Sustainability Data

Environmental Data

Stable Supply of Non-Ferrous Metals and Transition to a Circular Economy

Percentage of Raw Materials from Recycled Sources

GRI 2-4 / 301-2

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Amount and percentage of recycled input raw materials used1 SMM Group kt
(%)		 229
(2.13)		 239
(2.38)		 236
(2.21)		 202
(2.07)2		 220
(2.26)
Amount and percentage of products from recycled input3 kt
(%)		 136
(4.87)		 188
(6.96)		 206
(7.42)		 194
(8.90)		 200
(7.84)
  • 1Amount and percentage of recycled input raw materials used in our business activities. Specifically, copper scrap, secondary zinc, precious metals and other secondary materials, electric arc furnace dust, sludge and dust, and ALC waste
  • 2Figures have been reviewed and corrected
  • 3Amount and percentage of products from recycled input in our business activities. Specifically, electrolytic copper, gold, silver, chromite, crude zinc oxide, and ALC waste

Realizing a Carbon Neutral Society

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions1

GRI 305-1 / 305-2 / 305-3

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
GHG Emissions (total) SMM Group kt-CO2e 2,760 2,647 2,823 2,556 2,356
Scope 1 (direct emissions)   1,877 1,786 1,965 1,830 1,724
Scope 2 (indirect emissions) 882 861 858 726 632
Emissions other than CO2included in Scope 12 Sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) — — 1.85 0.00 0.00
Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) — — 0.63 0.62 1.04
Methane (CH4) — — 0.15 0.16 0.15
Nitrous oxide (N2O) — — 0.00 0.00 0.00
Nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) — — 0.00 0.00 0.00
Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) — — 0.00 0.00 0.00

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

  • 1The quantification of GHG emissions is subject to uncertainties in the measurement of activity data, in the determination of emission factors, and in the scientific determination of the global warming potential
    Both Japan and overseas figures are calculated based on the GHG Protocol, and emission factors are based on the Japanese law “Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures”
    For calculating GHG emissions from domestically purchased electricity, adjusted emission factors provided by the electricity suppliers are used
    For calculating GHG emissions from overseas purchased electricity, country-specific emission factors from the IEA Emissions Factors at that point in time are used
  • 2Disclosure from FY2022 based on the GHG Protocol
graph: Overall GHG emissions

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

Scope 3 Emissions1 and Percentage of Overall Emissions FY2024

GRI 305-3

Category Reporting boundary Emissions (kt-CO2e) Percentage Calculation method
Total Scope 3   4,950 67.8%  
1 Purchased goods and services SMM Group 4,262 58.3% Σ (weight of key raw materials x emissions intensity)2
2 Capital goods SMM Group 431 5.9% Σ (amount of capital expenditures x emissions intensity x 1.05)3
Capital expenditures include construction in progress, used equipment, and intragroup transactions
3 Fuel- and energy-related activities not included in Scope 1 or Scope 2 SMM Group 226 3.1% Σ (electricity and fuel consumptions x emissions intensity [electricity3, fuel2])
4 Upstream transportation and distribution Reference for Calculation method 20 0.3% Emissions from domestic transportation are calculated based on the Japanese laws the “Act on Rationalizing Energy Use” and “Act on Promotion of Global Warming Countermeasures.”
5 Waste generated in operations SMM Group - Japan 7 0.1% Σ (amount of waste by type (major sites in Japan) x emissions intensity by waste type)3
6 Business travel SMM Group - Japan 1 0.0% Σ (number of employees (major sites in Japan) x emissions intensity)2
7 Employee commuting SMM Group - Japan 3 0.0% Σ (number of employees (major sites in Japan) x number of business days x emissions intensity)3
8 Upstream leased assets — Not applicable4 — —
9 Downstream transportation and distribution — Not applicable5 — —
10 Processing of sold products — Not applicable5 — —
11 Use of sold products — Not applicable5 — —
12 End-of-life treatment of sold products — Not applicable5 — —
13 Downstream leased assets Reference for Calculation method 0.1 0.0% Σ (electricity and gas consumption by tenants of the Head Office building x emissions intensity)6
14 Franchises — Not applicable7 — —
15 Investments — Not applicable8 — —
  • 1The quantification of GHG emissions is subject to uncertainties in the measurement of activity data, in the determination of emission factors, and in the scientific determination of the global warming potential
  • 2For emissions intensity, we used values from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology’s IDEA Ver. 3.5 (IPCC2021 without LULUCF AR6)
  • 3For emissions intensity, we used values from the Database for Calculating GHG Emissions of the Supply Chain, (Ver. 3.5), prepared by the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Japan
  • 4Not applicable as it is included in calculations of Scope 1 and 2 emissions
  • 5This category is not applicable because it is difficult to calculate emissions since our products are mainly non-ferrous metals and highly advanced materials, which have diverse applications after sales destinations, and each application has different GHG emission characteristics
  • 6Emissions intensity was calculated based on the list of calculation methods and emission factors of the Ministry of the Environment’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Calculations Reporting and Publication System
  • 7Not applicable as we do not operate any franchise businesses
  • 8Not applicable as it is the disclosure of information on investments for profit

