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Astellas promotes activities to prevent global environmental pollution. For major environmental management indicators for air and water quality, we have set and manage stricter voluntary control values than the values stipulated by laws and regulations and agreed values. In addition, we are promoting voluntary activities to reduce atmospheric emissions of chemical substances.
Reduction of VOC Emissions
Astellas is working to reduce volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions associated with the use of solvents in production and research activities.
Moreover, as a measure to prevent environmental pollution by chemical substances as well as occupational illnesses, we are taking steps to minimize the impact of our business operations on our employees, local communities, and the environment, such as development of new manufacturing processes that do not use highly hazardous chemical substances.
Reduction of NOx Emissions
To reduce the emission of NOx into the atmosphere, Astellas has installed boilers that use gaseous fuels (city gas, LNG, and LPG).
The NOx emissions from non-Japanese manufacturing facilities in fiscal 2025 amounted to 5.2 tons.
For details on Changes in the NOx emissions volume from all business facilities in Japan, please refer to ESG Data.
Astellas measures the extent of its impact on aquatic environments using the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) load as an index in Japan and the chemical oxygen demand (COD) load as an index in other countries and makes the data available to the public. In Japan, the BOD load was 6 tons, a 23% decrease from the previous fiscal year. Outside Japan, the COD load was 3.8 tons.
Since the discharge into water of chemical substances used in manufacturing processes can have a negative impact on ecosystems, we are examining ways of reducing such discharges as much as possible at all stages from R&D onward. With respect to future drug candidate substances discovered and developed by Astellas, we are examining the impact pharmaceuticals would have on ecosystems through the evaluation of their biodegradability in the natural environment.
For detail on Changes in BOD Load and Changes in Drainage Volume, please refer to ESG Data.
Japan's PRTR Act designates substances that are harmful to human beings and recognized to widely exist in the environment. The main aim of the act is to confirm the nature of the releases and transfers of a company and link the results to independent assessments and improvement of voluntary chemical substance management. The table below shows the release and transfer of PRTR-designated substances that we identified and reported in fiscal 2024. Our total amount of designated chemical substances released into the environment in fiscal 2025 was 1 ton. Astellas has kept low quantity emission since 2019.
PRTR : Refers to chemical substances designated under Japan's Act on Confirmation, etc. of Release Amounts of Specific Chemical Substances in the Environment and Promotion of Improvements to the Management Thereof (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Law)
For detail on Release and transfers of PRTR chemical substances in fiscal 2025, please refer to ESG Data.
Water resources are a critical foundation supporting business operations, and their stable and efficient use is directly linked to ensuring business continuity. Reducing water consumption not only lowers costs and operational risks but also supports sustainable growth by addressing water stress. Astellas recognizes the effective use of water resources as a key priority and is working to reduce environmental impact while enhancing corporate value over the medium to long term
Effective use of water resources
The effective use of water resources serves as a useful indicator for gauging society’s impact on biodiversity. Astellas assesses the relationship between water resources and economic activity using a water resource productivity index and has been striving to improve this index. Water resource productivity for fiscal 2025 improved significantly by 126% compared with the base year of fiscal 2016.
For details on Changes in Volume of Water Resources Withdrawn and Revenue, please refer to ESG Data.
Recycling of Water and Reducing Water Consumption
Astellas’ operations use only water drawn from service water, industrial water and ground water. Water used in work operations is treated in accordance with wastewater discharging standards and returned to an aquatic environment. In addition, Astellas is continuously working to reduce water consumption while minimizing process wastewater.
Risk Assessments
Water is indispensable for Astellas’ research and production activities. Each business site obtains necessary government approval to use water, and wastewater is discharged after being treated to satisfy wastewater discharging standards.
Moreover, Astellas uses Aqueduct provided by World Resources Institute to analyze water risks specific to the operating regions where its plants and other facilities are located
The Astellas Group on a global basis does not currently withdraw water from water bodies in areas concerned with water resource depletion. As water risks may emerge in the future because of climate change, we are conducting risk analysis and taking steps to minimize our dependence on such resources, and also regard this as an effective means of ensuring business continuity.
Astellas is thankful for the benefits brought about by biological diversity and understands all of its business activities have an impact on ecosystems. We will make a positive contribution to the preservation of biodiversity by working to lessen that impact. Furthermore, we actively contribute to the creation of a society that coexists with the natural world, enabling the preservation of biodiversity and the sustainable use healthy ecosystems. Astellas endorses the Declaration of Biodiversity by Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) and makes donations to the Keidanren Nature Conservation Fund.
