contribution" category. Promoting BC activities has become part of our company culture.

Environmental education for elementary school students in Kawasaki city: "Learning about SDGs through hydrogen"

Tokyu Hotels & Resorts 
Tokyu Bus 

Tokyu Hotels & Resorts and Tokyu Bus, in cooperation with the Kawasaki City Board of Education, held an environmental study session titled "Learning about SDGs through Hydrogen" for 36 fifth graders at Kawasaki City Higashi-Ojima Elementary School, focusing on the ultimate energy source of the future, hydrogen. The venue, Kawasaki King Skyfront Tokyu Rei Hotel, is the world's first "hydrogen hotel" that uses hydrogen derived from used plastics as electrical and thermal energy. In the approximately two and a half hour program, after learning about the mechanism of the "hydrogen hotel," the students toured and harvested lettuce at the "lettuce factory" where lettuce is grown within the hotel using hydrogen power generation, and experienced operating a radio-controlled car that runs on hydrogen. In addition, the students were able to tour and test drive a fuel cell bus (hydrogen bus) that runs on electricity generated from hydrogen. By having the children who will lead the next generation experience the "hydrogen initiatives" being implemented by both companies, they were able to feel closer to hydrogen and were able to receive an opportunity to learn about the environment. We will continue to provide environmental learning and promote environmental initiatives in cooperation with local community.

Promoting environmental education for residents along railway lines and participation in local activities

Tokyu Kids Base Camp Co., Ltd.

Tokyu Kids Base Camp (KBC) operates 75 facilities in the private after-school childcare business, preschool childcare business, and after-school children's club management contract business, aiming to make the area along the railway line easy to raise children. Since starting the "private after-school childcare" business to provide a place where children can be left with peace of mind, we have placed emphasis on forming the human skills that connect with society and the foundation for carving out the life you want to live, and have a track record of creating, continuing, and expanding our own event programs and daily programs. In the private after-school childcare business, all KBC stores implement event programs themed on the SDGs. In particular, KBC α (Alpha) stores hold speech contests where children can express their own thoughts in their own words, and KBC ∞ (Infinity) stores hold environmental education linked to international education. In addition, in 2018, we signed the "Wood Start Declaration *^​" and equipped all of our preschool childcare business "KBC Nursery School" with childcare equipment and toys made of wood. We are committed to "wood education" centered on wood. In addition, all projects implement an event program called the "Eco Volunteer Kids Laboratory" to foster civic-mindedness, and by participating in local volunteer activities such as picking up trash, they promote intergenerational exchange and contribute to revitalizing the town.

*Wood Start Declaration: Wood Start is an action plan for "wood education" developed by the Tokyo Toy Museum. Signing an agreement regarding Wood Start is called the "Wood Start Declaration."

Strengthening disaster mitigation and resilience through industry-academia-government collaboration!

Tokyu Community Co., Ltd.

Tokyu Community, a comprehensive real estate management company, is working with industry, academia, and government to find ways to minimize damage to buildings in the event of a disaster and speed up recovery and reconstruction. Specifically, we are focusing on three initiatives that combine our "building inspection and diagnosis," which allows us to provide a one-stop service from diagnosis to construction, with local governments' "residential damage certification surveys for the issuance of disaster damage certificates." The first is technical support for the Disaster Management Training Center (DMTC) attached to the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo. We are in charge of the building inspection area of a training program to develop human resources involved in disaster prevention measures, and we provide practical training.
The second project is a joint research project with the Numata Laboratory at the Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo. Immediately after a disaster, local governments tend to delay home damage certification surveys to issue disaster certificates, which are necessary for receiving various disaster victim support measures, in order to allocate resources to operating evacuation centers and procuring supplies. Therefore, we are researching the creation of a system that allows private companies to conduct surveys, with the aim of hastening recovery and reconstruction through cooperation between local governments and private companies.
Finally, we are conducting joint research with Kitahiroshima City in Hokkaido. We are considering ways for private companies to collaborate on residential damage certification surveys, and the use of our construction management system, "Field'sEYES (Disaster Prevention Edition)," by local governments.

Shibuya City Graffiti Removal Campaign~ Shibuya Cleanup Campaign~

Tokyu Corporation

To mark the 100th anniversary of the founding Tokyu Group, we carried out an activity to remove graffiti entitled "Operation Clean Up in Shibuya" as a way of giving back to the "town of Shibuya" that has always been kind to us. Graffiti removal requires prior negotiation with the owners of the objects, but this time, with the cooperation of the Shibuya Ward Environmental Improvement Division, the Shibuya District Beautification Promotion Committee, and the Shibuya Dogenzaka Promotion Association, we were able to remove graffiti from public property, which is usually difficult to do. On the day, about 80 volunteer employees of Tokyu Corporation, including then-president Takahashi, gathered and removed graffiti from 40 locations, mainly in the Dogenzaka area. This initiative not only contributed to the beautification of the town, but also contributed to maintaining public order by suppressing graffiti acts, and was awarded a letter of appreciation from the Shibuya Ward Mayor at the "2022 Shibuya Ward Clean Urban and community development Awards Ceremony."
We received many words of gratitude from Shibuya Ward officials and local residents, who said, "This is the first time that a company has voluntarily taken on graffiti removal activities on property that it did not install itself," and the activity is likely to create momentum for more people to participate in future beautification efforts.