Conservation and Restoration of Nature

Raw Material and Energy Inputs in Business Activities

GRI 301-1 / 301-2 / 302-1

Raw Material Input

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Raw materials (total amount) SMM Group kt 12,777 11,936 12,840 11,998 11,868
  Raw materials   10,524 9,808 10,424 9,539 9,498
Recycled materials1 229 239 236 202 220
Materials 2,024 1,889 2,180 2,257 2,150

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

  • 1Exclude materials recycled within plants

Energy Input

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Energy Input (calorific value) SMM Group TJ 31,728 30,651 22,762 20,789 19,872
  Renewable energy   12 74 66 80 34
Non-renewable energy sources 31,716 30,577 22,696 20,709 19,838

From FY2022 onward, fuel, heat, electricity, etc. consumed in business activities in Japan and overseas are included, and electricity consumption is converted into joules at 3.6 GJ per 1,000kWh

Water Resource Input, Water Discharge, and Water Consumption in Business Activities

GRI 303-3 / 303-4 / 303-5

Water Resource Input

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Water withdrawal1 SMM Group ML2 200,305 181,271 197,186 174,287 193,665
Freshwater withdrawal Surface water (rivers)   13,717 13,954 15,321 15,082 14,218
Rainwater 68 53 44 40 44
Groundwater 6,657 7,108 7,586 8,401 7,535
Industrial water
(water from another organization)		 14,339 14,437 14,346 13,439 13,453
Tap water
(water from another organization)		 393 417 391 377 379
Seawater withdrawal   165,132 145,301 159,500 136,948 158,037

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

  • 1We identify and assess high-water stress areas using the WWF Water Risk Filter, and the results indicate that there are no areas of high-water stress at any of our business sites
  • 21 ML is equivalent to 1,000 m3

Water Discharge

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Water discharge (total) SMM Group ML1 199,057 176,781 196,736 175,139 190,915
  Seas2   198,051 175,753 195,792 174,287 190,006
Rivers 965 974 879 789 847
Sewerage, etc. 42 55 65 62 61

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

  • 11 ML is equivalent to 1,000 m3
  • 2Discharges into rivers flowing into enclosed seas are included in “Seas”

Water Consumption1

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Total water consumption from all areas SMM Group ML2 4,281 4,917 3,552 4,505 4,163
  • 1Water consumption is estimated by subtracting the total water discharge from the total water withdrawal for each business site
    Refer to Water Accounting Data for more details about Water Resource Input, Water Discharge and Water Consumption
  • 21 ML is equivalent to 1,000 m3

Water Accounting

Refer to Water Accounting Data for more details about Water Resource Input, Water Discharge and Water Consumption

Release and Transfer of Chemical Substances in Business Activities

GRI 2-4 / 303-4 / 305-7

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Releases into the atmosphere (total) SMM Group1 t 3,257 3,175 3,295 3,182 2,963
Releases into the atmosphere SOx   1,733 1,739 1,715 1,692 1,452
NOx 1,444 1,352 1,512 1,425 1,419
Soot and dust 80 84 68 66 92
Discharge into water (total) SMM Group t 134 134 132 117 121
Discharge into water COD2 (chemical oxygen demand)   49 48 49 48 51
BOD3 (biochemical oxygen demand) 15 12 16 7 7
Total phosphorus 1 1 1 1 1
Total nitrogen 69 73 66 61 62
Transfer/release of PRTR Substances (total) SMM Group4 t 1,907 2,035 2,522 2,626 2,450
Transfer5   1,823 1,959 2,439 2,557 2,374
Release Release (total)5 83 76 83 69 76
Landfill (SMM premises)   0.8 0.8 0.8 0.4 0.8
Soil 1.7 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.8
Water 73.5 66.6 74.7 62.0 69.3
Atmosphere5 7.4 7.8 7.1 5.8 5.2

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

  • 1Figures are aggregated from data reported by the Sumitomo Metal Mining Group to government authorities
  • 2COD (chemical oxygen demand): Measured for discharge into seas, including discharge into rivers flowing into enclosed seas
  • 3BOD (biochemical oxygen demand): Measured for discharge into rivers, excluding discharge flowing into enclosed seas
  • 4Sites within the Sumitomo Metal Mining Group that report under Japan’s PRTR system
  • 5Due to changes in calculation methods at some sites, figures for past fiscal years have been revised retrospectively

Final Disposal Amount of Industrial and Mining Waste in Japan

GRI 306-5

Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Final disposal amount (total)1 SMM Group-Japan kt 52 60 74 70 59
  Industrial waste   50.6 59.0 73.7 69.0 57.6
Mining waste2 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.9

