Panasonic steps up eco efforts

Toshiro Kisaka, chairman of Panasonic Corporation of China, laid out the company's plan for more ecofriendly operations, a week before the start of the Panasonic Group's 2009 environmental Forum in Beijing on May 19.

Talking about Panasonic's environmental philosophy at a press conference, Kisaka said, "We are striving to reduce production and consumption-related energy use. We have formulated specific action plans and targets in terms of products, factories, and employees."

As China continues rapid economic development, its energy use has increased. Panasonic, which has 80 offices in China, is eager to contribute to decreasing that use.

It has invested $6.6 billion into innovation and development of environmental friendly technologies and hopes to continue its efforts, despite the deepening financial crisis, according to Kisaka.

"We are committed to improving shortcomings in management and product energy efficiency," Kisaka said.

Yoshiaki Arai, general manager of Panasonic's environmental promotion department, said the company develops products based on criteria set for global warming prevention, effective utilization of resources and chemical substances management.

Arai added that the company has made efforts to eliminate the use of chemical substances harmful to the environment - such as reducing vinyl chloride resin in digital audiovisual products such as plasma TVs.

The company is also putting in energy-conserving fluorescent light bulbs.

Utilizing an environmental assessment system, all Panasonic products sold in China are green products, Arai claims.

Since last April, 201 products have been granted an environmental labeling by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Panasonic is trying to promote their energy-efficient and environmental friendly products to consumers across the globe. The brand's new NEO plasma television, which uses just half the electricity of previous products, will be sold in China soon.

The company has also certified 254 of its factories as "Clean factories" and achieved an 85 percent certification rate on corporate basis. Among its factories, nine factories have been certified "Superior clean factories" - four in Japan, three in China, and two in Malaysia.

"China Eco Project," activity aims for each of its factories to reduce CO2 emissions, chemical substance usage and water consumption -- with five factories having passed the government's clean production audits.

Panasonic's factories in China cut 728,000 tons of CO2 emissions compared to 2005. They also reduced their chemical substance emission and water consumption by 30.2 percent and 36.2 percent respectively compared to 2005.

The company is following China's 11th Five-Year Plan to reduce energy consumption.

Panasonic is also slated to launch two environmental technology academies - in Beijing and Hangzhou, Zhejiang province - in the next three months, in an effort to promote their technologies and tactics for a better environment, said Kisaka.

The academies will provide one-month courses for staffers and environmental professionals.

Kisaka said: "We're still in talks with the Chinese government to train more relevant staff in the future."

China unveiled management regulation on the Recycling and Treatment of Disposed Appliances and Electronic Products on March 4, which states that people without government licensing and the right technology to deal with e-waste, cannot recycle themselves. The regulation will come into effect in 2011 and violators face fines of 50,000 to 500,000 yuan.

Since 2003, more than 5 million TV sets, 4 million fridges, 6 million washing machines and 5 million computers have needed recycling annually, the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission said.

(China Daily 05/18/2009 page6)