The ISO14001-certified facilities undergo assessment by an external body every year and each sub-site conducts internal environmental audits on a regular basis.
For GEMS overall, a "Group Environmental Audit" is conducted every year, where the group environmental auditors selected from each sub-site audit the activities of other sub-sites to verify the conformity with the requirements and the effectiveness of the internal environmental audit. The Group Environmental Audit enables sub-sites to share their cases of successful activities and achievements within the Group and thus contributes to the improvement of the operation of GEMS.

Through the Group Environmental Audit for fiscal 2008, 21 findings were identified (no minor nonconformities and 21 cases requiring observation), which were many fewer than the 32 cases last fiscal year. This was due to a decrease in the number of sub-sites after organizational changes in April 2008, and the EMS activities promoted so far have taken root as part of daily operations. Even with the external audit in fiscal 2008, the ongoing GEMS improvements have been recognized, and continuing from the previous fiscal year, the inspection results were all “improved” for each sub-site and the integrated body of GEMS.

Environmental education/training

Sanyo provides various educational opportunities on a regular basis to increase awareness of the need for environmental conservation and provide relevant knowledge for all employees within the scope of GEMS (approximately 29,000, including subcontractors working within the premises of the Sanyo Group).
In particular, employees who are involved in operations which may have significant impact on the environment, such as handling of boilers, cogeneration systems and chemicals, and those in charge of environmental laws and regulations are subject to specialized education and training and if necessary external training courses to prevent emergency situations and accidents from occurring.
For the associated companies that are independently ISO-certified, environmental education is provided based on the requirements by the corresponding standards. Further, for the purpose of training internal auditors crucial to the operation of the environmental management system, internal auditor training is conducted in-house on a regular basis.

Each sub-site ensures that information on all new environmental laws and regulations, as well as amendments to existing ones is obtained and communicated within the organization without fail, and does thorough and regular monitoring and checking of the various laws and regulations, as well as through compliance evaluation. Sanyo Group also endeavors to observe other requirements to which the Group has subscribed, such as an agreement amongst industry groups. In addition, the Sanyo Group not only observes regional environmental ordinances of prefectural and municipal governments, but also sets voluntary standards higher than those of the ordinances to prevent any deviation from regulation values.

In fiscal 2008, there was a temporary deviation from regulation values relating to water quality at some of the sub-sites. However, the causes were investigated and correction measures were promptly put in place. The administrative authorities issued no instructions, cautions, orders, or penalties.