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

  • 1Includes waste destined for landfills and incineration without heat recovery
  • 2Mining waste in the form of wastewater sludge generated by mine-affiliated Toyo Smelter & Refinery that is landfilled within the business site

Waste by Type and Treatment Method (FY2024)

GRI 306-3 / 306-4 / 306-5

Waste by Treatment Method (Hazardous1 / Non-hazardous2)

  Reporting boundary Unit  
  SMM Group kt Hazardous Non-hazardous Total
Treatment method3 Recycling   7.9 29.4 37.3
Incineration (with heat recovery) 0.3 1.3 1.5
Incineration (without heat recovery) 0.0 0.1 0.1
Landfill 54.0 6,731.6 6,785.6
Volume reduction, etc. 2.0 0.8 2.8
  Total   64.3 6,763.1 6,827.4
  SMM Group kt  
Landfill on company premises
/ Contracted disposal		 Landfill on company premises   6,730
Contracted disposal 98

Industrial waste treatment is commissioned to Group companies and industrial waste is recycled for use as raw material. Accordingly, waste figures include some waste which was effectively not discharged outside the Group, in particular (hazardous) sludge

  • 1In general, this depends upon definitions of the regulations in the other releasing countries concerned. Since Japan does not have such laws or regulations, SMM applies the following
    definition: “Specially controlled industrial waste and waste delivered to controlled landfill sites (excluding designated inert waste (5 categories of inert waste) that should have been delivered to landfill sites for inert industrial waste, but was disposed of at controlled landfill sites due to the distance limitation)”
  • 2Waste other than hazardous waste
  • 3Treatment methods outside of the Company were identified based on the written agreement with the disposal company and the manifest

Breakdown of Industrial Waste (in Japan) by Type of Waste

graph: Breakdown of Industrial Waste (in Japan) by Type of Waste

Emissions of Waste Plastic

GRI 306-3 / 306-4 / 306-5

The proportion of recycling and recycling (heat recovery) was approximately 63% at our directly managed sites and about 64% for the entire Group. We will continue efforts to further reduce emissions and promote recycling.

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2020 FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024
Emissions of Waste Plastic SMM Group t 2,694 2,873 2,717 2,197 2,116
  Recycling   878 977 1,104 803 580
Recycling (Heat recovery)   1,023 885 613 522 779
Unused Incineration
(Without heat recovery)		   226 282 263 94 12
Landfill   568 728 736 779 745

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

Environmental Preservation-Related Investments in Capital Expenditures

  Reporting boundary Unit FY2021 FY2022 FY2023 FY2024 (plan)
FY2025
Investments related to environmental preservation (Total) SMM Group JPY million 7,706 12,171 14,086 10,525 23,023
  Pollution prevention / environmental preservation   7,549 11,694 13,772 10,219 22,942
Energy conservation 157 477 314 306 81
Percentage of environmental preservation-related investments to capital expenditures   % 11.9 8.6 9.5 9.0 17.1

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

Rehabilitated Area

GRI G4-MM1

  Reporting boundary Unit A
Total area of land developed but not rehabilitated
(as of the end of FY2023)		 B
Area of land newly developed in FY2024		 C
Area of land newly rehabilitated in FY2024		 D
Total area of land developed but not rehabilitated (A+B-C)
Amount of land developed or rehabilitated (FY2024) SMM Group Hishikari Mine ha 22 0 0 22
Coral Bay Nickel 430 0 21 428
Taganito HPAL 488 5 42 489

Figures are rounded to the nearest whole number, so totals may not match

  • 1In addition to the rehabilitated area within the development site mentioned above, CBNC worked with the Philippine government to rehabilitate an additional 50 hectares in nearby regions outside the development site in FY2024, bringing the total certified rehabilitated area, including bamboo groves, to 214 hectares (figures for the rehabilitated area outside the development site from past fiscal years have been reviewed and revised)
  • 2In addition to the rehabilitated area within the development site mentioned above, THPAL worked with the Philippine government to rehabilitate an additional 63 hectares in nearby regions outside the development site in FY2024, bringing the total certified rehabilitated area to 733 hectares to date

Business Activities in Areas of High Biodiversity Value1

GRI 304-1 / G4-MM2

Currently, there are no projects in any region requiring the preparation of a management plan.

  Reporting boundary Area Unit FY2024  
Regions and
production sites		 SMM Group Seto Island Sea ha 62 Shisaka Smelting Co., Ltd. (production site) operates on Minoshima and Ienoshima islands, neighboring Setonaikai National Park. Neighboring areas equivalent to IUCN Category 2
Philippines 583 Coral Bay Nickel Corporation (production site) operates on Palawan Island in hunting-prohibited and bird protection areas equivalent to IUCN Category 4
  • 1Areas classified as protected by IUCN as Category 4 or higher and adjacent areas or areas with high biodiversity value that are considered equivalent (SMM’s survey). Areas classified as Category 1 are of highest priority

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