Impact and dependencies assessment
The company has reported that its entity, JFE Steel conducts an environmental impact assessment in accordance with laws and regulations before launching construction of a new manufacturing site or business. They further report that they assess the biodiversity of the surrounding areas as well as their premises to fully understand the situation and to implement the necessary measures for preserving the ecosystem. However, the company does not disclose any assessment of its impacts on nature, including biodiversity, within its own operations at the group level. The company does not disclose any assessment of its impacts on nature, including biodiversity, in its supply chain. The company does not disclose any assessment of its dependencies on nature within its own operations. The company does not disclose any assessment of dependencies on nature of its upstream business relationships.
Key areas and species
The company does not disclose the locations that are in or adjacent to areas important for biodiversity within its own operations. The company does not disclose the locations of its suppliers that are in or adjacent to areas important for biodiversity. JFE Steel, the operating company of JFE Holdings has reported that they discovered Kugenuma orchid, a plant listed in Japan’s Ministry of Environment’s fourth version of the Red List as an endangered species (Threatened II-Vulnerable, VU) at a planned construction site for power generation facilities. However, this disclosure is not sufficient to translate into evidence that the company discloses all the species existing in or adjacent to its own locations. It also does not translate into evidence that the company discloses the status of all the species found in and adjacent to its own locations according to national and international conservation lists. The company does not disclose species populations existing in or adjacent to the locations of its suppliers.
Ecosystem conversion and restoration
The company does not disclose a commitment to ensure zero conversion. The company does not disclose activities to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose time-bound targets to achieve conversion-free supply chains. The company does not disclose a commitment to minimise ecosystem conversion. The company does not disclose activities to minimise ecosystem conversion. The company does not disclose a commitment to restore ecosystems. The company does not disclose details and outcomes of ecosystem restoration projects in areas affected by its own operations or by its suppliers.
Resource exploitation and circularity
The company does not disclose its inputs, including its material footprint. The company does not report quantitatively on its group-wide circularity performance. The company discloses activities to improve soil health or agrobiodiversity in its production or sourcing practices. The company does not disclose a target to improve soil health in its production or sourcing practices.
Water
The company demonstrates it is reducing water withdrawal in its own operations. The company does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce water withdrawal across its own operations. The company does not report how much water is withdrawn for its own operations in water-stressed areas. The company does not engage with suppliers to reduce water withdrawal. The company does not provide sufficient qualitative evidence of reducing water quality pressures. The company does not disclose its processes for managing and monitoring discharge water quality. The company reports on release of COD (chemical oxygen demand). However, this data is only for 15 JFE Steel consolidated subsidiaries in Japan and not at group level. The company does not disclose targets to reduce water pollution. The company does not disclose a commitment to respect the right to water. The company has reported that as part of their overall risk management, they identify, analyse and evaluate water risks based on past incidents of droughts and floods in the JFE Group’s businesses, forecast data from the Meteorological Agency and results of their scenario analysis. However, there is no reference to how the communities are protected in their overall risk management.
Solid and air pollution
No evidence that the company is reducing the production of hazardous waste was found. No evidence that the company reduces plastic use and waste in its own operations was found. The company does not report on the amount of plastic waste generated and proportions directed from or to disposal. SOx emissions and NOx emissions for 13 JFE Steel consolidated subsidiaries in Japan are reported. However, no group level reporting on air quality parameters on relevant pollutants identified in relevant regulations and as harmful air pollutants by international bodies could be found in the public domain. The company does not report time-bound targets to reduce air pollutants across the most material parts of its value chain.
GHG emissions
The company is reducing its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions. The company has reported time bound targets to reduce its CO2 emissions for its steel business. However, no group level time bound targets to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions could be found in the public domain. The company does not report progress against its scope 1 and 2 emissions target. No evidence that the company’s scope 1 and 2 emissions target is aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory was found. The company is reducing its scope 3 emissions. The company does not disclose a time-bound target to reduce its scope 3 emissions. The company does not report progress against its scope 3 emissions target. No evidence that the company’s scope 3 emissions target is aligned with a 1.5-degree trajectory was found.
Invasive species
No evidence was found that the company identifies the activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive species in its own operations. No evidence was found that the company identifies the activities that could lead to the introduction of invasive species in its value chain.