Environmental Sustainability Management

Amid a global focus on global warming prevention, governments and international organizations around the world are stepping up their efforts. For instance, corresponding to the publication of the fourth Assessment Report by International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which showed ‘50% reduction of global GHG emission from the 2000 level’ as one of its scenarios, G8 Summit held in Heiligendamm, Germany cited it and advocated that this ambitious case should be a global target for the post-Kyoto framework.

Furthermore, several parties suggest stricter goals that the year of 1990 should be adopted as a base year, or that industrialized countries need to reduce their emissions by 30% in a mid-term 2020 target because of their bigger responsibility for historical emission. Regarding the peak-out year, some researchers advocate based on their scientific analysis that global GHG emissions must be peaked within ten to fifteen years from now, considering seriousness and urgency of climate change issues. Against this backdrop, the new Japanese Prime Minister, Yukio Hatoyama announced world’s highest and most ambitious GHG reduction target by 2020, which is 25% reduction compared to a 1990 level, at the U.N. Climate Change Conference on Sep.22, 2009.

Panasonic in general supports these directions from a point of view that drastic GHG emission reduction by innovative technological development must be achieved in a timely manner to tackle global warming and stabilize a GHG concentration. And we believe it is important to take into consideration cost effectiveness and difference of progress made in energy-efficiency initiatives as of today when allocating numerical reduction targets among each country/region, industry and individual company.

Pursuing contribution to ‘Coexistence with the global environment’ as one of our business visions, we’re promoting environmental sustainability management based on ‘eco ideas’ Strategy and Environmental Action Plan. We are determined to contribute to a global climate change initiative by reducing its GHG emissions from all business activities and spreading energy-efficient products throughout the world as a public entity.

Panasonic’s corporate mission is to improve and enhance people’s lives, contributing to the progress and development of society through our wide-ranging business activities. Reflecting the philosophy embodied in this mission, on June 5, 1991, we adopted the Environmental Charter, pledging in our Environmental Statement to preserve the earth’s resources and protect our natural surroundings. Based on this charter, we have been promoting environmental initiatives that acknowledge our obligation to maintain and nurture the ecology of this planet. The 21st century has been dubbed the century of the environment, in which every company, public organization and private citizen will play a crucial role in redefining not only corporate activities, but social systems and people’s values as well. Since we have established Green Plan 2010, which outlines our vision for meeting specific environmental targets, we reviewed the targets every year and challenged the stricter ones. Panasonic announced ‘eco ideas’ Strategy in October, 2007, and further promote its environmental sustainability management.