Top Management Message
KHI Group CSR
The KHI Group traces its beginnings back to 1878 and KHI’s
early activities in the shipbuilding business. Since then, the
Group has expanded its business pursuits in line with the
times, gaining a solid foothold in transportation equipment and
systems, specifically rolling stock, aircraft and motorcycles
known worldwide under the Kawasaki brand, and then a
growing presence in energy and environmental engineering,
emphasizing gas turbines, gas engines and energy and
environmental plant engineering, and also industrial
equipment, where expertise has been applied to such products
as industrial plants, hydraulic machinery and robots.
In 2007, we embraced a newly formulated mission statement—
“Kawasaki, working as one for the good of the planet (Enriching
lifestyles and helping safeguard the environment: Global
Kawasaki)”—that clearly defined our duty to society as a
corporate citizen. To keep this mission statement alive and
realize inherent objectives at ever higher levels, we work toward
action goals from a perspective infused with the solid
understanding of CSR. This is the driving force that sustains
CSR activities within the Group.
A keen awareness of our responsibility to stakeholders
permeates all aspects of our corporate activities, and we
always act accordingly. At the same time, we strive to
contribute to the development of a better society, today and
tomorrow.
In fiscal 2012, we opened a dialogue with experts in an effort
to ascertain with greater clarity the position that is specifically
required of the KHI Group. The comments and suggestions offered by the panel
of experts will be reflected in future CSR activities as if the
opinions were those of stakeholders.
Over One Year Since the Great East Japan Earthquake
The perils of unprecedented natural disasters etched itself
deeply into my mind in 2011. My heart goes out to those still
affected by the earthquake and tsunami and the ensuing
consequences, and while reconstruction will take time, I
fervently hope that life returns to normal in the areas of
devastation as quickly as possible.
The KHI Group already had a business continuity plan (BCP)
in place—prompted by the lessons learned in the Great
Hanshin Earthquake of 1995—that stressed protecting the
lives of employees and their families, getting business back to
normal on our own, and recognizing our responsibility to and
the importance of contributing to local communities. The Great
East Japan Earthquake prompted management to review the
existing BCP and give priority to business activities that must
be maintained even when a large-scale disaster strikes to ensure our ability to fulfill the social responsibilities incumbent
upon an enterprise that plays such an essential part in the
creation of social infrastructure.
The demands of society also changed after the Great East
Japan Earthquake. For example, heightened interest in
emergency power sources pushed up requests for reliable
energy supply systems and products capable of greater
energy use efficiency, including operation during power-saving
times. In addition, the importance of building towns better able
to withstand disasters became blatantly more obvious.
The KHI Group will resourcefully respond to these demands,
providing new value to society through such installations as
independent distributed power systems that take advantage of
local features and through the establishment of disaster
shelters equipped with these power generation facilities. Such
responses will contribute to the development of communities
where people feel safe and secure.
Taking on Global Issues
In recent years, the global economy has maintained
accelerated growth, fueled by emerging markets, while
environmental problems, particularly global warming, have
become increasingly more of a concern. In addition,
governments are once again rethinking the energy policies of tomorrow with the environment and natural resources in mind.
We are also seeing steadily rising demand for key infrastructure
systems, such as transportation and industrial installations, in
emerging markets.
I believe that the ability to consistently meet the expectations
of people worldwide requires direct contact with communities
and customers to really know their needs and create and
provide new value to address those needs. Given this
scenario, KHI established the Marketing Division in April 2012
to integrate corporate capabilities in all product categories
under the Group umbrella for a total solution response to
evolving issues, to acquire a global perspective, and to
facilitate mutual understanding between the Company and
customers, while reinforcing activities that attest to our
commitment to social contribution through business.
Through these efforts, we will respond to evolving social and
economic circumstances, continuously promote innovation
and reform, and contribute to all stakeholders, including
communities and customers. This emphasis will lead to further
growth for us as well.
