LIXIL Corporation, a pioneer in water and housing products, has updated its Environmental Strategy. The strategy outlines how LIXIL will address key environmental issues such as climate change mitigation and adaptation, water sustainability, and helping to realise a circular economy.

In each of these three focus areas, the updated strategy sets out new mid-term targets across LIXIL’s operations, value chain and beyond, to expand the positive impact the company is having on environmental and social issues of the world. The company’s approach extends beyond the mitigation of risks and adaptation, but throughout its value chain; leveraging its expertise to change the way people live, today and tomorrow.

Kinya Seto, President and CEO of LIXIL said: “As a purpose-driven organisation, LIXIL is embedding ESG activities and commitments into our core business strategy, to ensure that we are having a positive impact and to strengthen our business over the long-term. Our updated environmental strategy is central to this approach, ensuring that we are aligned across our business to important environmental commitments, but also because it will allow us to capture new opportunities and manage risks.”

Demonstrating the company’s strengthened commitment to accelerate efforts for sustainable business practices from operations and in collaboration with business partners, LIXIL recently marked its third consecutive year on the Supplier Engagement Leaderboard and Water Security A List by the CDP, one of the founding partners of the SBTi.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation
Buildings accounts for around 28% of energy related CO2 emissions of which housing accounts for 17%. Energy efficiency and high-performance housing is an urgent issue to be tackled¹.

LIXIL has renewed its certification from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) in line with its targets to cap global temperature increase at 1.5ºC compared to pre-industrial temperatures. Aligned with the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations, LIXIL has set approved targets in June 2022 for absolute GHG emissions reductions – from previously 30% to 50.4% for Scope 1&2 and 15% to 30% for Scope 3 by the fiscal year ending March 2031 from the fiscal year ended March 2019 base year2, 3.

Water sustainability

By 2050, an estimated 40% of the world’s population, will suffer from severe water depravation⁶. As the world’s leading water technology provider, LIXIL has set new targets that are focused on the social and environmental sustainability of water for future generations that are supported by its efforts to reduce, reuse, filter and improve accessibility to safer or better tasting water.  

LIXIL will improve water use efficiency by 20% in its operations by FYE2031 and will reduce water usage at water-scarce business sites in accordance with TNFD. Optimising water usage and using water responsibly at production sites, LIXIL will ramp up its efforts to recycle water and reduce its water footprint in its operations needed for manufacturing.

Through water efficient products and solutions, LIXIL can enable consumers to use water more efficiently and responsibly, reducing daily consumption. LIXIL’s water saving toilet and faucet products, and smart water controllers targets to reduce a total of 2billion cubic meters of water per year by FYE2025, globally.

Circular economy

With the world’s growing population, global consumption is expected to double by 2050⁷.Today, construction-related sectors consume nearly half of the world’s extracted resources. Resource efficiency and innovation of circular solutions are imperative for sustainable growth, and LIXIL has set targets that contribute to the world and industry.

Updated targets include recycling 90% of waste from operations by FYE2026 globally, improving efficiency. Across the value chain, LIXIL has set enterprise-level targets to reduce single-use plastics used for packaging, increase resource efficient products and solutions, building take-back systems for product to product use; supported by repairing, resale or leasing services to ensure products can be used longer. By rethinking conventional processes, LIXIL aims to minimise the amount of waste produced, promote reuse or recycling.

Efficient use for a variety of raw materials have also been sought throughout the years, driving innovation. LIXIL’s GROHE brand has steadily increased products with Cradle to Cradle certification over the years and released EPDs (Environment Product Declarations) for 18 product groups that cover 777 products. In Japan, the EcoLeaf label certified PremiAL extruded profiles made from 70% recycled aluminium launched in December 2022. Leading the industry with recycling efforts that span over two decades, PremiAL is spearheading the company’s new target of using 100% recycled aluminium in its products by FYE2031.