In March 2026, the biotope conservation plan at the Yaizu site and the green space conservation plan at the Tsukuba site were certified as “Nature Coexistence Sites” under the Act on Promotion of Regional Biodiversity. These initiatives align with the 30 by 30 target set out in the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework adopted at COP15 and are expected to be registered in the international database as OECMs (Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures).
Astellas assesses three main factors that are causing the deterioration of biodiversity: environmental pollution, resource consumption, and climate change. We have created a Biodiversity Index to evaluate the impact of our business activities on biodiversity.
The environmental burden for each sub-category in the assessment fiscal year is divided by the corresponding burden in the base-year and then multiplied by the weight to derive the “biodiversity burden index.” The “biodiversity index” is calculated by dividing Astellas’ consolidated revenue in the assessment fiscal year by the total of all the biodiversity burden index figures. Improvement can be determined by comparing this index to the base year.
The Biodiversity Index for fiscal 2025 came in at 8.7 times the figure recorded in fiscal 2005. We believe that by minimizing the environmental impacts of our operations across regions, we can help curb biodiversity loss and create conditions that enable our business to remain sustainable.
Progress of biodiversity index
(Unit: MWh)
The Biodiversity Burden Index and Revenue
(Unit: MWh)
Astellas recognizes that since the use of sustainable resources is essential for continuing its business activities, it must play an active role in the creation of a recycling-oriented society. We have established an Environmental Action Plan and are moving forward with steps to recycle waste materials (reuse, recycling, and use of all thermal energy) as initiatives contributing to a recycling-oriented society.
Waste Management
Astellas is promoting efforts to reduce the waste landfill volume to as close to zero as possible through proactive recycling and reuse of waste materials. Moreover, Astellas also evaluates the relationship between waste generation volume and economic activities with the index known as the Waste generated per unit, and the Company is making efforts to improve it.
In fiscal 2025, the waste generated per unit improved 52% over the base year (fiscal 2016).
For detail on Changes in Waste Generation Volume and Revenue, please refer to ESG Data.
Waste Management in the Value Chain
In waste management, it is also important to prevent environmental pollution being caused by hazardous waste generated by research centers and manufacturing plants and the illegal disposal of that waste. As a means of prevention, we first examine appropriate methods of waste disposal and then conduct regular on-site assessment that waste treatment contractors are using appropriate waste treatment methods.
Handling status of High-Concentrate PCB-contaminated Waste Storage
We have been systematically conducting detoxification of any high-concentrate PCB-contaminated equipment that is stored by Astellas. All PCB waste was treated during fiscal 2023.
Greenhouse gases
Astellas does not handle or sell any product that uses hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) as a filler agent.
The products manufactured and marketed by the Company are administered to patients through medical institutions. After their use, packaging materials are disposed of by hospitals, pharmacies, and general households. The waste discarded by general households is mainly comprised of blister (plastic) packaging used for tablets and capsules. Hospitals and pharmacies discard blister packaging as well as various types of plastics including bottles and tubes, metals, glass materials used in injectable solutions products, and paper items such as individual packaging and cardboard boxes.
In the case of pharmaceutical packaging, certain functions remain essential to ensure the safe storage of products as well as compliance with the provisions stipulated under the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act of Japan and the laws and regulations of respective countries. In addition to these functions and requirements, Astellas selects environmentally friendly materials for use in its packaging while engaging in a variety of initiatives including the labeling of materials to promote recycling at the time of disposal.
One initiative is to start using blister sheet biomass plastic made from plant-derived raw material. Blister packaging is eco-friendly packaging using 50% of raw materials from sugarcane-derived polyethylene, a biomass plastic. Blister packaging is required to have a high level of tablet protection and usability, and by using a packaging technology developed over many years, it meets these requirements and can be mass-produced. In fiscal 2021 Astellas started using blister packaging made from plant-derived raw materials for some products in Japan.
To encourage the recycling of containers and packaging for household use in Japan, in accordance with the Containers and Packaging Recycling Law sellers of products are responsible for defraying the costs of recycling such waste products. The estimated total amount of plastic and paper containers and packaging used in Astellas products in fiscal 2025 is 190tons, and the Company was requested to pay ¥834 million in recycling costs.
Astellas uses plastics in various products and recognizes that handling plastic waste generated in its business activities is an environmental issue. We endeavor to recycle plastic resources. In Japan, a law was enforced in April 2022 to promote the recycling of resources related to plastic. The amount of plastic waste generated in Japan in fiscal 2025 was 238 tons. Astellas is working to limit the amount of plastic waste it generates within Japan to under 250 tons by limiting the use of plastic resources and improving recycling rates.
