Japan pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2050 in October 2020. In April 2021, the government then set
the
specific goal for a 46% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2030 compared to fiscal 2013. In
October
2021, the
Prime Minister’s Office of Japan rolled out the 6th Strategic Energy Plan, which incorporates Japan’s
Green
Growth Strategy to achieve this pledge and related goals. This strategy advocates a stable energy supply
and
cost reduction while driving forward measures to combat climate change. Kanamoto is also highly aware of
the
increasing importance of environmental measures that incorporate decarbonization.
Rental business, a core of Kanamoto Group's business, is in and of itself a sharing economy which
contributes
to decarbonization throughout all of society. Even in the manufacturing industry in which Kanamoto
regularly
purchases construction equipment on an annual basis, construction equipment manufacturers are advancing
the
development of machines with superior energy-savings, such as hybrid, ICT, and electric-drive equipment.
According to the Japan Construction Equipment Manufacturers Association, the improvement of fuel
efficiency
in the three major types of equipment (hydraulic excavators, wheel-type loaders, and bulldozers), and
development and adoption of energy-saving equipment including hybrid models have been estimated to have
the
potential to reduce CO2 emissions to approximately 1.6 million t- CO2 (levels of
CO2 in 1990) by 2030. The
entire industry aims to reduce the manufacturing energy consumption rate by 17% from the actual
achievement
of 2013 as a target for CO2 reductions by 2030, which has accelerated decarbonization efforts
throughout the
manufacturing industry.We have newly introduced a biofuel genera- tor and made it available for rental. The introduction of this product, which uses biofuel instead of diesel fuel, will contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions at construction sites and the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Kanamoto has long been strategically shifting resources toward equipment with exhaust control. Every
year,
we
regularly purchase roughly 3,000 pieces of equipment complying with exhaust control regulations to
replace
existing construction equipment. This investment not only optimizes operational processes via efficient
vehicle allocation and Digital Transformation (DX) initiatives but also steadily advances
decarbonization.
Our efforts are not limited to Kanamoto rental construction equipment. We also actively adopt commercial
vehicles certified for high fuel efficiency and low emissions. Kanamoto has been an early adopter of
hybrid
technology for commercial vehicles since mass production of hybrid vehicles began in 1988 and
consistently
upgrades to vehicles with higher fuel efficiency and lower exhaust emissions.
Moreover, our branches carry out initiatives to actively use renewable energy via solar power generation
systems installed on the building roofs. A transition to renewable energy for in-house power consumption
helps reduce CO2 emissions and secures a supply of power even during power outages resulting
from
large-scale
disasters or other incidents. This helps establish a system for business continuity necessary for
disaster
response.
To achieve decarbonization and realize a sustainable society, the Kanamoto must both respond to user
needs
and consider environmental conservation. We will always strive to provide a reliable, eco-friendly
rental
business, actively upgrading equipment to models that take advantage of environmentally-friendly
technologies.