Biodiversity Conservation

Our society benefits from a multitude of nature’s blessings grounded upon biodiversity, known as ecosystem services. This biodiversity, however, is experiencing significant damage at an unprecedented speed. Accordingly, corporate enterprises are now expected to address issues of conservation and sustainable use of resources.

We are committed to properly understanding the impact of our business activities on biodiversity and contributing to conservation. To this end, we are promoting initiatives in cooperation with local governments, environmental conservation NPO/NGOs, and specialized agencies.

Since 2009, we have identified and are promoting action in three areas where our business activities affect biodiversity: products, land use, and procurement.

Together with the NGO BirdLife International, we have established a third-party assessment system to provide customers with information about product contributions to biodiversity. Through this system, we have assessed products which are closely-linked to biodiversity.

Furthermore, in fiscal 2012 we have reviewed our green product accreditation criteria related to biodiversity, and are revising guidelines for more specificity on materials and functions in order to develop and promote products that make a contribution to biodiversity.

We are aiming to contribute to the conservation of biodiversity through greenery at our business sites. To date, we have surveyed biodiversity contribution possibilities at our 121 business sites in Japan, and selected the Moriguchi and Kadoma district, which consists of 12 sites including the Head Office, as a model case. Our plan is to strengthen the ecological network and to contribute to urban development complementary to nature in the area between Tsurumi Ryokuchi Park in the south and the Yodo first class River running in the north. In fiscal 2011, we established a committee of local governments, universities, and corporate members to promote activities. This year, we are taking the first step in favor of biodiversity by creating green spaces on the grounds of our business sites. We will be able to survey the effects of green space by directly monitoring nature in close proximity to us. We will also have the opportunity to study the environment through the lens of biodiversity.

At our ‘eco ideas’ Factory Biwako in Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, we foster our connection with Lake Biwa, the surrounding forest, and other green areas around the plant. With cooperation among our employees and specialists, we strive to maintain the areas around the plant through responsible stewardship of the vegetation, natural environment, and wildlife in the area.

In an effort to address biodiversity conservation and sustainability, we consulted extensively with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Japan and formulated Panasonic Group Green Procurement Guidelines for Wood. In fiscal year 2012, the total procurement of timber and wood materials was measured at approx. 420,000 m³. By category, this breaks down to 75% meeting “Priority” procurement standards (a 4-point year-on-year increase), 25% in the category of “Acceptable” (a 3-point year-on-year decrease), and 0.6% in the “Avoiding” category (a 0.5-point year-onyear decrease). We continue to aim toward reducing our Category 3 procurement to nearly zero by fiscal 2013.

Since 2007, we have been promoting the Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support Project, a seven-year partnership with WWF Japan. The project aims to implement measures required for the sustainable use and conservation of the Yellow Sea Ecoregion, a body of sea water enclosed by China and the Korean peninsula, in which area known for its high biodiversity value.

©1986 Panda symbol WWF
®“WWF” is a WWF Registered Trademark

• Panasonic to Launch Joint Project of Yellow Sea Ecoregion Support with WWF (Sep 7, 2007)