Holding online event for MOL Group company executives and employees in Japan and overseas to memorialize the Wakashio incident
On Thursday, August 3 and Friday, August 4, MOL held online events marking "Wakashio Memorial Day" in recognition of the three-year milestone of the July 25, 2020 (local time) grounding and oil spill incident off the island of Mauritius involving the MOL-chartered Capesize bulker Wakashio. The memorial was an opportunity for group executives and employees in Japan and overseas to review the response to the incident. The objective is to reaffirm the awareness of the group executives and employees regarding the prevention of recurrence of such incidents and to reflect on MOL's support related to Mauritius.
The event began with a review of the incident and a reaffirmation of the prevention measures that were subsequently formulated. Then, one of the NGOs that received a grant from the authorized public trust MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability (the Trust in Japan) (Note 1), and one that received a grant in 2021 from the MOL Charitable Trust (the Trust in Mauritius) (Note 2), were invited to introduce and share the outcome of their activities. Staff members from MOL(Mauritius) Ltd. presented a field report, and MOL employee stationed in Kenya gave an explanation of its project in collaboration with a Mauritian company in East Africa.
MOL President & CEO Takeshi Hashimoto recalled that the incident provided an opportunity to review the group's safe operation management system and fully implement social contribution activities. He also emphasized that the MOL Group is taking new steps forward, such as working on environment-related projects in cooperation with NGOs, NPOs, and academic research institutions, through the social contribution activities conducted through both funding entities in Japan and Mauritius.
To Using the Wakashio incident as an example, MOL will strengthen its determination to ensure safer operations, and promote environmental support through restoration and conservation in cooperation with local communities, while also pursuing social contribution initiatives.
Assistant Professor Naoki Tojo, Fisheries Sciences
International Education Office (IEO)/Marine Bioresource and Environmental Science, Humans and the Ocean, Hokkaido University, speaks during the online event (right).
(Note 1) For information about the authorized public trust MOL Mauritius International Fund for Natural Environment Recovery and Sustainability, please refer to the following website.
https://www.mol-mauritius-fund.jp/en/
(Note 2) For information about MOL Charitable Trust and selected projects for funding, please refer to the June 21, 2021, press release, the December 24, 2021, Activities on MOL Charitable Trust selects projects for funding, and the page related to funding on the website.
(Note 3) Caritas Mauritius
The NGO which implements skill development programs for socially vulnerable communities.
Caritas Mauritius - Donner A Caritas ILE Maurice - Devenir benevole
For information on their activities, please refer to: The August 26, 2022, Activities: MOL Charitable Trust Participates in the Project Review Meeting of a Selected NGO, the May 16, 2023, Activities on MOL Charitable Trust Participates in the Completion Ceremonies of Skill Development, and the page related to the Fund on the website: The MOL Charitable Trust has unveiled the list of environmental and social projects for 2021-2022.