Kyowa Kirin : Has Introduced RE100 Renewable Electricity to All Purchased Electricity at Its Two Plants and Three Laboratories. (268KB)

Kyowa Kirin Has Introduced RE100 Renewable Electricity to All Purchased Electricity at Its Two Plants and Three Laboratories

Tokyo, Japan, April 6, 2023 --Kyowa Kirin Co., Ltd. (TSE: 4151, President and CEO: Masashi Miyamoto, "Kyowa Kirin") today announces it has introduced RE100 renewable electricity to all purchased electricity at its two plants and three laboratories in Japan (Takasaki Plant (Gunma Prefecture, Head of Takasaki Plant: Ryuji Nomura), Bio Process Research and Development Laboratories (Gunma Prefecture, Head of Bio Process Research and Development Laboratories: Katsuyoshi Yamazaki), Fuji Research Park (Shizuoka Prefecture, Head of Fuji Research Park: Yutaka Tomoda), CMC R&D Center (Shizuoka Prefecture, Head of CMC R&D Center: Yutaka Tomoda), Ube Plant (Yamaguchi Prefecture, Head of Ube Plant: Hirokazu Kisaka)). This outcome is by the introduction of renewable energy which meets RE100*1 criteria.

The Kyowa Kirin Group is proactively working on protection of the global environment and promotes activities for realizing a sustainable society. Kyowa Kirin Group has positioned climate change as a major business issue and has set a goal and a roadmap to reduce CO2 emissions for 2030 by 55% compared to 2019. The reduction of CO2 emissions has been executed steadily according to its roadmap.

Since 2020, Kyowa Kirin has shifted to renewable energy which meets RE100 criteria on all of its purchased electric power at Takasaki Plant, Bio Process Research and Development Laboratories, Fuji Research Park, and CMC R&D Center. Furthermore, in Ube Plant, all of the purchased electric power at Ube Plant has been shifted to renewable energy which meets RE100 criteria with additional use of solar power purchased via onsite PPA model*2 since April 1. It reduces CO2 emissions derived from electricity used at the plant to zero.

With these, the Kyowa Kirin Group's annual CO2 emissions in 2023 will be reduced by 53% (27,300 tons) compared to 2019. Kyowa Kirin will continue its efforts to shift to renewable energy and make proactive investments in energy-saving facilities in order to achieve the goal by 2030.

Koichiro Ishimaru, Global Corporate Social Responsibility Head at Kyowa Kirin commented. "I'm very pleased that the use of renewable energy has steadily expanded at our manufacturing and R&D sites. As a global company, this initiative is also planned to be expanded to our global business locations by 2030 and we remain committed to realizing a sustainable society through ongoing efforts in our value chain."

The Kyowa Kirin Group companies strive to contribute to the health and well-being of people around the world by creating new value through the pursuit of advances in life sciences and technologies.

*1 About RE100 criteria

RE100 is a global environmental initiative which consists of companies that aim to use 100% renewable electricity. RE100 criteria defines global standards (RE100 Technical Criteria) for renewable energy procurement methods, markets, etc. that can be used for RE100. Kyowa Kirin adopted RE100 criteria as one of the criteria for its renewable energy use.

Kirin Group, to which Kyowa Kirin Group belongs, joined RE100 in November 2020 and announced that it would aim to increase the proportion of renewable energy in electric power used to 100% by 2040.

*2 About onsite PPA model

PPA stands for Power Purchase Agreement. Onsite PPA model means that the PPA agencies install solar power generation equipment on the end user's premises or facility rooftop free of charge and commericialize the power generated to the end user.

*3 About Kyowa Kirin's other initiatives toward the creation of a sustainable society

<<https://www.kyowakirin.com/sustainability/index.html>>