Initiatives to optimize the entire supply chain

Tokyu Store

Tokyu Store Chain is addressing the worsening environment surrounding logistics, such as the accelerating driver shortage and rising logistics costs, and is working to resolve issues toward achieving carbon neutrality. As a first step, in 2019, we launched a logistics project together with our transportation company and management company. By improving delivery efficiency, we aimed to reduce the number of vehicles in operation and outsourcing costs, while at the same time reducing the burden on the environment.
We identified issues such as delivery times to stores, trip composition ratios, and driver waiting times at centers, and formulated and implemented improvement measures from the perspectives of "warehouse" and "delivery." As a result, in the "warehouse," we reduced personnel by moving up arrival times and changing sorting methods, and reduced night work, resulting in cost savings of approximately 111 million yen (annual). In terms of "delivery," we reduced driver work hours by introducing unified containers and implemented separate deliveries of large quantities of fresh produce, resulting in cost savings of approximately 41 million yen (annual). In fiscal 2021, we achieved environmental benefits such as reducing the number of deliveries, diesel consumption, and CO₂ emissions.
With an eye on the logistics industry's 2024 problems, we will continue to work together with our partners to promote optimization of the entire supply chain.

Reducing plastic cutlery

Tokyu Store

In April 2022, the Act on Promotion of Resource Circulation Related to Plastics (Plastic Resource Circulation Promotion Act) came into effect to strengthen the efforts of businesses to reduce plastic. In response to this, our company considered reducing the amount of plastic cutlery (spoons, forks, straws, etc.) distributed free of charge in our stores and switched to wooden and paper cutlery at all stores. As a result, we were able to reduce plastic by 21.1 tons per year, making a significant contribution to environmental protection.
The "Rationalization of the use of single-use plastic products" required by the Plastic Resource Recycling Promotion Act does not necessarily require a change in material, but by implementing an initiative that maximizes the effect of reducing plastic, we have been able to clearly demonstrate our awareness of environmental issues both inside and outside the company. Since the cutlery after the material change are products produced from forests that are properly managed with the aim of sustainable forest utilization and conservation, they also contribute to forest protection. We conducted awareness-raising activities in advance, such as posting a news release on our website and displaying posters in stores, and received a lot of favorable feedback from customers.

Use 3D! Estimating wall-mounted solar power generation potential

Tokyu Land Corporation

In order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, the introduction of renewable energy such as the installation of solar panels is being promoted in various regions. However, in urban areas, rooftop installation space is limited, and the development of lightweight, thin, next-generation solar panels is expected to be developed, as well as the use of building walls. However, there is no established method for estimating the amount of solar radiation and power generation on building walls, and the power generation potential is unclear. Therefore, in collaboration with Kokusai Kogyo Co., Ltd., we developed and demonstrated a wall-mounted solar power generation potential estimation system as a use case for "Project PLATEAU," a 3D city model development and utilization project promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
By utilizing a 3D city model, we established a method to estimate the amount of solar radiation and power generation for each building surface over a wide area, taking into account the influence of building shadows. We estimated the power generation potential in parts of Nishi-ku and Naka-ku, Yokohama, and compared it with the power generation potential of roof surfaces alone, and found that the power generation potential of the area would increase by approximately 266% (the estimated results will be made public as open data). Currently, we are investigating demonstrations and future utilization methods with an eye toward the practical application of next-generation solar panels such as Perovskite solar cell.

Development of eco-friendly commercial facilities in Vietnam

Becamex Tokyu

Tokyu Garden City's commercial facility "Hikari" in Binh Duong New City, Vietnam, is taking on various environmentally friendly initiatives. One of these is a new recycling-based agriculture called "aquaponics." This system uses the waste from fish raised in an artificial pond in the facility to create nutrient-rich water, which is then used to grow aquatic plants and other plants. Another initiative to reduce waste is "composting." Food waste from restaurants is turned into compost and reused as nutrients for the vegetables and plants grown in the facility. Participating stores completely separate waste for composting, recycling and reusing 60% of the waste generated. A "recycling room" has been set up in the store to visually show the waste separation, which also serves as an opportunity to raise interest in environmental considerations in Vietnam, where awareness and interest in the SDGs are still low compared to Japan. In addition, the facility has an "edible garden" where edible plants are planted, and the vegetables and fruits grown there are used in restaurants, and solar power generation has been introduced, reducing the food court's daytime electricity consumption by about 60%. These efforts have been featured in many media outlets in Vietnam and are attracting attention.

