Selected Year： 2023
Host Country： Mexico
Project Title：　Introduction of 0.5MW Rooftop Solar Power System to Automotive Parts Factory (JCM Eco Lease Scheme)
Representative Participant：　BOT Lease Co., Ltd.
Partner Participant：　KUROTA MEXICO, S.A. DE C.V. ; BOT FINANCE MEXICO, S.A. DE C.V., SOFOM, E.N.R.
（Project Information URL）https://gec.jp/jcm/projects/23pro_mex_01/

    
▲PV Panels installed on Rooftop of KUROTA MEXICO Factory

【Motivation and background for taking on the SDGs】
 Born out of corporate activities aimed at eliminating waste
‘In the manufacturing industry, we have always conducted business activities with a mind of “loss reduction,” and the movement to “eliminate loss = cut costs” aligns with efforts to preserve the global environment, leading to the introduction of this new facility,’ said Mr. Sugai, the local president and CEO. KUROTA’s SDGs initiatives are led by the headquarters (KUROTA SEIKI SEISAKUSHO CO., LTD.), but the efforts to eliminate waste that have been carried out at the headquarters have also contributed to environmental conservation and have become part of the company’s corporate philosophy. This is a good example of how contribution to the SDGs can be achieved through core business activities.

【Initiatives related to SDGs in this project】
Transition to clean energy and employee awareness reform

• By generating electricity using rooftop solar power facility and consuming it within the factory, the amount of electricity purchased from fossil fuel-based grids is reduced, promoting the transition to clean energy.
• Contributing to raising employee awareness of the importance of not wasting electricity.

In addition, as a unique initiative at the Mexico factory, President Sugai is challenging himself to implement waste separation. In Mexico, there is no separate collection of general waste, so employees’ awareness of waste separation is low, and empty cans and bottles are disposed of together with combustible waste in household waste. Although there are plastic recycling companies, they are unable to keep up with the rapidly increasing amount of plastic waste. In response, KUROTA has begun activities to instill awareness of waste separation among employees within the factory. Initially, employees had low awareness, but upon learning that sorted empty cans and bottles are purchased, they have begun to realise that their efforts are ‘valuable.’ Producing defective products in the factory wastes resources. Similarly, by sorting recyclable waste, resources can be utilised effectively. Through such activities, the company aims to continue fostering a cultural shift in employees’ awareness.

【Benefits for businesses and beneficiaries resulting from SDG initiatives】
 Changes in water consumption due to loss prevention awareness and increased employee motivation
At KUROTA, a significant challenge was how to reduce the amount of water used for product cleaning, as surface treatment requires large amounts of water. ‘We discovered that shower cleaning was operating even when products were not being processed on the factory line, so we immediately introduced product detection sensors and achieved a 15% reduction in water usage.’ This is an example of how awareness of the importance of using valuable resources effectively has been further heightened among employees.
At KUROTA, they had been conducting new employee training, but for the core aspects of the business, they had been hiring supervisors from Japan to provide training. During the pandemic when travel was restricted, they occasionally conducted training via web conferencing with Japan, but when led by Japanese staff, this did not contribute to the growth of Mexican staff. Currently, they are focusing on challenging employees to take on tasks that contribute to their skill development, such as programming. When employees show interest, it leads to further learning. They also send a few employees at a time to Japan for skill enhancement opportunities at the headquarters or training institutions, which further fosters their motivation to improve.
Regarding gender balance at KUROTA, approximately 60% of the 230 employees are women. Given that the company manufactures aluminium automotive brake parts, which require highly detailed work, women are said to be well suited to the job. There are seven managers, two of whom are women.

【Comment on Subsidy Programme for the JCM Facility Introduction】
In Japan, we have utilised various subsidy programmes in the past, but we always had to prepare the paperwork ourselves. However, since this was a leasing case, all the paperwork was prepared by BOT Lease, so I think the barriers to utilising the subsidy were lower.