Nissan Issues Environmental Report for the Fiscal Year ending March 31, 2001

Tokyo -- Nissan Motor Company released today its "Environmental Report for the Fiscal Year" ending March 31, 2001, which comprises the results of the company's environmental efforts in fiscal 2000.

Key environmental milestones for Nissan reported this year include:

• The launch of "Bluebird Sylphy" certified as attaining the cleanest exhaust emission level specified under the Ministry of Land Infrastructure and Transport and the expansion of the use of engines with direct injection system and Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) which contribute to improving fuel efficiency.
• Achievement of FY2000 targets for reducing both CO₂ emission levels and industrial wastes per manufacturing volumes.

Nissan's CO₂ emission level target for the fiscal year, which was to stabilize at the FY1990 level, was in fact reduced by 39 percent.
Efforts for Nissan to reduce industrial wastes per manufacturing volumes, targeted at a 70 percent reduction from FY1990, resulted in 74 percent reduction.

• Start of the "Nissan Green Shop Certification System" initiative which aims at supporting environmental activities of sales companies and the nationwide deployment of sales channels for the "Nissan Green Parts" (re-built and re-used parts).

This year's report is characterized by additional disclosures Nissan assessed vital resulting from a stepped-up effort to focus on the growing environmental concerns. Areas newly incorporated include:

• PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) disclosure for each plant as called for in the "Law Concerning Reporting, etc. of Releases to the Environment of Specific Chemical Substances and Promoting Improvements in Their Management" (PRTR Law).
• More extensive data, including environmental information on vehicles (status of launches of low emission vehicles, examples of LCA (^*2Life Cycle Assessment) application, diesel engine technology development) and the status of environmental management systems operations.
• Information describing activities to prevent contamination of subterranean water and soil and results of environmental surveys at each production site.
• Expanded environmental communication to create a two-way dialogue, including the results of a survey distributed in last year's edition on the effectiveness of this report.

^*1 Global Reporting Initiative is an entity seeking to develop globally acceptable guidelines for making company-wide sustainability reports and has the participation of corporations, NGOs, organizations of certified public accountants, universities, consultants, etc.
^*2 Life Cycle Assessment is a method for quantitatively assessing the burden and effects on the environment caused by a product, from manufacture, sales and use of the product, up to its disposal and recycling.

The content of the report will be posted on Nissan's Japanese language website from today and will be distributed to the public upon request. English language translation of the report will be available end of October.

This year's report has expanded the company's scope of reporting to major consolidated subsidiaries, including overseas manufacturing bases. Nissan has also incorporated activities contributing to society and other societal issues to bring it to more in line with the global trend of making sustainability reports.

Nissan established an Environmental Management Committee in March 1993 and completed the acquisition of ISO14001 certifications on a global level, and has thus continued to improve its environmental management structure.  In FY1999, Nissan began using the Japan Ministry of the Environment's "Guidelines for Preparation of Environmental Reports" and GRI's (^*1Global Reporting Initiative) "Sustainability Reporting Guidelines" as references in preparing its Environmental Report, to ensure compliance with global standards and provide transparent, consisted information disclosure.

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