Demonstration experiment of water recycling in Maipari Miyakojima Island Tropical Fruit Park

Tokyu Corporation
Miyako Tourism Development 
Token Sangyo 

Tokyu Corporation is conducting a demonstration experiment at Maipari Miyakojima Island Tropical Fruit Park to achieve the group-wide target of reducing Water Resources usage by 10% as set out in the "Environmental Vision 2030". This is an initiative in which wastewater discharged from the "Maipari" facility is treated in an existing wastewater purification tank, and then further treated with a newly introduced complex fermentation technology, and the water (reclaimed water) is recycled and reused for flushing the toilets in the facility, and it is expected to reduce tap water usage by approximately 25%.
Complex fermentation is a fermentation technology that is expected to efficiently break down toxic nitrogen compounds. It can purify wastewater to a higher level than usual without using chemicals such as chlorine, and it can also suppress the generation of odors and sludge that are problems during the water purification process. By using reclaimed water as liquid fertilizer for agriculture, it is expected to improve the soil and marine environment of Miyakojima, which relies solely on underground dams and groundwater for Water Resources, conserve Biodiversity, and even promote the health of citizens. In the future, we will contribute to the water problem and environmental improvement of Miyakojima, and aim to expand overseas, mainly to developing countries that face issues such as water shortages, and contribute to achieving the SDGs.

Internet cable modem reuse initiative

its communications Inc. 

At its communications Inc., we reuse Internet cable modems returned by customers by checking that they are in working order, removing any scratches or dirt. By efficiently recycling and increasing the reuse rate, we have reduced the number of discarded modems. Even when it was difficult to procure modems due to a semiconductor shortage, we contributed to Sustainable management by using recycled modems.
Starting last year, we have outsourced this refurbishment work to a company that provides employment support for people with disabilities. By dividing up the work and dividing it up, we asked people with disabilities, who are good at doing tasks one by one, to mainly clean the equipment, and only performed tasks such as operational verification in-house, and by working simultaneously, we have significantly increased the number of units refurbished (refurbishment rate: 77% in FY2021 ⇒ 90% in FY2022), which has resulted in a significant contribution in terms of both operation and costs.
We have heard from staff at facilities where people with disabilities work that they use it as part of their employment transition support *^​ (checking occupational aptitude, cultivating cooperation, concentration, and initiative, etc.). We have also heard feedback from people with disabilities saying that it is rewarding and that the work is fun.
In the future, we are considering using the playback equipment for other service terminals such as cable television and IP telephones, and plan to expand the scope of work we outsource to you.

*Supporting employment in regular companies through work and training

"Workplace tours" and "career consultation sessions" for children

Tokyu Housing Lease 

Tokyu Housing Lease conducts "Workplace Tours" and "Career Discussions" for "children (high school students)" who have challenges or limitations in daily activities due to mental and physical functions or physical structure problems, and who have difficulty participating in social activities or have little experience. For each session, we select about three employees with disabilities ("members") employed by our company, form a project team, and work together to create materials and serve as lecturers. At the sessions, the members explain the basics, awareness, and business etiquette required for work based on their own experiences. We also have tours of the office and experience actual work.
The participating high school students commented that it was an opportunity to face and reflect on themselves, and the program has also been highly praised by teachers, supporters, and parents. For the members, becoming a supporter has also helped them understand the importance of contributing to others and teamwork, and has given them a sense of accomplishment and increased self-efficacy that is different from their usual work. By supporting children with a bright future, the program is set to continue and be implemented in the future as an initiative that also leads to the members' own growth.

Okayama Road Patrol Team: A Collaboration between Industry, Government and Academia

Seiki Tokyu Kogyo 

Seiki Tokyu Kogyo, which is engaged in road maintenance work in Okayama Prefecture, has formed the "Okayama Road Patrol Team" to have high school students patrol the roads as part of their classes and work with Seiki Tokyu Kogyo in collaboration with prefectural technical high schools and road managers in the construction area, and continues to work with them. The "Chuo Expressway Sasago Tunnel Ceiling Panel Collapse Accident" that occurred in 2012 prompted civil engineering technical high schools in Okayama Prefecture to start infrastructure maintenance activities, and in 2017, at the suggestion of a teacher at a prefectural technical high school who had interacted with our company through internships, we began patrolling with students. After that, in 2018, we collaborated with two technical high schools in Okayama Prefecture to launch the current "Okayama Road Patrol Team." The patrol team students patrol on foot based on an annual plan, and report any abnormalities or damage they find during the patrol via a "cloud-based road patrol support service" using smartphones, ensuring smooth patrol activities.
We hope that this initiative will not only social contribution, but also lead to solving issues for all stakeholders, such as training construction workers, improving the efficiency of road maintenance, and raising students' awareness of the rewards of work, thereby revitalizing the construction industry as a whole.