Here we outline our four businesses, through which we contribute widely to the lives of people around the world.
Citizen began production of machine tools in 1936, utilizing the technologies and know-how developed through the manufacture of watch parts. Our products contribute to the development of manufacturing industries all over the world.
Loved by citizens, working for citizens.
CITIZEN's corporate philosophy, "Loved by citizens, working for citizens" is to
deeply contribute to the lives of people around the world through the manufacturing of products that are loved and trusted by citizens.
Crafting a new tomorrow Towards sustainable value creation
By further promoting sustainable management, we aim to become a company that can create value sustainably
CITIZEN Group’s Sustainable Management
The CITIZEN Group promotes environmental management to efficiently generate steady results as it aims for Group-wide optimization through establishing an environmental management structure spanning the entire Group.
As stated in the CITIZEN Group Environmental Policy, our mission is to contribute to realizing a safe, comfortable, and enriched society by promoting global environmental management. Seeing climate change to be one of the most material environmental risks, we identify the risks and opportunities it poses to the Group’s business by using scenario analysis.
First, considering climate change from a risk perspective, not undertaking the task to reduce CO2 generated in the manufacturing process or introduce renewable energy will be a significant risk to our group’'s manufacturing sites. On another front, as we manufacture and sell machine tools on a global scale, bringing products to market that use less electricity will contribute to reducing the environmental impact of the factories where they are installed. Thus, taking measures against climate change can be viewed as a business opportunity.
Regarding specific initiatives to address environmental issues like the installation of solar panels which are being developed throughout Japan, we are constantly incorporating the latest information on the domestic energy situation, etc., and promoting the introduction of solar panels based on supply and demand balance. The CITIZEN Group Environmental Committee, established under the Sustainability Committee, takes the lead in managing the risk of such environmental issues by identifying the impact and implementing preventive measures. When a serious problem arises, it is reported to the Sustainability Committee where knowledge is shared from various perspectives spanning the entire Group and opinions are exchanged to seek early resolution.
As B to C watches are at the center of Citizen’s business, in parallel with measures such as CO2 reduction, we wish to gain understanding and empathy from our customers towards the Company’s stance on global environmental issues and the concept of developing environmentally friendly products. On the basis of this understanding, we hope to contribute to the realization of a carbon-free society, a resource-circulating society, and a safe, comfortable, and enriched society, as stated in the CITIZEN Group Environmental Vision 2050.
Director
Yoshiaki Miyamoto
To promote efficient environmental management, the CITIZEN Group has established a Group environmental management system. In FY2020, the Group Environmental Committee, chaired by a director appointed by the president (director in charge of environmental affairs), was established under the Sustainability Committee, chaired by the president of CITIZEN WATCH, to examine risks, opportunities, countermeasures, and other matters concerning environmental issues of the Group in general.
Organizations to which the Environmental Management System (EMS) is applied/applicable regarding products, activities, and services
EMS is applicable to target products (watches, machine tools, small precision parts, devices / electronic equipment / other products) as well as related activities and services (research, development, design, procurement, manufacturing, sales, etc.).
The CITIZEN Group is promoting the acquisition of ISO14001 EMS certification at its domestic and overseas production bases. All 12 companies in Japan, excluding sales companies, etc., have acquired the certification, as have 12 of our 13 overseas production bases. In addition, we have acquired ISO14001 Group-wide unified certification in Japan and are continuing to optimize activities and strengthen environmental governance throughout the Group.
In FY2023, a re-certification audit was conducted for all sites, and conformity with the maintenance of certification was determined.
Please refer to the data list for the statuses of the certification acquisition (acquired companies and offices, acquisition dates) in the link.
The CITIZEN Group's Group Environmental Committee promotes environmental risk management, including compliance with environmental laws and regulations, reduction of GHG emissions, management of chemical substances contained in products, waste and recycling governance, and measures for soil and groundwater contamination. The Group Environmental Committee meets twice a year and exchanges detailed information with Group companies on the status of waste and recycling governance and soil contamination and how to deal with them. In addition, potential environmental risks are identified through "Group Internal Environmental Audits" to prevent environmental accidents and promote information sharing within the Group. Furthermore, we have established a report line system that requires reporting even minor incidents that could lead to environmental accidents to the Environmental Management Office, rather than leaving such incidents to the on-site judgment of operating companies and others. Through the improvement of information collection, we will recognize the occurrence of issues as soon as possible and strengthen the prevention of accidents and situation worsening.
In FY2023, there were no serious violations of environment-related laws and regulations, fines or penalties.
The CITIZEN Group accurately assesses the group-wide inputs of energy and chemical substances, as well as emissions of CO2 and waste, and utilizes this information in systematic activities to reduce environmental impact.
