NYK Awarded "Earth Environment Prize" in 2005 (Chairman Prize of the Japan Federation of Economic Organizations)
February 9, 2005
Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) received the "Chairman Prize of Japan Federation of Economic Organizations, 2005" from among the 14th Earth Environment Prizes under the sponsorship of Fuji-Sankei Group.
The Earth Environment Prizes are awarded to corporates, autonomies, universities,colleges and citizens' groups that contribute to environmental preservation activities with the aim of creating symbiosis between industrial development and the global environment.
The award ceremony is to take place on April 14 (Thursday) 2005 at the Meiji Kinenkan in the presence of Their Royal Highnesses Akishinonomiya.
NYK was awarded this prize due to the high assessment of the company's safe vessel operations and its focus on protection of the environment (in particular, avoidance of environmental risk) that is based on NYK Group's own standards and systems "NAV9000" The award also recognizes NYK's proactive development and application of cutting-edge environmental technologies.
To cite an example, NYK's car carriers (called ecoships) loaded wind-turbine generators began test operations in August 2004. Furthermore, by reducing ballast water which stabilizes the vessel, by half, NYK respects the diversity of aquatic organisms and at the same time enhances transport efficiency. In addition, NYK'ecoships employ cutting-edge environmental technology with a focus on ship design, to reduce wind resistance.
Since NYK Group operates more chartered vessels from ship owners than it does its own vessels, the company has formulated its own standards and systems "NAV9000" for safe operation and environmental protection
purposes and provided them to ship owners and ship management service companies. NYK has worked hard to prevent marine accidents and troubles by ensuring smooth communication with the afore-mentioned parties in regard to company and vessel audits for which it carries out independently and by working in connection with ship owners, ship management service companies and crews, which rewarded NYK Group for good results.
NYK Group will continue to strive not only to maintain safe operations but also to strengthen and promote environmental protection measures from both a software and a hardware perspective.