Examples of Reducing Environmental Burden

Green power refers to electric power generated by renewable energies that have a low environmental impact like wind, solar and biomass.

Mizuho has taken part in the Yokohama Wind Energy Project^*1 since April 2007 and currently uses green power generated by the project for diverse events.

At MHFG's ninth Ordinary General Meeting of Shareholders held in June 2011, the green power produced by the Yokohama Wind Energy Project provided all the power (10.998 kilowatt-hours) used for the meeting. This corresponds to a deemed reduction of approximately 3.6 tons of CO2 emissions.^*2

The green power produced by the Yokohama Wind Energy Project was also used to power the Coming-of-Age Day Concert and Mizuho's exhibition booths at the Eco-Products 2010 Exhibition and the Tokyo Stock Exchange IR Festa 2010, totaling 8,946 kilowatt-hours.

MHBK adjusts thermostats to use less energy for heating and cooling, in support of the government's COOLBIZ (special summer dress code) and WARMBIZ (special winter dress code) initiatives, in both customer service areas of branches and administrative offices. Global-warming prevention stickers with thermometers have been placed in every division, office, and branch, to remind everyone to keep thermostats set at 28 degrees Celsius in the summer and 20 degrees Celsius in the winter. When COOLBIZ measures are being taken in the summer, branches put up posters to inform customers of our actions and gain their support.

COOLBIZ and WARMBIZ measures are also taken by MHCB, MHTB, MHSC, MHIS, TCSB, Mizuho Asset Management, and MHIR. In 2011, COOBIZ measures are being taken over an expanded timeframe in an effort to step up electricity-saving efforts in the face of potential power shortages arisen after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

With the aim of establishing a corporate culture to address environmentally friendly activities among employees and their family members, Mizuho started to conduct its "Environmental Campaign" in fiscal 2008 to help increase the environmental awareness of all full-time and temporary employees, and executives at all 13 group companies throughout Japan.

• Environmental Enlightenment for Employees

MHCB, MHBK and MHTB all use uniforms made primarily from natural fibers or materials recycled from plastic bottles. Used uniforms are collected and managed in an integrated manner.

MHBK introduces environmentally friendly toner cartridges, which can be refilled with toner and reused, to branches across Japan.

Promotional gifts given to customers at branch counters are created while considering not only user-friendliness but also environmental friendliness.

MHBK uses sponges made from recycled plastic bottles and paper bags made with paper from forestland certified by the Forest Stewardship Council. MHIS uses organizers and calendars printed on recycled paper as well as wet wipes made with non-wood fibers. In addition, the Mizuho IC Cash Card is made from an environmentally friendly material, PET-G, a non-halogen plastic that has a low environmental impact at disposal.

What is more, the first of MHBK's "Eco Branches," the Tokaichiba Branch, presents customers with products like planters made of wood from forest thinnings.

Responding to a call for eco-ideas — part of the fiscal 2009 environmental campaign — many employees suggested that PET bottle caps be collected for recycling. Beginning in October of 2009, therefore, receptacles for PET bottle caps were placed mainly in the divisions of group companies. Through March 31, 2011, this effort had succeeded in recycling caps equivalent to a reduction of 21,098 kilogram in CO2 emissions.

Bottle caps were recycled through an NPO that used the funds earned to purchase vaccines for children in developing countries.

• Contributions to Global Society (Used to Fund Vaccines for Children in Developing Countries through the Collection of PET Bottle Caps)

The New York Branch and Los Angeles Branch of MHCB has put a system in place that makes it possible to fax electronic data created on a computer without printing it out, which serves to reduce paper use. The New York Branch has also eliminated paper Christmas cards and completely switched over to electronic cards.

In addition, the New York Branch's Harborside Office was recognized for its efforts in recycling lighting and computer products. It was formally certified by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Projection for fully complying with the state's recycling promotion policy.

The London Branch of MHCB is calling on everyone to reduce unnecessary printing by appending the slogan "Think before you print" to the end of emails sent by employees. The branch is also stocking its vending machines with fair trade^* products and cups made from biodegradable paper in an effort to make its vending machines more environmentally responsible.

• *Environmentally conscious products produced based on fair trade terms with producers in developing countries

MHCB's Taipei Branch has started scanning foreign currency documents and storing them as data instead of storing the original documents. At the same time, the Hong Kong Branch is working to reduce paper use by developing a system for communications related to business entertainment and gifts in an effort to go paperless in this area. Also, the Dalian Branch of local subsidiary Mizuho Corporate Bank (China) is striving to reduce its environmental impact by introducing hybrid cars to its fleet.

MHCB's Wuxi Branch, with the help of customers and the local community, collected 50 kilogram of used batteries in a recycling initiative.

And MHCB's Bangkok Branch, through its fiscal 2010 "Electricity Usage Reduction Campaign," cut its electricity usage by 109,922 kilowatt–hour. It did this through measures like turning up air conditioner thermostats, turning off unnecessary lighting, and shutting down personal computers during lunch hours.