Through environmental education for employees, the CITIZEN Group aims to develop human resources who have a correct understanding of the relationship between humans and the environment and who can proactively participate in the creation of a sustainable society through their own responsible actions. In FY2023, we conducted an environmental e-learning course on the theme of “Circular Economy” for the entire Group (all employees). The number of participants was 5,918, and the participation rate was 99.3%.
The CITIZEN Group
The internal publication, to which all CITIZEN Group employees subscribe, features on the environment for “Environment Month” in June each year. The CITIZEN Group developed awareness-raising activities to realize its materiality of “ Contribution to a Circulating Society” under the theme of “Circular Economy” in FY2023.
CITIZEN FINEDEVICE / CITIZEN WATCH MANUFACTURING
The CITIZEN Group is developing education on the environment aimed at improving knowledge and skills of each company in accordance with its operations. As a measure for FY2023, CITIZEN FINEDEVICE CO., LTD. has created e-learning materials on “target management system” and “environmental law compliance system” as a year-round learning tool. In addition, the Company implemented “chemical substance risk assessment education” for autonomous management of chemical substances. CITIZEN WATCH MANUFACTURING conducted education on the “handling of poisonous and deleterious substances” at all 17 plants in Japan and training on the “handling of organic solvents” at overseas sites.
Based on a strong recognition of the impact that our products can have on the environment, the CITIZEN Group is striving to improve its products’ environmental quality in the same way as it does for reliability and safety.
In addition to its products, the Company is aiming to realize a circulating society by adopting environmentally friendly materials for accessories, packaging, and sales promotion items. Bringing environmentally friendly products and products that take social issues into account to the world is the cornerstone of the CITIZEN Group’s sustainable management, so we are promoting the creation of sustainable products that take major social issues into account.
CITIZEN WATCH
CITIZEN L, with designs inspired by the beauty of nature, has positioned sustainability at the core of its brand since 2016, offering "sustainable watches as beautiful as the Earth" with a commitment to the global environment and people. All watches are equipped with the photovoltaic Eco-Drive, which does not require regular battery replacements, and some watches are made of materials selected based on the criteria of "not sacrificing anyone" and "sustainability.” In this manner, we are committed to making the future of the earth more sustainable. In April 2024, we launched a model from the ARCLY Collection, with the design theme of a sunrise signaling a new beginning. The rich red dial with indexes and facets expressing the radiation of light is made of 100% recycled polycarbonate, in consideration of the global environment. In addition, for the accessory replacement band of this model, we use the apple leather made from the peels and residues discarded during the apple processing process, and ECOPET®, a recycled material made from collected plastic bottles. By using these upcycled materials, we promote the sustainable use of resources and contribute to the development of a circular economy and the realization of a recycling-oriented society.
As an LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) initiative, CITIZEN L converts GHG emissions over the lifetime of the watch, from material procurement to production, disposal, and recycling, into CO2, and has acquired CFP program certification from the Sustainable Management Promotion Organization.
We will continue to make watches that contribute to the realization of a recycling-oriented society by reducing waste batteries through our photovoltaic Eco-Drive technology and actively adopting sustainable materials such as recycled materials.
CITIZEN WATCH
CITIZEN WATCH is promoting the use of FSC®*-certified paper for boxes and attachments for watches, pamphlets, and other promotional materials to avoid involvement in illegal logging of forests and environmental destruction.
FSC® certification is a mechanism that visibly delivers to consumers products made from lumber harvested from properly managed forests, recycled resources, and other properly managed raw materials, thereby enabling consumers to support responsible forest management. Unfortunately, some of lumber available on the market includes illegally harvested lumber and over-cut lumber from poorly managed plantation forests. By choosing certified products, we support foresters and communities that manage their forests properly, leading to the conservation of forests throughout the world.
We will face daily our responsibility to use precious forest resources in order to pass on the richness of forests to the next generation.
CITIZEN SYSTEMS
In CITIZEN Systems' healthcare products, the packaging of thermometers for the domestic market has gradually switched from conventional plastic and cardboard materials to "bagasse paper" made from sugarcane for production from December 2022 (with some exceptions). This can reduce the amount of plastic used by approximately 14 tons per year*1.
Furthermore, vegetable oil ink, which emits almost no gaseous organic compounds in the atmosphere, has been used as the ink for packaging and instruction manuals, and varnish, which is classified as a non-inhibiting paint in the recycling process*2, is used for the surface finish. Recycled paper is used for the instruction manual, which also contributes to waste reduction.
We aim to realize a sustainable, recycling-oriented society by contributing to the reduction of plastic waste and CO2 emissions through optimized product design and the use of environmentally friendly resources.
