Environmentally Conscious Products

Since 2014 the Kawasaki Group has implemented its Kawasaki Ecological Frontiers system (formerly Kawasaki-brand Green Products system), an internal system for certifying environmentally conscious products, as a means of reducing the environmental impact of the Group's products and services throughout their life cycles. Under the system, superior products—in terms of whether the products themselves evidence improved environmental performance and whether the associated manufacturing processes demonstrate a reduced environmental impact—are certified and registered. In product development, we contribute in various ways to promoting a reduction of the environmental impact, including the improvement of energy efficiency through the fuel and power efficiency of products and so on; a reduction in environmental-load emissions, such as greenhouse gases and harmful chemical substances, in production processes; and resource saving in products themselves. In light of an increase in recent years in the registration of epoch-making decarbonization solutions, such as hydrogen equipment, in February 2024 we established three new categories (the Decarbonization Category, Transition Category, and Electric and Energy Saving Category) to clearly evaluate the diversifying products and conduct appropriate certification and registration. From the three perspectives of innovative initiatives to realize a decarbonized society, continuous activities to reduce the environmental impact as a transition to a decarbonized society, and further energy-saving activities in electric products, solutions, and so on that contribute to decarbonization, we will aim to realize a carbon-neutral society (CO₂ FREE), a recycling-oriented society (Waste FREE), and a society coexisting with nature (Harm FREE). We heighten the desire of employees to create valuable products by paying an incentive (monetary compensation) to employees involved in the development of newly registered products in accordance with the product's certification class.

The Group evaluates its products and their manufacturing processes for conformity with its own internal standards and disseminates the results of its evaluations outside the company in accordance with international standard ISO14021. Specifically, our standards are geared to improving the environmental performance of our products and reducing the environmental impact of our manufacturing processes from three emissions-reduction standpoints: CO₂ FREE (reduction of CO₂ emissions), Waste FREE (reduction of industrial waste), and Harm FREE (reduction in the release of harmful chemical substances). We have established three new categories (the Decarbonization Category, Transition Category, and Electric and Energy Saving Category) and, as explained below, register products as S Class or A class depending on the extent to which they meet evaluation standards.

S Class:

Product evaluated as corresponding to the highest level in the industry in terms of environmental consciousness

A Class:

Product evaluated as exceeding the standard industrial level or the level of our previous model in terms of environmental consciousness

Number of registered products

In this system we constantly maintain up-to-date registration by reevaluating registered products every three years. As of the end of September 2025, the Group had registered 67 products in total, including 15 new registrations during the three years prior (5 in 2023, 7 in 2024, and 3 in 2025) and 52 renewed registrations of products originally certified in 2014–2022.

For details on the registered products, please refer to Kawasaki ecological frontiers registered products.

The CO₂ emissions reduction effects^*1 of the Group's environmentally conscious products, including those registered under the Kawasaki Ecological Frontiers system, were 1,905 kt-CO₂^*2 in fiscal 2024. The certified and registered products are contributing in many ways to reducing annual CO₂ emissions and other environmental impact. Examples include gas-turbine and gas-engine electric power generation equipment that has achieved world-class efficiency, motorcycles manufactured with more than 90 percent recycled materials, and energy-saving rolling stock made possible by weight reduction. Detailed information regarding the CO₂ emissions reduction effects due to environmentally conscious products including calculation rules and graphs showing trends for the past five years has been posted to the “Reducing CO₂ Emissions through Product-Based Contributions” section of the CO₂ FREE page. Please refer to these as well. Additionally, please refer to the table below for revenue from “Kawasaki ecological frontiers” for the past four years. (Covers: Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Railcar, Manufacturing, and Kawasaki Motors).

^*1 Reduction in CO₂ emissions compared to earlier products (refer to the calculation rules below.)

^*2 To put this figure into perspective, a passenger car with a gas mileage of 15 km/l that is driven 10,000 km per year emits about 1.5 t-CO₂.

In 2021, the system name was changed from Kawasaki-brand Green Products to Kawasaki Ecological Frontiers. In addition to the preexisting idea of Kawasaki-brand Green Products, the new name includes the sense that, for the “frontier”—i.e., the social issues of a new age—we will offer answers from a unique perspective and create a hopeful future not only with products but also by providing new solutions and creating systems. Throughout the entire life cycle of our products and the supply chain, we are working to realize a carbon-neutral society (CO₂ FREE), a recycling-oriented society (Waste FREE), and a society coexisting with nature (Harm FREE).

Among the products registered under "Kawasaki Ecological Frontiers," a special commendation is given to products that have received external environmental recognition and have made a significant contribution to business management or are expected to make a significant contribution to future business development and expansion^* as the "Kawasaki Ecology Prize." The product selected this time is as follows.

*The system was revised from fiscal 2024 to include future potential as an award requirement.

The "Kawasaki Green Gas Engine fueled up to 30% hydrogen KG-18-T.HM" is a gas engine based on the KG-18-T and that enables the use of fuel blended with 30% hydrogen by volume. Through hydrogen co-firing, the engine achieves an approximately 10% reduction in CO₂ emissions* compared with our conventional natural gas-only gas engine (KG-18-T). In recognition of its high future potential in the transition category, it was selected as the recipient of the Kawasaki Ecology Prize 2025. * Based on operation at rated output for 4,000 hours per year with 30% hydrogen co-firing External awards for this product are as follows:

External Awards

• Cogeneration Foundation, "Chairman’s Award" in Technology Development Category at the Cogeneration Awards 2024
• Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, "Nippon Brand Award" at the 68th Top 10 New Product Awards