Circular Design
Approach and Policies
Group Policy (Environment)
Under the Group Policy, and in recognition of the fact that the depletion of natural resources associated with urban development is a major social issue, we will contribute to the realization of a decarbonized society and circular economy by reducing waste discharge and by providing urban development and services that promote longer building lifespans, the reuse of materials, and the sharing of spaces.
Management
Indicators and Goals
Targets, KPIs, and Results
| Targets for 2030 | Unit | FY2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| KPIInitiatives to promote building longevity | Fully implement the Group’s voluntary standards* | % | 89 |
| KPIPromoting waste reduction and increasing recycling rate (compared to FY2021) | Reduce industrial waste by 20% | % | 24 |
One of the following conditions must be met: (1) Ensuring freedom to change plans, (2) Obtaining a building certification system that contributes to variability, (3) Load capacity that exceeds legal standards, (4) Seismic resistance that exceeds legal standards, or (5) High exterior durability
Key performance indicators (KPIs) for priority issues (materialities) up to 2030
Other Results
| Unit | FY2020 | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Initiatives to promote building longevity: Number of completed properties that offer the re:Premium service | 9 | 13 | 20 | 20 | |||
| Initiatives to promote building longevity: Number of properties that adopted the Attractive30 service | Properties (units) | 23 （2,390） |
28 （2,936） |
26 （3,503） |
17 (2,231) |
||
| Waste* | Waste discharge (total for general and industrial waste) | Thousand tons | 5.11 | 7.21 | 11.18 | 10.86 | |
| Waste discharge intensity (total of general and industrial waste/total floor area of properties to be aggregated) | kg/m2 | 3.05 | 3.50 | 5.45 | 5.82 | ||
Please see ESG Data for the scope of waste discharge and water usage to be aggregated.
Initiatives
Waste Reduction Initiatives
Restoring Condominiums
The Group is working to restore old condominiums into homes with new value. We expanded PROUD Uehara Forest, which was established more than 30 years ago, by incorporating the latest technologies into its excess floor space while improving its livability. As a result, in 2019, it became the first old condominium built by a private developer to be certified as excellent long-term housing. It was also certified by a third-party evaluation agency as having a service life of 65 years.
News Release (Japanese text only)
Reduction and Reuse of Waste
The NOHGA Hotel, operated by the Group, is working to reduce and reuse waste through such efforts as reducing the use of plastics by eliminating single-use toiletries and using biodegradable bamboo straws derived from plant fibers. It is also using name plates and handkerchiefs made from reused scraps of leather and Japanese clothing.
Additionally, the NOHGA HOTEL and Hotel Niwa have begun working with ECOMMIT to refurbish unwanted items (e.g., clothing) left behind by guests and to recycle lost property.
NOHGA Hotel Environmental Initiatives
Launch of New Group Initiative for Circular Design
Pilot Demonstration of Centralized PET Bottle Collection for a Circular Economy
As part of our efforts to realize a circular economy and reduce CO2 emissions, we collaborated with Suntory Beverage & Food Limited, Shirai Group Co., Ltd. and the Metropolitan Environmental Beautification Center Co., Ltd. to conduct a demonstration experiment of centralized PET bottle collection and verification of sorted disposal status at 19 properties (four office properties and 15 condominiums) managed by the Nomura Real Estate Group. In light of the results of this demonstration, we will continue to promote further CO2 reductions, improvements in collection efficiency, and awareness-raising activities for waste sorting.
Overview of Pilot Project
| Background | Although Japan’s PET bottle collection rate is high, most of the PET plastic recycled from these bottles is of low quality, so in actual PET bottle production, new materials must be input in addition to recycled materials. |
|---|---|
| Purpose | There are high expectations for horizontal recycling in which used PET bottles are used as raw materials to manufacture PET bottles of the same quality. One issue to be addressed in realizing this initiative is verifying reasonable collection costs and sufficiently reducing CO2 emissions during transport. |
| Results and future prospects | Centralized collection improves efficiency and contributes to reducing CO2 emissions from collection vehicles. On the other hand, we confirmed that PET bottles collected from offices had a high rate of foreign matter contamination, leading to a decline in recycling quality. In the future, we will consider ways to reduce the rate of foreign matter contamination. |
Realization of Circular Design
Initiatives for Longer Life and Increased Durability
The Group intends to extend the lifespans of its buildings by using highly durable materials with long lifespans and by implementing appropriate management and repair plans.
Measures to Lengthen Cycles for Large-Scale Repair Work
In order to reduce the economic and psychological burdens on condominium residents and management associations, and to reliably carry out large-scale repair plans, the Group offers products and services intended to lengthen large-scale repair work cycles.
Measures at Completed Condominiums
Due to the aging of the population and the increase in vacant dwelling units, about 35% of condominiums are unable to accumulate sufficient reserves for repairs as scheduled (source: data by Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism).
The re:Premium repair and maintenance service offered by the Group is designed to extend the cycle for large-scale repair work for PROUD condominiums that have already been completed. The service can extend the typical 12-year cycle for large-scale repair work to 16-18 years and results in ultra-long-term improvement plans of up to 60 years after the completion of construction. It extends the lifespans of buildings and reduces demolition waste. It also reduces the psychological and economic burdens on customers by substantially cutting lifecycle costs. For these reasons, the Group is striving to expand the scope of properties that adopt the re:Premium service.
In fiscal 2020, drainage pipe repair work in common use areas, carried out to replace all older pipes of different materials with plastic pipes in order to improve performance and reduce lifecycle costs for the Coop Nomura Higashi Rokugo, which is under Group management, was certified as a model project for extending the life of condominium stock with the support of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
News Release (Japanese text only)
Measures at Newly-Constructed Condominiums
In fiscal 2018, the Group launched the Attractive30 service, which seeks to increase the lifespans and durability of newly-constructed condominiums. Under this initiative, the Group will promote the adoption of highly durable materials and construction techniques and the introduction of the re:Premium and re:Premium Duo services to realize an extension of the cycle for large-scale repair work.
Collaboration with Suppliers
The Group is aiming for the appropriate management of resource use in the entire supply chain. Accordingly, the Group established the Nomura Real Estate Group Procurement Guidelines and is working with all of its suppliers to reduce its environmental load.
【Nomura Real Estate Group Procurement Guidelines (excerpts)】
・Reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions through circular design to reduce waste by extending the life cycles of goods, products, and services. Strive to efficiently use natural resources, including water, and to optimize and reduce usage.
・Appropriately manage hazardous chemicals and reduce the amounts used and reduce emissions of pollutants that have adverse effects on the environment and the human body.
・Reduce and appropriately manage waste.
・When procuring raw materials, take into consideration the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable use of resources. In particular, when procuring wood and wood products, take due care not to use illegal logged timber, and endeavor to use wood that has been produced by sustainable methods, such as recycled wood and certified wood.
Use of Certified Wood-based Paper and Plant-based Ink in Residential Development
In order to be ever more environmentally friendly with regard to the paper advertising materials used for Proud and other condominium sales business, Nomura Real Estate Development’s Residential Development Division, as a general rule, uses paper made from wood from properly managed forests for all pamphlets, guides, direct mail, drawing collections, inserts and the like. In addition, the ink used is vegetable oil-based, which is more biodegradable than the petroleum-based solutions that have been used traditionally. Printed materials using these papers and inks include logos and wording attesting to the fact of their use. We will continue to use environmentally friendly products and strive to reduce our environmental impact.
Sustainability
- Environment (Climate Change and the Natural Environment)
- Social (Society and Employees)
- ESG Data