Green Diamonds highlights the ongoing efforts of Mitsubishi companies to foster a greener, more sustainable planet and brighter, more vibrant communities through wide-ranging environmental and social initiatives.
 
The 2010 Commendations for Enterprises Promoting Equal Opportunity/Work and Family Harmonization was held by the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare on 30th September. Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking (MUTB) came away with the Minister's Award of Excellence in both the Equal Opportunity Company and Family Friendly Company categories, marking the first time a company has won awards in both categories in the same year. It also makes MUTB the first financial institution to win an award in the Family Friendly Company category. MUTB will continue to encourage its employees to achieve their full potential. The company is committed to providing a working environment that supports those who need to balance work with family obligations, such as raising children or caring for elderly relatives.
■http://www.tr.mufg.jp/ippan/release/pdf_ mutb/100930_2.pdf

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Mitsubishi Plastics’s Nagahama Plant in Shiga Prefecture, Japan has installed in its administrative building a pilot AQSOA™ air cooling and heating system that uses AQSOA™ adsorption heat pumps and solar water heaters. The aim is to reduce power consumption, to reduce CO₂emissions and to promote development of AQSOA™ (AQua SOrb, a zeolitic water vapor adsorbent). Compared with conventional systems where the fluorocarbon gas for the refrigerant is used, the new AQSOA™ air cooling system can cut CO₂emissions by a third. The pilot AQSOA™ system uses hot water from solar water heaters mounted on the roof to heat or cool the building. The newly installed system is expected to reduce the amount of power used to cool down or heat up the building by 40 some percent annually.
■http://www.mpi.co.jp/infopdf/AQSOA.pdf
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Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has completed the conceptual design of a New Panamax¹ class container vessel that is expected to make a significant contribution in the fight against global warming. The new ship uses the company's proprietary Mitsubishi Air Lubrication System (MALS) that pumps air along the bottom of the hull to produce air bubbles which reduce drag between the hull and seawater. The MALS system, together with the vessel’s cuttingedge performance hull design

and propulsion system, is expected to realize a 35 percent reduction in CO₂ emissions over container ships
of conventional design. The MALS-14000CS name of the new class derives from the ship’s use of the MALS system and from its 14,000 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) container capacity.
■http://www.mhi.co.jp/news/story/1010144987.html
Note 1: The maximum dimensions of ships that will be allowed to transit the Panama Canal after expansion work which is slated to be completed in 2014. The dimensions are: Overall length of 366.0 meters (currently 295.0 m), beam of 48.8 meters (32.2 m) and tropical fresh water draft of 15.2 meters (12.0 m).
 
 
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Among its activities designed to make a meaningful contribution to society, Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance holds a number of “Fureai¹ Concerts” at schools throughout Japan each autumn. The aim behind the concerts is to deliver a present of “Live Music” to children who, because of disability, are normally unable to attend concerts. Since it was first held in 1984 the concerts have been conducted by the well-known Japanese musician Shigeki Torizuka who works with other performers and is assisted by Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance employees. By last year the concert had visited 115 schools since 1984. The entertainers sing with the children, play hand-made instruments and make sure everyone attending the Fureai Concerts has a fun time.
■http://www.meijiyasuda.co.jp/profile/release/2010/pdf/ 20100909.pdf
Note 1: “Contact, communication” in Japanese.